Play Connect 4 Online

Connect 4 is a two-player strategy game played on an upright grid seven columns wide and six rows tall. Players take turns dropping a disc into a column, and it falls to the lowest empty space. The first player to line up four of their own discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins. If all 42 spaces fill up with no line of four, the game is a draw.

You can play it here in three ways, free and without an account. Against the computer you pick Easy, which sometimes drops a disc at random and suits beginners, or Hard, which looks many moves ahead, takes every win it sees and blocks every threat. A friend on the same device can take turns with you on one screen. Play with friends starts a private table with an invite link you can send to anyone, and when a game ends you can both play again.

The game looks simple, but it rewards thinking a few moves ahead. Discs in the middle column take part in more possible lines than discs on the edges, so the center matters. Watch for moves that create two threats at once, and remember that every disc you drop also gives your opponent the space directly above it.

Also known as Connect Four, Four in a Row, 4 in a Row, Captain's Mistress.