Is Four in a Row the same as Connect Four?

Yes, it’s the same game: a 7-column, 6-row board where discs drop to the lowest open space and four in a line wins. Connect Four is a brand name for it.

Four in a Row is the generic name for the vertical drop-the-disc game. Connect Four is the best-known commercial version of it, and the rules here match the standard game:

• 7 columns and 6 rows, 42 spaces in all.
• Gravity: each disc falls to the lowest empty space in the column you choose.
• Four in a line wins, across, up and down or diagonally, and longer lines count too.
• A full board with no line is a draw. See what happens if the board fills up.

Variants such as popping discs out of the bottom row aren’t played here; it’s the classic game only, so any Connect Four tactics apply. The Four in a Row strategy guide covers the most useful ones.

For practical play beyond this rule, read How to Win at Four in a Row.

Play Four in a Row free →Invite a friend or practice with the computer. No sign-up.

More Four in a Row rules questions

• Who goes first in Four in a Row?
• Do diagonal lines count in Four in a Row?
• Does five in a row win in Four in a Row?
• What happens if the Four in a Row board fills up?
• Is Four in a Row a solved game?