Four in a Row Unblocked

Four in a Row takes about ten seconds to learn: drop discs into a standing grid and get four in a line. The depth comes from gravity. Since every disc falls to the lowest open slot, you cannot simply place a piece where you want it, and the cell under a threat often matters more than the threat itself. This unblocked version from Christopher Müller’s PaperGames collection uses plain high-contrast black and white discs, a computer opponent with three levels and a two-player mode for one screen.

How a Round Plays Out

The grid is seven columns wide and six rows tall. Black opens. On each turn, pick a column; your disc slides down until it rests on the bottom or on another disc. A column that is already full accepts nothing more.

Each column has a shaded landing cell with a little corner marker, so you always know where a drop will end up.

The first player with four same-colored discs side by side, with no gap, takes the round. The line can be:

• horizontal, across a row
• vertical, stacked in one column
• diagonal, rising to the left or to the right

If all 42 slots fill up first, the round is drawn. Against the computer, Undo removes your last disc and its reply. Resign concedes on the spot.

Four in a Row controls

To do this	Keyboard	Mouse	Touch
Drop your disc into a column	Arrow keys to reach a column, Enter to drop	Click any cell in the column	Tap any cell in the column
Choose who you play against	—	Click "2 Player (local)" or "vs Computer"	Tap "2 Player (local)" or "vs Computer"
Begin a round against the computer	—	Choose a disc color and level, then click "New game"	Choose a disc color and level, then tap "New game"
Pull back your last disc	—	Click "Undo"	Tap "Undo"
Concede the round	—	Click "Resign"	Tap "Resign"

Strategy: From Beginner to Tough Opponent

Opening. Put your first discs in the center column. It is part of more potential winning lines than any other column, so central discs pull double duty.

Middle game. Build toward two threats at once. A lone three-in-a-line gets blocked in one move. Two winning cells in different places cannot both be covered.

The dangerous cell. Whenever your opponent has a winning slot waiting, never play directly beneath it. Doing so lets them drop into the winning cell next turn. The same logic works in reverse: try to arrange threats that your opponent is forced to “unlock” for you.

Endgame parity. Counting rows from the bottom, the first player usually profits from threats on odd rows, and the second player from threats on even rows. Late in a tight game, this decides who runs out of safe moves first.

Every turn. Scan the diagonals. They are the lines both beginners and experienced players miss most.

Short Games, Real Tactics

A round lasts a few minutes, which makes this one of the best quick-break strategy games on the site. The Easy computer is gentle enough for kids, while Hard punishes careless drops and teaches threat-building the hard way. Settings for text size, contrast and computer speed make it comfortable on most screens.

If you want the same line-making idea on a much bigger board, try Gomoku, where you need five in a row on a 15x15 grid.