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Drop your discs and be the first to line up four in a row — across, down or diagonally.

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You
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Computer
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It’s a draw
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Your turn
How to play
  • Click a column — or its arrow header — to drop your red disc into the lowest free slot.
  • The computer answers with a yellow disc. Pick a difficulty to set how hard it plays.
  • Connect four of your discs in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — to win.

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About Connect Four

Connect Four is the classic vertical strategy game: two players drop discs into a seven-column grid, and each disc falls to the lowest free slot. The first to line up four discs in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — wins. Milton Bradley published the tabletop original in 1974, and it has been a family staple ever since.

Here you play red against a computer opponent with three difficulty levels, from a casual Easy to a Hard AI that punishes loose moves. Interestingly, Connect Four is a solved game — with perfect play the first player can always force a win — but finding those moves yourself is the fun part. It is free and runs entirely in your browser.

How to use Connect Four

  1. Pick a difficulty — Easy, Medium or Hard — to set how strong the computer plays.
  2. Click a column, or its arrow header, to drop your red disc into the lowest free slot.
  3. The computer replies with a yellow disc; take turns building your lines.
  4. Connect four of your discs in a row — across, down or diagonally — to win.
  5. If the board fills with no winner, it’s a draw; start a new game to go again.

Frequently asked questions

Drop your first disc in the center column. It participates in the most possible four-in-a-row lines, and with perfect play a center opening is a guaranteed win for the first player.

Always block an opponent’s three-in-a-row immediately, and try to build “double threats” — two winning spots at once — since the computer can only block one. Watch diagonals; they are the easiest lines to miss.

If all 42 slots fill without a four-in-a-row, the game is declared a draw. That is rare in casual play because threats usually resolve long before the board fills.

This version is built for playing against the computer, with three difficulty levels to match your skill. For a human opponent, take turns clicking columns on the same screen during casual play.

Yes — it plays instantly in the browser with no download, no account and no cost, on desktop and touch devices alike.


Popular searches
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