Tic Tac Toe
2 players · ~2 min
Connect 4
Your opponentAppears when the match starts
YouConnect four discs to win
Play Connect 4 online, free and without an account
Play Connect 4 right here in your browser: against friends on a private invite link, against a random opponent, or against the computer. There is nothing to download and no account to create. Pick a mode above, on a phone, a tablet or a desktop.
The rules in brief
- Take turns dropping a disc into one of the seven columns.
- Discs fall to the lowest free slot of the column you pick.
- Four of your discs in a row win: across, down, or diagonally.
- If every slot fills with no line of four, the game ends in a draw.
Three ways to play Connect 4 online
- Connect 4 with a friend
- Open a private game and send the invite link by message. Whoever opens it lands on your board, with no registration on either side. You set the move time beforehand: 15, 30 or 60 seconds.
- Connect 4 against a random opponent
- Join the public queue and you are matched with someone else looking for a game right now. Moves here have a fixed 30 second clock. How fast it starts depends on who is online.
- Connect 4 against the computer
- Three levels: Easy plays simply and overlooks fours, Medium blocks threats and takes wins, Hard plans up to ten moves ahead and can still be beaten. You choose the move time, or play with no limit at all. Games against the computer do not count towards your rating or achievements.
Your advantages on Boardgames.io
- No account needed
- Start as a guest and play at once. Your rating, achievements and match history stay in the same browser. An account keeps them across devices and puts you on the leaderboard.
- Every mode is free
- Friends, random opponents, every bot level and the leaderboard: there is no paid tier and no locked feature.
- No ads in the game
- No banner beside the grid, no video before the match, no overlay between two moves. The board keeps the screen to itself.
- Built for the browser
- The grid scales to a phone screen, moves arrive live on both sides, and in every game with a time limit a move clock keeps it from stalling.
Frequently asked questions about Connect 4
- What happens when the move time runs out?
- The game is lost and your opponent wins. Against a random opponent you have 30 seconds per move, in private games the time you agreed. Against the computer you can play without a clock.
- What is saved when I play as a guest?
- Your guest access stays in the browser for 90 days. Rating, achievements and match history are attached to it and remain as long as you use the same browser and do not clear its data. Guests do not appear on the public leaderboard; that takes an account, which carries your progress over.
- Can two people play on one device?
- No. Every game runs between two devices. Send the invite link to the other player, even if you are in the same room.
- What happens if someone leaves the game?
- Leaving the game inside the app asks for confirmation and then resigns, so the opponent wins. Closing the tab or losing the connection keeps the move clock running; return within the time and the game continues, otherwise the game is lost on time.
- Do my games count for the leaderboard?
- Games against people count towards your rating, games against the computer never do. Only registered accounts appear on the public leaderboard.
- Are Connect 4, Connect Four and Four in a Row the same game?
- Yes. Connect 4, Connect Four, Four in a Row and the German Vier gewinnt all describe the same seven by six grid, the same falling discs and the same goal of four in a row.