Four in a Row

How to play Four in a Row

Drop a disc into one of seven columns. Gravity takes it to the lowest empty space in that column. Red starts, Gold follows, and the players alternate. The first player to connect four or more discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins. If all 42 spaces fill without a winning line, the round is a draw. A winning final disc counts as a win, even when it fills the board.

Play the computer or a friend

Choose Computer and play first as Red or second as Gold. The computer opens when you choose second. Choose Two players to share the same screen; Red starts each new local round. Computer difficulty and side settings apply only to computer rounds. A full column cannot accept another disc and does not use your turn.

Easy varies its choices, while Normal and Hard use progressively larger, bounded lookahead searches. All three look for an immediate win or an immediate opposing threat first. The opponent thinks in short scheduled steps so the controls can remain responsive. These are the site's difficulty choices, not a promise of perfect or unbeatable play.

Simple controls

Tap the column number or any space in a column. On a keyboard, use 1–7 to drop directly, or Left and Right to choose a column followed by Enter or Space. U undoes, R redoes, and P pauses. While the computer is thinking, disc input waits for its reply. New round, Undo and Pause remain available when applicable.

Full screen keeps the board and controls together. On a wide landscape screen, the tools and save message sit in a separate scrollable panel beside the board. Back or Escape returns to the page with its previous scroll position and focus.

Undo, saved rounds and practice

Against the computer, Undo removes your previous decision and its computer reply if that reply has already arrived. If your last disc won immediately, or the reply is still pending, it removes just that human disc. The automatic computer opening cannot be undone by itself. In local two-player mode, Undo removes one disc. Redo restores the exact saved turn; it does not ask the computer for a different reply.

Undo and Restart mark the entire attempt as practice. Restart clears the board but keeps the attempt's original outcome and assistance. If you undo a loss and later win, the earlier loss remains that attempt's first result. New round creates a fresh attempt. Reloading, reviewing, redoing or replaying cannot duplicate a result or turn a practice result into a challenge win.

Your current board, pending turn, Undo/Redo, settings, active time and stars save in this browser when storage is available. Leaving the tab pauses play and cancels pending computer work. A saved unfinished round waits for Resume before its computer reply. The clock starts with the first actual disc. Sound starts off, reduced motion is respected, and a visible message explains when saving is unavailable.

Eight small milestones

Earn stars for dropping a disc, playing the center, blocking an immediate four, winning a first-result computer round, beating Normal without Undo/Restart, beating Hard without Undo/Restart, an unassisted computer win, and three different unassisted computer wins. Local two-player games can earn the opening and tactical stars; they do not count as computer difficulty victories. Celebrations stay below the board and never cover a disc.