Four in a Row on your own devices
Four in a row is quick, so online rooms are set up for game after game. Send the link, take turns dropping discs from your own phones or computers, and the server spots a line of four across, down or diagonally the moment it is made. The host starts a rematch in the same room and the score carries over.
Free for 2 players, each on your own phone, tablet or computer. Share a link or a 6-character code; nobody needs an account or a download.
How to play four in a row online with friends
Four in a row multiplayer needs just two seats, Red and Yellow. The friend who creates the room sits at Red, the first person to open the invite link sits at Yellow, and the colors stay with those seats from one game to the next. Anyone who arrives after that joins as a watcher: they see each disc fall on their own screen but can’t drop one.
The lobby holds a single setting, Who goes first, which lists both names with their colors. The host picks; your friend sees the same choice greyed out under “Options · set by the host”. The grid is always 7 columns by 6 rows, so there is nothing else to agree on before the host taps Start.
A game of 4 in a row on separate screens
- Discs fall on both screens. When your friend picks a column, you watch their disc drop into place on your own phone, and the last disc played is marked, so a glance tells you where it went.
- Only your turn opens the grid. The bar says “Your turn” when the columns are yours and “Waiting for” your friend’s name when they are not, so a tap at the wrong moment drops nothing.
- The winning four lights up everywhere. Both screens highlight the line before the result appears, so nobody has to take anyone’s word for it.
- Rematch is the host’s button. Only the host sees it; the other player’s result dialog names who they are waiting for and has Ask for a rematch, so the host knows you’re keen. Either of you can tap Share result to send a result card picture to your group, and next game the other player drops first while Red and Yellow stay put.
Tips for a 4 in a row series with friends far away
- Think in twos. Dropping first is an edge in this game, and every rematch hands that first disc to the other player, so a fair series ends on an even number. The scoreboard in the result dialog keeps the wins for you.
- Play with a call running. Rooms have no chat, and a game is quick enough that a voice call makes it feel like sitting across the table, trash talk included.
- Bring in a late friend mid-game. During a game, the Room button has Invite, Copy link and a QR code. A newcomer watches straight away, and can take a seat in the lobby once one is free after the host taps New setup.
- Closed the tab by accident? Come back to this page on the same phone: the room entry offers to continue in your last room, and your Red or Yellow seat is still yours.
Before your first online game
The four in a row rules cover dropping, lines and the full-grid draw, and the four in a row strategy tutorial explains the center, double threats and odd and even rows. To pass one phone between you or try a computer opponent, play four in a row on one device. Our list of games to play with friends has more ideas for a game night.
Rooms are private and close by themselves after the game; the server keeps a room’s names and moves only while it is open. See the privacy policy for the details.
