Connect Four · Rules guide
Connect Four rules: how to play
The complete rules of Connect Four: the 7×6 grid, how gravity decides where your disc lands, what counts as four in a row, draws, and the variants — plus why the centre column is worth more than any other.
The short answer
- The board is seven columns by six rows; you choose the column, gravity chooses the row.
- Four in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins; a full board is a draw.
- Never fill the space directly under a square your opponent needs.
- The centre column is part of more possible fours than any other column.
- With perfect play the first player wins — but only by starting in the centre.
The rules, in sixty seconds
Connect Four is played on a grid seven columns wide and six rows deep, standing upright. Players take turns dropping a disc into any column that is not full; it falls to the lowest empty space. The first player to line up four of their own discs — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — wins.
- Board: 7 columns × 6 rows = 42 spaces.
- Red moves first, then turns alternate.
- Gravity decides the row. You choose the column; the board chooses the height.
- If all 42 spaces fill with no line of four, the game is a draw.
That gravity rule is what separates Connect Four from noughts and crosses. You cannot play where you like; you can only play on top of what is already there — so every move you make hands your opponent the square above it.
What counts as four in a row
Any four of your discs adjacent in a straight line: across, up, or on either diagonal. The diagonals are the ones people miss — most beginner losses are diagonal fours that were visible for several turns.
The rule that decides games
Never play the space directly beneath a square your opponent needs. Filling it lets them drop straight in on top. This single idea — that a move can be forced or forbidden by what sits above it — is most of Connect Four strategy.
Variants and equipment
The standard commercial set is 7×6. Other sizes change the game completely — 6×5, for instance, is a draw with perfect play rather than a first-player win.
| Variant | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Pop Out | A player may remove one of their own discs from the bottom of a column instead of dropping one. |
| Pop 10 | Discs that complete a four are removed and kept; first to ten discs wins. |
| Power Up / Five-in-a-row | Special discs, or a longer target line, on a wider board. |
| Connect Four 3D | A 4×4×4 lattice — a different game with its own theory. |
| Different board sizes | Anything from 4×4 up; the first-player advantage varies with the dimensions. |
Reading a Connect Four position
Columns are numbered 1–7 from the left, and a game is recorded simply as the sequence of columns
played: 4433 means both players started in the centre. That compactness is why the game
was easy to analyse by computer — a complete game is seven bytes.
Common questions
How many pieces are in Connect Four?
42 in total — 21 of each colour, one for every space on the 7×6 grid.
Does the first player always win at Connect Four?
With perfect play, yes — but only by starting in the centre column. Starting in a column next to the centre actually loses with perfect play, and the other openings draw.
Do diagonals count in Connect Four?
Yes, in both directions. Diagonal fours are the ones players miss most often, because the board's rows and columns are much more visually obvious.
What happens if the board fills up?
The game is a draw. With 42 spaces and no line of four, neither player wins.
Can you win on your 21st disc?
Yes. A game can run the full 42 moves and be won by the very last disc, though this is rare — most games end well before the board fills.
Is there a way to block every threat?
No. A double threat — two winning spaces at once — cannot be blocked by a single move, and creating one is how almost every Connect Four game is won.
Play Connect Four free, right now
No sign-up, no download — it runs in your browser against the computer, a friend on the same device, or a friend online.