Four in a Row
Four in a Row is the upright grid game where gravity does half the work. The board has seven columns and six rows, and players take turns dropping black or white discs in from the top.
Make a line of four of your color, flat, standing or slanted, and the round ends in your favor. This version loads in an ordinary browser tab, so it is easy to open on a school Chromebook. Play the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or a friend sitting next to you.
How to play Four in a Row
Black drops first. Choose a column and your disc slides to the lowest open slot in it. Once a column is full to the top, nothing more can go in.
Four of your discs touching in an unbroken line wins straight away, whether the line runs sideways, straight up or along either diagonal. Fill all 42 slots with no line of four and it is a draw. Small marks show where the next disc in each column would land.
For a computer game, choose your color first. Black means you open, white means the computer does. Then set the level and start. Undo removes your last drop along with the computer's answer, and Resign concedes the round.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop a disc | Arrow keys to a column, Enter | Click any cell in the column | Tap any cell in the column |
| Choose a mode | — | 2 Player (local) or vs Computer | 2 Player (local) or vs Computer |
| Start against the computer | — | Pick a color and level, then New game | Pick a color and level, then New game |
| Take back | — | Click Undo | Tap Undo |
| Concede | — | Click Resign | Tap Resign |
Tips
- Your first few discs belong in the middle column. Discs there can join lines running in every direction, so they do the most work.
- One threat is easy to block. Set up two separate winning spots at once, and your opponent can only stop one of them.
- Look below every threat. If your rival needs a certain slot, do not fill the slot underneath it, or you hand them the win.
- Near the end, row height matters. The first player tends to profit from threats on the 1st, 3rd and 5th rows up, the second player from the 2nd, 4th and 6th.
- Diagonals are the lines people miss most. After each drop, trace both slants through the disc that just landed, for your color and for your opponent's.
If you like Four in a Row, try these
GomokuBigger board, longer line: place stones on a 15x15 grid and connect five in a row.
Dots and BoxesTwo-player grid play that rewards patience, completing squares to claim them and keep your turn.
Questions
Who goes first in Four in a Row?
Black always drops the first disc. Against the computer you decide who that is by choosing black or white before starting.
Can Four in a Row end in a tie?
Yes. If all 42 slots fill up and nobody has four in a line, the round is a draw.
Can I play Four in a Row with a keyboard?
Yes. Use the arrow keys to move between columns and press Enter to drop your disc there.
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