How to play Connect 4
Connect 4 (also called Four in a Row or Captain's Mistress) is a two player game on a grid of 7 columns and 6 rows. The rules take a minute to learn. Mastering the strategy takes a lot longer.
The rules in 60 seconds
Pick a column
On your turn, drop one token into any of the seven columns. Gravity pulls it to the lowest open slot.
Take turns
Players alternate, one token per turn, no skipping. Red always plays red, blue always plays blue.
Connect four to win
Line up four of your tokens in a row: across, up and down, or diagonally. First to four wins on the spot.
Full board is a draw
If every slot fills and nobody has four in a row, the game ends in a draw. Online, a rematch is one click away.
Strategy that actually wins games
1. Take the centre column
More four in a row lines pass through the centre column than any other. With perfect play, the first player wins by opening in the centre, and loses ground with almost any other first move. When in doubt, play centrally.
2. Build double threats
A single threat gets blocked. The winning pattern is creating two ways to connect four at once, so your opponent can only block one of them. Here red has three in a row with both ends open: whatever blue does, red wins next turn.
3. Watch the diagonals
Most beginner losses come from a missed diagonal. Horizontal and vertical lines are easy to spot, but diagonals sneak up while you focus elsewhere. Scan both diagonals after every move your opponent makes. Blue is one drop away here.
4. Think in odd and even rows
Advanced play is about forcing your opponent to fill the slot beneath your winning square. As the first player (red), aim for threats on odd rows counting from the bottom. As the second player, target even rows. Endgames are usually decided by who owns the right parity.
5. Don't hand over the winning square
Before you drop, check what your move uncovers. Playing into a column raises its landing height by one, and the slot directly above your token might be exactly where your opponent wants to play.
Is Connect 4 solved?
Yes. Connect 4 was solved in 1988, independently by James Dow Allen and Victor Allis. With perfect play from both sides, the first player always wins by starting in the centre column, needing at most 41 moves. Humans don't play perfectly, though, which is what makes ranked games fun.
Ready to try it?
Practice against the computer, then take your strategy online.