How to play Four in a Row
- The grid has 7 columns and 6 rows. Orange and Purple take turns, and the player who goes first changes every round.
- On your turn, choose a column. Your disc drops to the lowest empty space in it.
- Line up four of your discs in a row: across, up and down, or diagonally. The first to do it wins the round.
- If all 42 spaces fill up without a line of four, the round is a draw.
- Press Play again for another round. The score at the top keeps count until you close the game.
Controls
| Device | How to play |
|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Tap anywhere in a column to drop your disc there |
| Mouse | Click a column |
| Keyboard | Press 1 to 7 for a column, or use ← → to choose and Enter to drop |
Computer levels
The computer sees only the board, just like you. It gets stronger by looking further ahead at the moves that could follow, not by cheating.
| Level | How the computer plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Looks two moves ahead and often picks a random column. Great for learning. |
| Medium | Looks four moves ahead and blocks most simple threats, but still slips up. |
| Hard | Looks seven moves ahead and rarely misses a threat. |
| Expert | Thinks as many moves ahead as it can in about a second. A real challenge. |
Tips to win
- Start in the middle. The centre column is part of more possible lines of four than any other column.
- Make two threats at once. If you can threaten to win in two places, your rival can only block one.
- Watch the space under a threat. A line of three is only dangerous when the empty space can be filled next. Count the discs below it.
- Don't fill the gap for them. Before you drop a disc, check whether it lets your rival play on top of it to win.
- Play the long game. Against the harder levels, quiet moves that set up threats for later often matter more than blocking straight away.
About Four in a Row
Games of four in a row on a standing grid, where discs fall to the bottom, became popular around the world in the 1970s. Part of their charm is how quickly the rules are learned and how deep the strategy runs. In 1988, two researchers, James Allen and Victor Allis, independently worked out the game in full: with perfect play, the player who goes first can always win by starting in the middle column. Luckily, nobody plays perfectly, which is why it is still fun after thousands of rounds.
Questions
Is Four in a Row free?
Yes. It's free to play in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. There are never ads during a game.
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes. Choose 2 Players and pass the phone, or put it on the table between you. Each player taps their own column on their turn.
Who goes first?
Orange starts the first round, then the first move switches between the players every round, so it stays fair.
Can the game end in a draw?
Yes. If all 42 spaces fill up and nobody has four in a row, the round is a draw.
Updated 2 November 2026