Play Connect Four online for free: drop red and yellow discs into a grid of 7 columns and 6 rows and be the first to line up four in a row, across, down or diagonally. Play connect four against the computer at three levels, easy, medium or hard, or play a friend on the same device in two player games mode. Tap a column or press the keys 1 to 7 to drop a disc. It needs no sign-up, works on phones and tablets, and comes with a printable strategy board that shows the best spaces to aim for.
Connect Four online: play, then print the strategy board
Play the four in a row game above, then print the two sheets below. The strategy board shows how many winning lines pass through every space, and the paper board lets two players play on a printed grid with two colors of pencil. The pictures also show the game against the hard computer and a win in two player mode.
How to play Connect 4 online (Connect Four)
- Red goes first. Against the computer you are red, and in two player mode red starts too.
- Drop a disc. Tap a column, or press 1 to 7 on a keyboard. The disc falls to the lowest empty space.
- Take turns. The computer or your friend plays yellow.
- Line up four. The first player to get four discs in a row, across, down or diagonally, wins, and the winning four light up.
- Full board is a draw. If all 42 spaces are filled and no one has four, the game is tied.
The four levels
- Easy computer: looks one move ahead and makes some random choices, so it sometimes misses a threat.
- Medium computer: looks three moves ahead, so it blocks simple threats.
- Hard computer: looks five moves ahead and prefers the middle columns, which makes it a real test.
- 2 players: red and yellow share one device. The game keeps score for both.
Connect Four board facts
| Fact | Number |
|---|---|
| Columns and rows | 7 columns and 6 rows |
| Spaces on the board | 42 |
| Discs for each player | 21 |
| Possible lines of four | 69 (24 across, 21 down and 24 diagonal) |
| Longest possible game | 42 moves |
| Legal positions | 4,531,985,219,092 |
Those 69 lines are the key to Connect Four strategy. A space that belongs to many lines gives you more ways to win, and the same space gives your opponent more ways to block you. Wikipedia’s Connect Four article gives the history of the game, which Milton Bradley first sold in 1974.
The Connect Four strategy board
This table counts, for each space, how many of the 69 lines of four include it. The numbers come straight from counting the lines, and they are printed on the strategy board in the gallery:
| Col 1 | Col 2 | Col 3 | Col 4 | Col 5 | Col 6 | Col 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| 5 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
The table shows the top row of the board first. The middle spaces, with values of 11 and 13, are the most valuable. The center column is part of 60 line-spaces in total, compared with only 24 in the edge columns. That is why strong players open in the middle.
Connect four strategy: 8 tips to win
- Open in the middle column. It has the highest value and gives you the most options.
- Control the center. Try to own as many spaces in columns 3, 4 and 5 as you can.
- Block every open three. If your opponent has three in a row with an empty space at the end that can be reached, play there at once.
- Look two moves ahead. Before you drop a disc, ask what space it gives your opponent on top of it.
- Build two threats at once. A double threat cannot be blocked in one move, which is how most games are won.
- Use odd and even rows. Counting from the bottom, red does best with threats on rows 1, 3 and 5, and yellow does best on rows 2, 4 and 6.
- Count the spaces left. In the late game, the players are forced to play under each other’s threats, so having the right row matters.
- Keep your options open. A diagonal that grows slowly is harder to see than a row.
Connect four against computer: how to beat each level
The easy computer makes random choices, so any plan with two threats beats it. The medium computer sees three moves ahead, so a simple double threat that is obvious will be blocked, but a threat set up four moves ahead is not. The hard computer sees five moves ahead and takes the center, so you need a long plan, a threat on the right row, and patience. If you lose to it, replay the game and notice which move gave it the win.
Connect Four is a “solved” game: in 1988, James D. Allen and Victor Allis showed, independently, that on the standard 7 by 6 board the first player can always win by starting in the middle column and playing perfectly. Wikipedia’s solved game article explains what that means. Perfect play is very difficult for people, so every game is still a real contest.
Two player games: Connect Four with a friend
Choose “2 players” and take turns on the same screen. For a screen-free version, print the paper board from the gallery, give each player a colored pencil, and fill in the lowest empty circle in the chosen column each turn. The score sheet at the bottom keeps track of five games. Two player games like this are ideal for car trips, waiting rooms and wet playtimes.
What children learn from four in a row
- Planning ahead: thinking about what happens after the next move.
- Spotting patterns: seeing lines in rows, columns and diagonals.
- Taking turns: waiting, watching and winning or losing graciously.
- Logic and counting: using odd and even rows and counting spaces.
Connect Four is a trademark of Hasbro. This page is a free, independent four in a row game for learning and fun.
Connect Four online: frequently asked questions
How do you win Connect Four?
Get four of your discs in a row, across, down or diagonally, before your opponent does.
Who goes first?
You play red and go first against the computer. In two-player mode red starts too.
Can I play Connect Four against the computer?
Yes. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard to play connect four against the computer. The hard level looks five moves ahead.
Can I play with a friend?
Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on one screen, or print the paper board.
What is the best first move in Connect Four?
The middle column. It is part of the most lines of four, and perfect play from the first player starts there.
How many moves can a game of Connect Four last?
At most 42, because the board has 42 spaces. Most games are over well before that.
Is Connect Four online free, and do kids need an account?
Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. Best scores are saved only in the browser on this device.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. The game is built for touch first and also works with a mouse or keyboard on a computer.