Connect Four
Play Connect Four free online — drop yellow discs on a 7×6 grid vs AI (Easy/Medium/Hard, Hard thinks 7 moves ahead). Connect four in a row. No download.
Strategy
Connect Four
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📖 How to Play
Tap any column to drop your yellow disc. Connect four discs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to win. Beat the AI across multiple rounds to build your score!
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How do I win in Connect Four?
Drop your yellow discs to form a line of four in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The first player to connect four wins the round.
How does the AI difficulty work?
Easy picks random columns. Medium blocks your wins and takes immediate winning moves. Hard uses the minimax algorithm with alpha-beta pruning — it thinks several moves ahead for a strong strategic challenge.
Is Connect Four free to play?
Yes, completely free! No downloads, no accounts, no in-app purchases. Connect Four runs entirely in your browser on any device.
Can you always win Connect Four going first?
Yes — Connect Four is a solved game: the first player wins with perfect play by starting in the center column. Against the AI, center openings still give you the strongest control of the board.
What is the best first move in Connect Four?
The center column. It touches more four-in-a-row lines than any other column, so it creates the most winning threats while limiting the AI's options. Nearly every strong game starts there.
Does Connect Four help your brain?
Yes. It trains forward thinking, pattern recognition, and blocking — you constantly predict threats two or three moves ahead, the same skills used in chess and checkers.
Can two players play Connect Four on this site?
No. This version is solo vs AI only (Easy random, Medium blocks/wins, Hard minimax depth 7). There is no same-device two-player mode. 7×6 grid, yellow you / red AI. Free in the browser, no download.
How is Connect Four scored, and does a draw end the run?
Wins pay 100 / 200 / 400 on Easy / Medium / Hard. A full-board draw is +20 and a new round starts. You always drop first (yellow vs red AI). A loss ends the run and keeps that score. Hard searches 7 plies with alpha-beta. Most rounds finish in 15-25 drops.
How do I beat the Hard (minimax) AI in Connect Four?
Open in the center column and build stacked threats directly above your own discs — Hard blocks immediate wins but falls to forks with two threats at once. Force the AI to defend one side while you complete a diagonal on the other, and avoid discards that level up its columns. Expect 15–25 discs per round; a win scores 400 points.