Four in a Row: How to Play vs the Computer or a Friend and Win More

What is it?

Four in a Row is a two-player strategy game on a 7-column, 6-row grid. Take turns dropping discs; they fall to the lowest free space, and the first to make a line of four across, down or diagonally wins. Play a friend on the same device or the computer, which thinks up to six moves ahead on Hard.

Who is it for?

Families and friends wanting a quick strategy game, children learning to plan ahead, and strategy fans who want to beat the computer.

How to use it

1. Choose vs computer (then Easy, Medium or Hard) or 2 players.
2. Tap a column to drop your disc. On a keyboard press 1 to 7, or use the arrow keys and Enter.
3. Make a line of four of your colour in any direction; block your opponent’s lines.
4. New game starts again, Swap who starts changes the first player, Reset score clears the tally.

How to beat Hard

• Play the middle column early: a disc there is part of more possible lines than any other.
• Build threats stacked on top of each other, so that blocking one gives you the square above it.
• Count rows: as first player, threats on odd rows (1, 3, 5 from the bottom) tend to win the endgame; as second player, even rows.
• Before every move, check whether the opponent has three in a line with an open end.

Errors and how to fix them

• My tap did nothing: that column is full, the game is over, or the computer is still thinking.
• The game restarted when I changed level: changing mode or level resets the board.
• The first player keeps winning: starting is an advantage; use Swap who starts to take turns.
• My game, best time or score has gone: it is kept only in this browser on this device. Private windows, clearing site data, or another browser or phone start fresh.

Open the tool: Four in a Row

Still stuck?

Contact support. Tell us which tool or page you were using, what you tapped, what you saw, and your phone or computer and browser (for example: Android phone, Chrome). We reply by email.