Featured: ChessConnect 4 Online: Play Free vs Computer or a Friend
Drop your discs and get four in a row across, down or diagonally before your rival does. Three computer levels, or a private room for two.
Tap a column to drop a disc. Keys 1 to 7 work too.
How to play Connect 4
Pick a column
Tap or click one of the seven columns, or press a key from 1 to 7. Your disc drops to the lowest empty hole.
Take turns
Red and yellow drop one disc at a time. Red discs carry a ring and yellow discs a star, so you can tell them apart.
Block your rival
Watch every line your opponent builds. Three in a row with an open hole must be blocked at once.
Connect four
The first player with four in a row across, down or diagonally wins. A full board with no line is a draw.
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Connect Four rules
Connect Four is played on an upright grid of 7 columns and 6 rows, 42 holes in all. One player has red discs and the other has yellow discs. Red always moves first, then the players take turns dropping one disc into any column that still has room. The disc falls straight down to the lowest free hole of that column, so you can never choose a hole in the air.
You win the moment four of your discs form an unbroken line: horizontal, vertical or diagonal in either direction. If all 42 holes are filled and neither player has four in a row, the game ends in a draw.
Online matches are played as best of 1, 3 or 5 rounds. A drawn round counts for nobody. When one player can no longer be caught the match ends, and if the score is still level after the last round the result is Match tied.
Modes and settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Easy | Plays loose, often misses your threats. Great for kids and a first game. |
| Medium | Looks a few moves ahead and always blocks a direct threat. A fair challenge. |
| Hard | Searches deep in about a second and punishes every slip. Very tough to beat. |
| You play | First takes red and the opening move, Second takes yellow. |
| Best of | For online rooms: 1, 3 or 5 rounds, chosen by the host. |
How to win at Connect 4: strategy tips
Take the centre column. The middle column belongs to more possible lines of four than any other, so discs there help in every direction. Experts open in the centre, and Connect Four is a solved game: with perfect play the first player wins by starting there.
Build threats, not just lines. A threat is an empty hole that would complete four in a row for you. One threat is easy to block, but two threats at the same time usually win the game. Look for shapes like an open three on the bottom row with holes on both ends, or a seven shape that points two lines at different holes.
Never play under your opponent's threat. If your rival needs a hole that is still in the air, avoid filling the hole directly beneath it, because your disc would give them the support they need. The same idea works for you: a threat high on the board can wait until the end, when your opponent is forced to play below it.
Count odd and even rows. Number the rows from the bottom. The first player (red) wants threats on odd rows 1, 3 and 5, and the second player (yellow) wants threats on even rows 2, 4 and 6. Near the end of a game the columns fill up in turn, and this rule decides who is forced to give way. It is the secret behind many wins at four in a row.
Block early and look two moves ahead. Before each drop, check every line where your opponent already has two or three discs, and ask what your move allows them to do next.
Playing the computer
Choose vs Computer, pick Easy, Medium or Hard and decide whether you play first with red or second with yellow. The computer thinks in the background, so the board stays smooth while it plans. Stuck? Press Hint and the best column glows. Hints are unlimited, and the result screen shows how many you used. After each game Play again swaps who starts, unless you picked first or second yourself. Your record for every level is saved on this device.
Playing a friend online
Choose Play a friend and create a room, then share the 6 character code or the invite link. Your friend joins from any phone, tablet or computer. The host plays red and starts odd rounds, the friend plays yellow and starts even rounds. Every move is checked by the host, the score stays in sync on both screens, and after the match a rematch is one tap away.
Connect 4 FAQ
Is this Connect 4 game free to play?
Yes. Connect 4 on OnlineGames2Play is completely free and runs in your browser on any phone, tablet or computer. There is nothing to download, no account and no sign up. Pick a mode and the board is ready at once.
How do you win at Connect 4?
Be the first player to line up four of your discs in a row. The line can go across, up and down, or diagonally in either direction. If all 42 holes are filled and nobody has four in a row, the game is a draw.
Who goes first in Connect Four?
Red always moves first. Against the computer you choose to play first with red or second with yellow. In an online room the host plays red and starts rounds 1, 3 and 5, and the friend plays yellow and starts rounds 2 and 4, so both players get the first move.
How hard is the computer?
Easy makes plenty of mistakes and is a good first opponent for kids. Medium looks a few moves ahead and blocks every direct threat, so it is a fair challenge. Hard searches more than ten moves ahead in about a second and is very tough to beat. Your wins, losses and draws are saved for each level on this device.
How do I play Connect 4 with a friend online?
Choose Play a friend, enter your name and press Create a room. Share the 6 character room code or the invite link. Your friend opens it on their own device, enters a name and joins. The host picks best of 1, 3 or 5 and starts the match.
What happens if a round is a draw?
A drawn round counts for nobody and the match goes on. If the score is still level after the last round, the match ends as Match tied. After any match the host can start a rematch, and the player who starts the first round swaps.
What is the best first move in Connect 4?
Drop your first disc in the centre column. It is part of more possible lines of four than any other column. Connect Four was solved in 1988: with perfect play the first player can always win by starting in the centre.
Can I play with a keyboard or get a hint?
Yes. Press the keys 1 to 7 to drop a disc in that column, or use the arrow keys to pick a column and Enter to drop it. Against the computer, the Hint button makes a column glow with a good move. Hints are unlimited and the result screen shows how many you used.
More board games to play online
Like strategy games? Read the Mastermind strategy guide or browse the OnlineGames2Play blog.