Four in a Row: Play the Computer Online

Four in a Row: Play the Computer is our own take on the classic drop-the-disc game. The board stands upright with seven columns and six rows. You and your opponent take turns dropping a disc into a column, and it falls to the lowest empty space with a clack and a little bounce. Line up four of your discs across, up and down, or on a slant to win. If all 42 spaces fill up first, the game is a draw.

There are four computer opponents. Bea, on Easy, drops by feel but always takes a four of her own and blocks one of yours. Otto, on Medium, looks a few moves ahead and blocks your threats. Juno, on Hard, thinks eight moves ahead and sets traps. Vega, on Expert, searches as deep as it can in well under a second and plays the end of the game perfectly. The first move swaps between you and the computer each game. Undo is free against the computer: it takes back your move and the reply. Two players can also share one phone, tablet or computer and take turns.

The daily puzzles are five positions, the same for everyone each day: two where you can force a win in 2 moves, two in 3, and one in 4. The computer defends as well as it possibly can, so only the right moves win. You get two spare moves on each puzzle; if your win slips away, the computer escapes and the puzzle ends. Each puzzle scores 200 points on par, 120 one move over or 60 two over, plus a speed bonus of up to 40 points (one point off for every 3 seconds you spend thinking). The best possible day is 1,200 points, and your total goes on the daily leaderboard. Practice puzzles, picked from the same bank of 1,800 positions, are unscored and endless.

The only paid item is a hint for gems: it points to the Expert's move, or in a puzzle to a move on the quickest forced win. Hints never change your score. Four in a Row: Play the Computer is free to play in your browser with no download or sign-up, works with touch, mouse or keyboard, and its discs, sound effects and music are all made for the game.