10 Games Like Connect Four — Free Strategy Games Online
Hasbro’s Connect Four (originally Captain’s Mistress, marketed as Connect 4 in 1974) is a solved game — first player can always force a win by starting in the centre column and following a known strategy. But none of that stops it from being one of the most-played two-player abstract strategy games in history. Here are 10 free browser games that scratch the same itch as Connect Four — drop, place, line up, win.
1. Connect Four
The original 6×7 grid with minimax AI and three difficulty levels. The CPU on Hard will beat almost everyone; Easy is fair for kids Play Connect Four.
2. Gomoku
Like Connect Four but with a 15×15 board and 5-in-a-row goal. Originated in Japan around the Meiji period. Far more strategic depth than Connect Four Play Gomoku.
3. Tic-Tac-Toe
The simpler ancestor. 3×3, three in a row. Our “Impossible” CPU can never lose; play it to learn forced-draw patterns Play Tic-Tac-Toe.
4. Reversi
Place a disc; flip every opponent disc you sandwich. Strategic depth comes from corner control Play Reversi.
5. Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe
Nine mini boards stacked into one meta board. Your move sends opponent to that mini-board. Deeper than its name suggests Play Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe.
6. Hex
Connect two opposite sides of the board with an unbroken chain of your stones. Designed by Piet Hein, then independently by John Nash. Always wins for first player on small boards Play Hex.
7. Checkers
Same era as Connect Four; same drop-pieces-on-grid mechanic. Forced jumps, multi-jump chains, kinging Play Checkers.
8. Chess
The 1500-year-old benchmark for two-player abstract strategy Play Chess.
9. Dots and Boxes
Connect dots to claim boxes; most boxes wins. The endgame chain theory makes this surprisingly deep Play Dots and Boxes.
10. Nim
Mathematical pile game; last stone wins (or loses in misère). Provably solvable with the Nim-sum XOR rule Play Nim.
Is Connect Four really solved?
Yes. James Allen and Victor Allis independently solved it in 1988 — the first player can force a win by starting in the centre column and following a tree of forced moves. Allis’s PhD thesis on the proof is still cited. In practice, almost no human plays it perfectly, so the game remains fun against most opponents.
What’s the best opening move?
The centre column (column 4 in standard 6-column notation, or D in chess-style labelling). Every other opening is a loss with perfect play. The second player’s best response is to also play in the centre — directly above the first piece. This minimises White’s positional advantage.
