Connect Four
Drop discs, make four โ versus the computer or a friend on one screen.
About this game
Seven columns, gravity, four-in-a-row wins. Play the computer โ which takes wins, blocks yours, avoids handing you setups, and hogs the centre โ or pass-and-play with a friend on one screen. Click a column; the disc falls.
A solved game you can still enjoy
Connect Four was solved in 1988 (independently by James Allen and Victor Allis): with perfect play, the FIRST player wins โ but only by starting in the centre column; open elsewhere and perfect defence draws or loses. That's why the AI prizes the middle, and why you should too. The human-level strategy that actually decides games: build double threats โ two ways to complete four so one block can't cover both โ and watch the parity of odd and even rows, the deep structure serious players count on. The AI here is tactical rather than perfect (it doesn't search deep), so a patiently built fork beats it โ the same lesson tic-tac-toe teaches with smaller furniture. That game and Minesweeper continue the logic-toy shelf.
Frequently asked questions
Is Connect Four really solved?
Yes โ since 1988: first player wins with perfect play, but only from a centre-column opening. Side openings draw or lose against perfect defence, which is why the centre matters so much.
How do I beat the computer?
Build a fork โ two winning threats one move apart, so blocking one loses to the other. The AI blocks single threats reliably but doesn't search deep enough to see forks forming.
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes โ two-player mode alternates red and yellow on the same screen, classic pass-and-play.
Why should I take the centre column?
More potential fours pass through it than any other cell, and the solved-game result says centre-first is literally the winning move.