Connect Four
Drop red and yellow discs and race to connect four in a row — across, up and down, or diagonally. Play an easy or hard computer, or pass the screen to a friend.
Best for kids practicing planning-ahead strategy, or a classic two-player game on one device.
How to play Connect Four
Two players take turns dropping a red or yellow disc into one of seven columns. The disc falls to the lowest open spot in that column, so every move changes what is possible below it. The first player to line up four discs of their own color in a row — across, up and down, or diagonally — wins.
Play against an easy computer that drops discs at random, a hard computer that plans several moves ahead and blocks your lines, or pass the same device back and forth for two-player mode.
Why it builds thinking skills
Connect Four is a planning-ahead game: a move that looks safe right now can quietly set up a win two or three turns later, for either player. Kids learn to look past the current move, spot when an opponent is building toward four in a row, and block it before it is too late.
Because gravity decides where a disc lands, the game also rewards spatial reasoning — thinking in columns and rows at once, and noticing diagonal lines that are easy to miss.
Tips for parents and teachers
Start with the easy computer so kids can focus on spotting their own four-in-a-row lines without also defending. Move to the hard computer once they start blocking on their own.
It works well as a calm two-player game for siblings or a classroom pair activity — no reading required, just one shared screen and turn-taking.
Common questions
How many discs in a row do you need to win Connect Four?
Four of your own color in a row — across, up and down, or diagonally. The game ends the moment either player completes a line of four.
Can two kids play Connect Four on one device?
Yes. Two-player mode lets two kids share the same screen and drop discs in turn, with no second device or account needed.
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