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Game Instructions & Description
How to Play Four in a Row
Four in a Row is a classic drop-disc strategy game made by the CrazyArcade team. The board has 7 columns and 6 rows. Players take turns dropping a disc into a column, and it falls to the lowest free space. The first player to line up four discs of their color across, down or diagonally wins the round. If all 42 spaces fill up with no line of four, the round is a draw. You can play against the computer or against a friend on the same device. The computer has three levels. Easy plays mostly random moves that lean toward the middle and sometimes misses a win or a block. Medium looks three moves ahead but slips now and then. Hard searches six or more moves ahead and rarely makes a mistake. You play pink and move first in the opening round, then the first move switches sides every round. A tally above the board counts wins, losses and draws for the current session, with a separate count for each mode and difficulty. Against the computer the game also remembers your best win streak for each difficulty on your device. When a round ends, the winning four discs glow and a line is drawn through them. Click or tap a column to drop a disc, or use the arrow keys and Enter.
Controls & Interaction
Mouse / Tap: drop a disc in a column Left / Right or A / D: move the column marker Enter / Space / Down: drop a disc 1-7: drop straight into that column N: start a new game
Pro Tips to Win
- Take the middle column early. It is part of more possible lines of four than any other column, which is why the computer favors it too.
- Before every drop, check whether your move lets your opponent win by placing a disc on top of yours in the same column.
- Try to build two threats at once, such as a row and a diagonal that both need one more disc. Your opponent can only block one of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who goes first?
A: You (or Player 1) start the first round. After that the first move switches sides each time you choose Play Again. Changing the mode or difficulty gives the first move back to you.
Q: Is my score saved?
A: The win, loss and draw tally lasts for the current session and is kept separately for each mode and difficulty. Your best win streak against each computer level is saved in your browser.
