Four in a Row is a two-player game played on an upright grid of 7 columns and 6 rows. Players take turns dropping a piece into a column, and it falls to the lowest empty cell. The first to line up four of their own pieces across, up and down, or diagonally wins. It takes a minute to learn, and the best players plan many moves ahead. Play here against a friend on one device, invite a friend to play online, or take on the computer.
Four in a Row rules
- The grid has 7 columns and 6 rows, 42 cells in all, and starts empty.
- Blue moves first, then the players take turns. Each turn, you drop one piece into any column that still has room.
- A piece always falls as far as it can, so it lands on the bottom row or on top of the highest piece already in that column. You choose the column, never the row.
- A full column takes no more pieces. You can never pass: if a column has room, you must play somewhere.
- The first player to get four of their pieces in a straight line wins at once. The line can run across, up and down, or diagonally in either direction.
- If all 42 cells are filled and nobody has four in a row, the game is a draw.
How to play on this page
- Open Setup and choose who you play against: Computer, Friend online, or 2 players, one device. Friend online gives you a link to send, and each of you plays on your own screen.
- Against the computer, pick Easy, Medium or Hard, and decide whether to play Blue and move first, or Red and move second.
- Click or tap anywhere in a column to drop your piece there. On a computer, a dashed circle shows where it will land before you click.
- With a keyboard, use the left and right arrow keys to pick a column and Enter to drop, or press a number from 1 to 7.
- The last piece played is highlighted, and when someone makes four, a pen line is drawn through the winning pieces. A full column has its number struck through.
- Undo takes back your last move, together with the computer’s reply. Your settings, score and the game in progress are saved in this browser.
Tips for winning
- Play the middle. The center column is part of more possible lines than any other, so pieces there do the most work.
- Always look for a win first, then check whether your opponent can win on their next move and block it.
- Before you drop a piece, look at the cell just above where it lands. If your opponent needs that cell, your move hands it to them.
- Set up two threats at once. Your opponent can only block one, so the other wins the game.
- Build threats you can wait on. A cell you need that is not yet playable is a quiet trap: sooner or later the columns fill up and someone must play underneath it.
- Count the rows. The player who moves first usually wants their waiting threats on odd rows from the bottom (1, 3 and 5), and the second player on even rows, because that is how the grid fills up near the end.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to download anything or sign up?
- No. The game runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
- Does a diagonal line count?
- Yes. Four pieces in a straight line win in any direction: across a row, up a column, or along either diagonal. A line of five or more also wins.
- What happens when a column is full?
- Nothing more can go in it. Its number under the grid is crossed out, and clicking it does nothing, so you just choose another column. If every column fills up and nobody has four in a row, the game is a draw.
- Is it better to go first?
- Yes. With perfect play from both sides, the player who moves first and starts in the middle column can always force a win. In real games mistakes decide far more than that, so going second is still very playable. Against the computer you can choose either side.
- How strong is the computer?
- Easy plays casually and sometimes misses wins and blocks, which makes it a good place to learn. Medium looks a few moves ahead and never misses a win or a block that is one move away. Hard thinks much further ahead and sets traps of its own, so beating it takes real planning.
- Will my score be saved?
- Yes. Your settings, your score and the game in progress are saved in this browser, so they will still be here when you come back. They are not sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data removes them.