4 in a Row FAQ

4 in a Row is a two-player strategy game played on an upright seven-column, six-row grid. Players alternate dropping coloured discs into the columns; a disc falls to the lowest empty cell. The first player to line up four of their own discs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins. If the grid fills with no line of four, the game is a draw.

4 in a Row is the generic name for the game sold under the Connect Four trademark. The rules are identical: the same 7×6 grid, the same drop-and-stack movement, and the same win condition of four in an unbroken line. This site is an independent implementation and is not affiliated with any toy manufacturer.

Yes. 4inarowgame.com is completely free and runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to buy, download, or install, and there are no interruptive video ads, premium tiers, or paywalls. Open the page and a board is ready.

No. The game is the website — a 100% browser-based build with no app-store download and no sign-up. Your stats are saved locally in your browser, so there is no login to manage.

Games of lining up counters in a grid are old, but the vertical, disc-dropping version was popularised as a physical toy in 1974 under the Connect Four name. It became a staple of strategy-game collections, and in 1988 it was mathematically solved — the first player wins with perfect centre-column play.

You win by getting four of your discs in a straight, unbroken line: four across a row, four up a column, or four along a diagonal in either direction. The moment that line is complete the game ends in your favour — there is no further move. A single line of four is enough; you do not need multiple lines.

Yes. If all 42 cells are filled and neither player has four in a line, the game is a draw. Draws are common between two careful players and rare when one side is clearly stronger, because a mistake usually opens a line before the grid fills.

No. You only choose the column. Gravity drops the disc to the lowest open cell in that column. Reaching a specific square means the cells beneath it have to be filled first, which is the core of the puzzle — you often have to force your opponent to build the platform you need.

Click or tap any column to drop your disc into it. On a keyboard, the Left and Right arrows move the aim marker and Down, Enter, or Space drops. U undoes the last move, N starts a new game, R replays the same match-up, and M toggles sound.

Yes. Undo is unlimited. Against the computer, undo steps back both the computer’s reply and your move so you return to your own turn. In two-player mode it steps back one move at a time.

Seven columns by six rows — 42 cells, the standard size for this game. The seven-wide, six-tall grid is what makes the first player’s forced win possible and gives the game its known theory.

With perfect play on the standard 7×6 grid, the first player can force a win by opening in the centre column — this was solved by computer analysis in 1988. Human players are far from perfect, so in practice the first move is an advantage but not a guarantee. In this version, yellow moves first every game.

Easy takes an immediate win and blocks an immediate loss but is otherwise close to random, so it is good for learning the board. Medium searches a few moves ahead and rarely misses a simple trap. Hard searches several moves deep with pruning, fights for the centre, and avoids handing you a win — beating it consistently takes real planning.

Drop your first disc in the centre column. Every horizontal and every diagonal line of four has to include one of the middle three columns, and the exact centre sits on the most potential lines of any cell on the board. Controlling it early gives you the most ways to win and denies them to your opponent.

A single move that creates two separate squares, either of which would give you four in a line. Your opponent can block only one square per turn, so the other one wins for you. Setting up double threats — often where a horizontal line and a diagonal line share a square — is the main way strong players close out a game.

Usually because the three had open space on both ends, so blocking one end still left the other open, or because the block filled the cell beneath another winning square and handed over the win on top. Spot open-ended threes one move earlier, and check the square above before you play a column.

Yes. Choose the two-player option on the start screen for pass-and-play on one device. The board shows whose turn it is in their colour, the score for the sitting is kept on screen, and a new game is a single tap. There is no online multiplayer — it is local, same-screen play.

Your games played, wins, losses, draws, and win streak against each computer level are saved locally in your browser, along with the two-player head-to-head record. Nothing is sent to a server and there is no account. Because the save lives on the device, a different phone, a new browser profile, or cleared site data looks like a fresh start. A game in progress is not saved if you close the tab.

Yes. The layout is built for touch: the full grid and the turn indicator fit one portrait screen, each column is a large tap target, and starting a new game is instant with no page reload.

Not in this build. You can play the computer at three strengths or a friend in local pass-and-play on the same screen. There is no server, no matchmaking, and no login — which is also why it loads instantly and keeps your data on your device.

Open Stats from the game menu and use Reset, then confirm. That clears games played, wins, losses, draws, and streaks for all three computer levels and the two-player record on this browser. It cannot be undone.

Any current browser with JavaScript: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on desktop, plus their mobile versions. If the board does not respond, update the browser, allow scripts for this site, and reload.