What is Connect Four?

Connect Four is the classic two-player strategy game where you drop colored discs into a vertical grid. Be the first to connect four of your discs in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — to win.

The classic board is seven columns wide and six rows tall, and every disc falls to the lowest empty cell in its column. You can switch to a bigger board (up to 9×9) and set how many discs make a win — pick Connect 3 for fast games with kids or Connect 5 or 6 for a longer think. The winning line can be horizontal, vertical, or either diagonal, and the matching discs light up when a game ends. Wins, losses, and draws stack up between rounds, and New Game resets the board without clearing the score.

How to use

1. Choose a column to drop your disc by clicking the column header
2. Take turns dropping discs — the starting player alternates each game so both colours get a fair share of openings
3. Connect four discs in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) to win the game

When to use

• A quick two-player match over one screen at lunch or on a coffee break.
• Teaching kids look-ahead thinking and how a move now opens or blocks one later.
• Settling a friendly bet without digging out the physical board.

Result

Drop your discs into the middle columns first — the center touches the most win lines, which makes it the strongest opening.

FAQ

Can I play against the computer?

Yes. Switch the mode toggle to vs AI and pick Easy, Medium, or Hard. Easy mixes in random moves so beginners can win; Medium plays solid tactical replies; Hard looks several moves ahead and will punish loose play. The AI is always yellow.

What's the best opening column?

The centre column (column four). It touches more potential win lines than any edge column, and Connect Four is mathematically solved as a first-player win when red opens there with perfect play.

Who goes first in a new game?

The starter alternates between matches — whoever didn't open the previous game opens the next one. The first game of a session always starts with red. If you'd rather restart the rotation, hit Reset to wipe the scores and the starter cycle.

Can the board ever end in a draw?

Yes, though it's rare with focused play. If the whole board fills up and nobody has made the winning line, the round counts as a draw and the centre score box ticks up by one. Shorter win conditions like Connect 3 make draws almost impossible, while a larger board makes a packed-board draw even less likely.

Does the score reset if I refresh the page?

Yes. The score lives in memory for the current session and clears on refresh or after closing the tab. If you want a long-term tally, jot it down or screenshot the score bar between matches.

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