Four Up
Play Four Up now · free, no download, no sign-up
Four Up is the classic four-in-a-row game. Two players take turns dropping red and yellow discs into a standing grid of seven columns and six rows. A disc always falls to the lowest free space in its column, and the first player to line up four of their colour across, down or diagonally wins.
The rules take seconds to learn, but good play means thinking ahead: building threats, blocking your opponent and setting up two winning spots at once. Play the computer, which really searches ahead for its moves, or hand the phone back and forth with a friend sitting next to you.
How to play
- Tap a column, or drag over it and release, to drop your disc.
- Discs fall to the lowest free space in that column.
- Line up four discs of your colour across, down or diagonally to win.
- Watch your opponent's lines and block any three in a row before it becomes four.
- If the grid fills with no line of four, the game is a draw.
- HINT shows you the best column to play.
Controls
On a phone or tablet
Tap a column to drop a disc, or drag along the top and let go over the column you want.
On a computer
Click a column, or move left and right with the arrow keys or A/D and drop with Down, Enter or Space.
Game modes
Vs computer
Play the CPU on easy, normal or hard. The harder levels look many moves ahead. You and the computer take turns going first, and your wins, losses and winning streak are tracked for each level.
2 players
Two people share one phone, tablet or computer and take turns dropping red and yellow discs.
Tips
- The middle column is the strongest, because it is part of the most possible lines.
- Create two threats at once; your opponent can only block one of them.
- Before you drop, check what the space above your disc gives your opponent.
- Build from the bottom up and keep your options open.
- Diagonal lines are the easiest to miss, for you and for your opponent.
About the game
Four in a row is a much loved family board game with a vertical grid and gravity doing half the work. Four Up keeps the standard 7 by 6 grid and the same rules, and adds a computer opponent built on a real game search so it plays sensibly at every level.
On a phone the grid fills a portrait screen and passing it between two players is easy. On a desktop you can play with the mouse or entirely with the keyboard.
Questions
- Is Four Up free?
- Yes, it is free in your browser with no download.
- Can two people play on one phone?
- Yes. Choose 2 PLAYERS on the title screen and pass the device between turns.
- How strong is the computer?
- Easy makes plenty of mistakes, normal looks a few moves ahead, and hard searches deeply and is tough to beat.
- Does it save my record?
- Yes, your wins, losses and best streak are saved in this browser.
