Four in a Row
Four in a Row is a classic 7x6 gravity game: drop discs into columns and connect four horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
World and Mission
Each disc changes both the visible threats and the height of the next landing spot. Build a line while reading what your move makes possible for the computer.
The round moves directly from Battle to Result. Replay clears the board so you can try a different opening.
How the Systems Work
The 7×6 board has seven columns and six rows. A disc lands in the lowest free cell of the chosen column; full columns cannot be played.
Four of one color in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line wins. A full board without four ends the round.
Easy chooses a random open column. Medium takes an immediate win, then blocks an immediate loss, then chooses randomly. Hard uses the same win and block checks, then prefers a column closest to the center. Changing difficulty resets the round.
Hint marks a winning move, a blocking move, or a central column without placing a disc. Undo cancels a pending computer turn and restores the board to before your last move.
How to Play
- Choose Easy, Medium, or Hard and start Battle.
- Select an open column and wait for the computer to finish its reply.
- Check for a playable winning cell or an immediate opposing threat. Use Hint for a suggestion and Undo to try another move.
- After a win, loss, or a full board, choose Replay for a fresh board or Main to leave.
Strategy Tips
- Consider central columns early: they participate in more possible lines.
- Count where a disc can land. A gap above empty cells is not yet a playable threat.
- Before dropping, check whether your disc supports the opponent’s winning cell immediately above it.
- Two separate playable winning cells can force a win when the opponent cannot win immediately or block both in one turn.
Campaign and Difficulty Growth
All three difficulties use the same board and victory rule. They change only the computer’s choice of column; Hard does not search the full game tree or guarantee an unbeatable opponent.
Replay rounds to compare openings, blocks, and threats. Changing difficulty starts a fresh round; there are no account levels.
Developer Design Note
Four in a Row uses the shared Classic Logic Lab shell, a responsive gravity board, a lock during the computer turn, advisory Hint, turn-restoring Undo, Result recovery, and browser-local preferences.
Player and Save Information
Four in a Row is a general-audience browser strategy game. No account or purchase is required; settings and any available best result stay in this browser and may be removed when site data is cleared.
FAQ
- How does a disc move?
- Choose an open column; the disc falls into the lowest available cell.
- How do I win?
- Connect four discs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
- Is progress saved?
- Settings and any available best result stay only in this browser.
- What does Hint do?
- Hint highlights one tactical suggestion; it does not place a disc for you.
- What happens when the board fills?
- If neither player connects four, the full board ends the round; Result offers Replay or Main.
- How do I spot a playable threat in online four-in-a-row?
- Count the landing height, not just three matching discs. A gap higher in a column cannot be filled until the cells below it are occupied. Before dropping, check whether your disc would support an opponent-winning cell directly above it. A diagonal gap is an immediate threat only when a disc can actually land there.
- What makes a double threat useful?
- Aim for two different playable winning cells, preferably in different columns. If the opponent cannot win immediately and one reply cannot block both, one threat remains for your next turn. Two unfinished lines sharing the same gap are only one threat, and an unsupported gap is not yet playable.
- What do Easy, Medium and Hard change in this version?
- Easy chooses a random open column. Medium takes an immediate win, otherwise blocks your immediate win, otherwise chooses randomly. Hard uses the same win-and-block checks, then prefers an open column nearest the center. Hard does not search the entire game tree and is not guaranteed unbeatable. Changing difficulty resets the current round.
