Section 1: Introduction
Connect Four is a two-player game in which discs are dropped into a vertical seven-column grid, falling to the lowest free slot. The first player to line up four of their own discs — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — wins.
It is published by Hasbro and has no governing body, so it is catalogued as a community entry.
It is also a solved game. With perfect play the first player always wins, by starting in the centre column. That result has been known since 1988 and is worth stating, because it means the opening move is not a matter of taste.
Section 2: Components
- Vertical grid: 7 columns × 6 rows — 42 slots.
- 42 discs: 21 in each of two colours.
- A release mechanism at the base to empty the grid between games.
Section 3: Setup
- Stand the grid upright and confirm it is empty.
- Each player takes all 21 discs of one colour.
- Decide who goes first — given the game is solved, alternating the first move between games is the fairer convention.
Section 4: Gameplay
- On your turn, drop one disc into any column that is not full.
- The disc falls to the lowest unoccupied slot in that column — you choose the column, never the row.
- Players alternate. There is no passing and no capturing.
Why the Centre Matters
The centre column participates in more possible four-in-a-rows than any other, which is why the solved first-player win begins there. Play is largely about creating two threats at once, since a single threat is always blockable.
Section 5: Scoring & Winning
There is no score. A player wins immediately on connecting four of their discs in a line — horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
If all 42 slots fill with no line, the game is a draw.
Section 6: Variants & House Rules
- Pop Out: players may remove one of their own discs from the bottom of a column instead of dropping, shifting everything above down.
- Pop 10 / Power Up: published variants adding special discs or objectives.
- 5-in-a-row on a larger grid: a common informal extension that removes the solved first-player advantage.
- Alternating first move: the standard fix for the solved-game problem in casual play.