Drop red and blue discs and line up four first. Play the computer at three levels or a friend on one device; online games are in the lobby.
What is Four in a Row?
Four in a Row is a two-player connection game in which players take turns dropping discs into a vertical grid of seven columns and six rows, and the first to line up four of their own discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins. Many people know it as Connect 4. Discs fall to the lowest free space in the column you choose, so you only ever pick a column, never a square.
Gravity is what makes the game interesting. A space becomes playable only when the space under it is filled, so a threat high up on the board can wait for many moves, and choosing who is forced to fill the space beneath it decides many games.
How to play Four in a Row
The board is a standing grid of 7 columns by 6 rows, 42 spaces in all. In our version Red always drops first, then Blue, one disc per turn.
On your turn, choose a column that is not full and drop a disc into it. The disc slides down to the lowest empty space. You cannot pass, and you cannot remove or move a disc once it has been played.
The first player to get four discs in an unbroken line wins. The line can run across a row, up a column, or along either diagonal. If all 42 spaces fill up without a line of four, the game is a draw.
You can play against the computer at Easy, Medium or Hard and decide who drops first, or play two players on one device. The page also has an online lobby where you can play other people.
Four in a Row strategy
Take the centre. The middle column is part of more possible lines of four than any other column, because a horizontal four through it can start in several places and both diagonals pass through it. Opening in the centre and keeping a presence there gives you the most chances later. The columns next to it are the next best.
Think in threats. A threat is an empty space that would complete four for you. A threat on the bottom row must be answered at once, but a threat higher up is only live when the space below it gets filled. Strong players build threats early and leave them waiting.
Never play directly under your opponent's threat. If your disc fills the space beneath their winning space, they drop on top and win. Before every move, look at the space your disc will land on and the space just above it.
Stack two threats. If you have two threats in the same column, one directly above the other, your opponent can block the lower one, and you win on the upper one. Many winning attacks come from building one threat and then a second right above it.
Use the odd and even rule. Number the rows 1 to 6 from the bottom. When the board fills up and players are forced to drop where they would rather not, the first player tends to get the odd rows and the second player the even rows. So a threat on an odd row is especially strong for the player who moved first, and a threat on an even row for the player who moved second. When you move second, answering in the same column as your opponent is a common way to keep control of the even rows.
Count the board every move. Look for any column where your opponent could win right now, then check that your move does not open a new winning space for them.
Four in a Row variants
Our game uses the classic rules: a 7 by 6 board, four in a line to win, and a draw when the board is full. There are no rule options, only the choice of opponent, difficulty and who starts.
Other variants exist, including larger boards, versions where you may pop a disc out from the bottom of a column, and versions that need five in a row. For the same idea without gravity on a large open board, Gomoku asks for five in a row.
History of Four in a Row
Connection games of this kind have been played for a long time, and the vertical-grid version has been sold under the name Connect Four since 1974. In 1988 the game was solved, by James D. Allen and independently by Victor Allis: with perfect play the first player wins, but only by starting in the middle column. That result is why the centre is the standard first move.
Playing Four in a Row on Hevagames
Four in a Row on Hevagames runs in the browser on phones and computers, with no download. Tap or click a column to drop a disc. On a keyboard, the arrow keys, Home and End move between columns, Enter or Space drops, the digits 1 to 7 drop straight into a column, and Ctrl+Z undoes.
Discs fall with a short animation, the winning line is highlighted, and the frame glows in the colour of the side to move. Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply. On Hard the computer looks up to eight moves ahead, trying the centre columns first, so it punishes loose play. Your unfinished game is saved, and your win streak against the computer and your best streak are kept on your device. The board follows the light or dark theme.
How to play
- 1Choose vs Computer (Easy, Medium or Hard, and who moves first) or 2 Players. Red moves first.
- 2Tap a column to drop your disc; it falls to the lowest free slot.
- 3Line up four of your discs across, down or diagonally to win. A full board with no line is a draw.
Controls
Tips
- The middle column is part of the most possible lines.
- Look for two threats at once; your rival can block only one.
- Before you drop, check whether your disc lets your rival win on top of it.
