How to play: Connect four
Four in a row against the machine. You go first.
- Tap a column and your piece drops all the way down. With a keyboard, move with the arrow keys and drop it with Enter.
- Whoever lines up four pieces in a row —horizontally, vertically or diagonally— wins.
- You always go first. Then the machine replies.
- Your pieces are filled and the machine’s are rings, so they can be told apart without relying on colour.
- If the board fills up without anyone lining up four, it is a draw.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this one change every day?
- No. Play it whenever you like, as many times as you want: what is saved is the tally of games won, lost and drawn, not a daily streak.
- Why do I always go first?
- Because connect four is a solved game and whoever starts has the advantage. If the machine started, it would win too often and the game would stop being fun.
- Can the machine be beaten?
- Yes, and that is the point. It looks five moves ahead, so it never leaves you a four in a row and never gives away its own, but it can be caught in a two-way trap.
- Does it always play the same way?
- No. When several moves look equally good to it, it picks one at random, so the same opening doesn’t always lead to the same game.