Drop discs into seven columns and race to line up four of your color across, down or on a slant.
Four in a Row is a two-player game on an upright grid with seven columns and six rows. You and your opponent take turns dropping black and white discs into the columns. The first to get four of their color touching in a straight line wins the round. Rows, columns and both diagonals all count.
The discs are plain and high contrast, and you can face the computer at three levels or a friend on the same screen.
Rules in brief
Black always drops first. On your turn, pick a column. The disc falls to the lowest empty slot in it, landing on top of earlier discs or on the bottom row. A full column cannot take another disc. It does not matter which cell in a column you click, since any cell selects the whole column. In every column, a shaded cell with a tiny mark in its corner previews the landing spot.
You win as soon as four of your discs line up with no gaps. If all 42 slots fill before anyone does that, the round is a draw.
Getting started
Against the computer, choose your color first. Black means you open the game, while white gives the first drop to the computer. Next set the difficulty and start with New game. The local two-player option skips the computer entirely, and you simply pass the device back and forth.
Resign ends the round on the spot, and New game starts a fresh one at any time.
Winning moves
The middle column is the strongest place to start. A disc in the center can belong to more winning lines than a disc anywhere else, which makes those first drops count.
Try to set up two threats at the same time. One threat is simple to stop. Two different cells that would each win cannot both be covered in one turn. Pay attention to the cell directly below your opponent’s winning spot as well. If you fill it, you hand them the slot they need.
Late in the game, row position matters. Since black opens, black’s threats tend to work best on rows 1, 3 and 5 counting up from the bottom, while white’s are stronger on rows 2, 4 and 6 as the board fills.
Common mistakes
Most missed wins and losses come from diagonals. After every drop, check the slanted lines for both colors before you look anywhere else. It is also easy to drop into a column just because it is open. Before each move, ask what your opponent can do on the very next turn.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop a disc | Arrow keys to reach a column, Enter to drop | Click any cell in the column | Tap any cell in the column |
| Pick a game mode | — | Click "2 Player (local)" or "vs Computer" | Tap "2 Player (local)" or "vs Computer" |
| Start a game against the computer | — | Choose a disc color and level, then click "New game" | Choose a disc color and level, then tap "New game" |
| Take back your last move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
| Give up the current game | — | Click "Resign" | Tap "Resign" |
Four in a Row FAQ
Can two people play Four in a Row on one device?
Yes. Choose the 2 Player (local) mode and pass the phone, tablet or laptop after each drop. Black always goes first, and the status line tells you whose turn it is.
Does it work on a phone or Chromebook?
Yes. You can tap, click or use the keyboard, and the board stays clear on a small screen. Settings let you raise the text size, turn on high contrast and change how fast the computer replies.
Is a game saved if I reload the page?
Yes. Your browser holds on to an unfinished round and brings it back when the page reloads. If you want a move back, Undo removes it, and in a computer game it also cancels the computer's answer. The game asks you to confirm before you resign or restart.
How hard is the computer?
Easy picks columns at random. Medium checks each column a single move ahead, with some chance mixed in. Hard looks far into the future, so it seldom overlooks a threat and likes to set up double threats of its own.
