Play 4 in a Row Online

Drop discs into the grid and be the first to connect four in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Challenge the AI or play with a friend.

Game Mode
AI Difficulty
You: 0
vs
AI: 0
Your turn — drop a red disc

What Is 4 in a Row?

4 in a Row (also known as Four in a Row, Drop Four, or Plot Four) is a classic two-player strategy game played on a vertical grid with 7 columns and 6 rows. Players take turns dropping coloured discs into a column from the top — the disc falls to the lowest available space. The first player to line up four of their discs in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line wins the game.

The concept dates back to the 1970s and has been a staple of family game nights ever since. It's easy to learn but has surprising strategic depth — mathematicians have proven that the first player can always win with perfect play, but doing so requires thinking many moves ahead.

How to Play

  1. Choose a mode. Play against the AI (with Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty) or challenge a friend on the same device.
  2. Drop a disc. Tap or click a column to drop your disc. It falls to the lowest open cell in that column.
  3. Connect four. Be the first to get four discs in an unbroken horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line.
  4. Watch out! Your opponent is trying to connect four too. Block their threats while building your own.

Strategy Tips

1. Control the Centre

The centre column is part of the most possible four-in-a-row combinations of any column on the board. Dropping your first disc in the centre gives you the maximum number of winning opportunities and forces your opponent to react.

2. Build Double Threats

The strongest move in 4 in a Row is the double threat — setting up two ways to complete a line on the same turn. Your opponent can only block one, so you win on the next move. Look for L-shapes, T-shapes, and diagonal setups that create these forks.

3. Think About Row Parity

Advanced players pay attention to which row a potential winning cell is on. If it's your turn and your winning cell is on an odd row (counting from the bottom), you have an advantage because you'll likely fill up to that row first. This "odd/even" strategy is key to high-level play.

4. Don't Just Block — Counter

Beginners often focus purely on blocking their opponent. Better players look for moves that both block a threat and create one of their own. Every piece you drop should serve your plan, not just react to your opponent's plan.

5. Avoid Giving Your Opponent the Centre

If you let your opponent stack discs in the middle columns unchallenged, they'll eventually build an unstoppable web of threats. Contest the centre early and often.

About the AI

The AI in this game uses the minimax algorithm with alpha-beta pruning — the same fundamental approach used to solve the game mathematically. Here's what each level does:

  • Easy: Looks 2 moves ahead and occasionally makes random (suboptimal) moves. Great for learning the game and practising basic strategies.
  • Medium: Looks 5 moves ahead with solid positional evaluation. A good challenge for intermediate players.
  • Hard: Looks 8 moves ahead with advanced evaluation considering centre control, threats, and connectivity. Very tough to beat — can you find a way?

History of Four in a Row

The four-in-a-row concept has roots in ancient strategy games, but the modern vertical-drop version was created in the 1970s. The 7×6 board quickly became the standard, and the game became one of the most popular two-player abstract strategy games worldwide.

In 1988, mathematicians James Dow Allen and Victor Allis independently proved that the game is a first-player win with perfect play — meaning if both players play optimally, the player who goes first will always win (by starting in the centre column). Despite being "solved," the game remains deeply engaging at human level because perfect play requires evaluating over 4.5 trillion possible board positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 in a Row (also known as Four in a Row, Drop Four, or Plot Four) is a two-player strategy game played on a vertical 7-column, 6-row grid. Players take turns dropping coloured discs into columns, and the first player to line up four discs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins.
The key strategies are: control the centre column (it's part of the most possible winning lines), build threats in multiple directions so your opponent can't block them all, and try to set up a "double threat" — two ways to complete four in a row on the same turn.
Yes. Mathematicians proved in 1988 that on the standard 7×6 board, the first player can always force a win with perfect play by starting in the centre column. In practice, most human games are still very competitive because perfect play requires evaluating trillions of positions.
Yes! This game is fully responsive and designed for mobile-first play. Tap a column to drop your disc, and enjoy smooth animations on any screen size.
There are three levels: Easy (makes occasional random moves, great for beginners), Medium (looks several moves ahead, a solid challenge), and Hard (uses deep search with advanced evaluation — very tough to beat).

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