Board & classics
Play Connect Four online
Discs drop into a column from above – simple enough for two moves. After that it is all about parity, double threats and never handing your opponent a platform. Four in a row counts horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
Play Connect Four nowFree · no download · no sign-up
At a glance
- Category
- Board & classics
- Controls
- mouse or finger
- Price
- free
- Sign-up
- not required
Yes. Connect Four is played against the computer here, across several strengths from easy to very strong. A win also pays chips into your account.
Where Connect Four comes from
Milton Bradley released Connect Four in 1974 – a drop game that looks like upright tic tac toe and is mathematically far deeper. In 1988 James Allen and Victor Allis independently proved that the first player always wins with perfect play by opening in the centre column. It is known as Vier gewinnt in Germany and as Captain's Mistress in older British editions.
How it works
Drop pieces into the columns in turn. First to line up four – across, down or diagonally – wins. You are red and start.
Three tips for better results
- 1The middle column is the most valuable: more possible fours run through it than any other.
- 2Never play directly below a square that would win for your opponent – you are handing them the game.
- 3Two threats stacked in the same column are lethal, because blocking the lower one opens the upper one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Connect Four free to play?
Yes. Connect Four runs straight in your browser, costs nothing and needs no installation. There is no paywall – the chips in the game are play money and cannot be bought. The site is funded by advertising, which appears only if you agree to it.
Do I need an account to play Connect Four?
No. The home page offers “play now without an account” – that starts you straight away and your progress stays in this browser. An account is only worth it if you want the same progress on several devices; name and PIN are enough, and we never ask for an email address. A guest profile can be turned into an account at any time without losing anything.
How do you play Connect Four?
Drop pieces into the columns in turn. First to line up four – across, down or diagonally – wins. You are red and start.
Where does Connect Four come from?
Milton Bradley released Connect Four in 1974 – a drop game that looks like upright tic tac toe and is mathematically far deeper. In 1988 James Allen and Victor Allis independently proved that the first player always wins with perfect play by opening in the centre column. It is known as Vier gewinnt in Germany and as Captain's Mistress in older British editions.
Does Connect Four work on a phone?
The site adapts to the screen size, and anything you can click can also be tapped. Games controlled with arrow keys do need a keyboard, though.
Do I have to download anything to play Connect Four?
No. Connect Four runs in the browser – on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone alike. There is no app, no plugin and nothing to install.
Can I play Connect Four against the computer?
Yes. Connect Four is played against the computer here, across several strengths from easy to very strong. A win also pays chips into your account.
Does Connect Four work without an internet connection?
The page has to load once; after that the game itself runs entirely in your browser and needs no connection. If you use an account, your progress syncs again as soon as you are back online.
Also known as
These are the terms people use to look for Connect Four.
- connect four online
- four in a row
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- free connect four
- drop four game
- captain's mistress
- strategy board game
- connect four tips
- two player board game