Four in a Row – play online for free
Four in a Row drops every piece to the lowest free slot in its column. Four connected pieces horizontally, vertically or diagonally win the game.
AI, local play and online PvP reward careful move order because every piece also unlocks the cell above it.
▶ Play for free nowHow to play
Four in a row
- Tap a column to drop your disc.
- Connect four — across, down or diagonally.
- Block your opponent's threats early.
- Play vs AI, friends or online PvP.
Practical strategy tips
- Control the centre columns.
- Block an immediate three-piece threat at once.
- Build forks with two winning cells.
- Never support a cell that lets the opponent win on the next move.
Strategy
Open in a central column when possible. A central disc can contribute to horizontal, vertical and both diagonal lines, while an edge disc reaches fewer combinations. Aim beyond a single open triple that can be blocked immediately: the decisive pattern is a fork with two different winning cells. Diagonal plans also need support underneath, so distinguish between an apparent winning cell and one that a disc can actually reach on the next drop.
Every drop makes the cell directly above it playable. Before blocking a threat, check whether your disc gives the opponent a winning square on the next level. A vertical triple has one obvious finish above it; horizontal and diagonal structures can produce two separate finishing cells. On a crowded board, scan in a fixed order: your immediate win, the opponent's immediate win, then moves that join several lines without supplying a direct reply.
Common mistakes
- Blocking a three-in-a-row in a way that hands the opponent the cell directly above. After every defensive drop, check what the next level up now contains.
- Drifting to the edge columns because the centre feels crowded. Edge discs feed one diagonal only; central discs feed every direction at once.
- Playing pure defence and letting your own attack stall. Each blocking move should double as a building block, otherwise you keep losing tempo.
Game modes
VS Computer
Play against the computer
Local 2P
Play with a friend
Online PvP · Online
Play against a real opponent online
Where the game comes from
Lining up four pieces is ancient; standing the board upright was not. Once the pieces dropped into columns from above, gravity became a rule of its own: you choose the column, never the height.
In this form the game spread from 1974 and was solved completely in 1988. The result: the first player wins with perfect play by opening in the centre column. Every other opening gives that advantage away.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the board?
Seven columns and six rows, 42 cells filling from the bottom up. You never choose a height, only a column; gravity settles each disc onto the lowest empty slot of that column.
Do diagonals count as wins?
Yes, four connected discs win horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Diagonal lines are easy to miss because they grow across levels that only fill late; check both diagonal directions before every drop.
Can a game end in a draw?
Classically the game is drawn when all 42 cells are occupied and neither player has connected four. It rarely gets that far, because building threats usually settle the outcome first.
Why play Four in a Row on FunPort?
- Every drop is both an attack and a gift, and that tension creates depth.
- Planning threats on several levels trains counting ahead.
- Games stay short yet demand full concentration throughout.