You win
Click a column to drop a disc. Line up four of your colour vertically, horizontally or diagonally to win.
About Four in a Row
Four in a Row is the classic two-player strategy game on a 7-column, 6-row vertical board. Players take turns dropping discs that fall to the lowest empty cell of the chosen column. First to line up four discs in a row — vertically, horizontally or diagonally — wins. If the board fills with no four-in-a-row, the game is a draw.
Pondernook Four in a Row runs entirely in your browser. Play solo against three AI strengths (easy is shallow lookahead, medium runs minimax with alpha-beta to depth four, hard goes deeper and weighs centre control), or hand the device back and forth in 2-player hot-seat mode. Four in a Row is technically a solved game — perfect play by the first player wins — but among humans it stays interesting because spotting forced sequences four moves ahead is hard. No install, no signup, plays on touch.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between the AI levels?
Easy uses a shallow lookahead, Medium runs minimax with alpha-beta pruning to depth four, and Hard searches deeper and weighs control of the centre columns.
Is there a guaranteed way to win?
Four in a Row is a solved game: the first player can force a win with perfect play, usually by opening in the centre column. Against the AI and friends it's still a genuine contest.
Can I play online with a friend?
Yes. Host a game to get a six-digit code, share it, and your friend joins from their own device; moves sync in real time.