Drop Four
Drop a disc. Four in a burrow.
The classic two-player game of gravity and tricks: drop a disc into a column, watch it fall, and be the first to line up four. It takes a minute to learn and a long time to stop playing. Here is everything you need to know before you sit down.
- Free practice
- No sign-up
- Play in your browser
Join a Game Room
Drop FourGot a room code?
- Players
- 2
- You need
- A grid, 42 discs
- Style
- Line up four
- Goal
- Four in a row
What is Drop Four?
Drop a disc. Make four.
Drop Four is played on an upright board seven columns wide and six rows tall. On your turn you drop one disc into a column. It falls to the lowest free space, and then it is the other player’s turn.
The first player to line up four of their own discs wins. The line can run across, up and down, or along a diagonal. Every disc you drop also blocks a space for the other player, so each turn is about building your own line and stopping theirs.
The practice table
Try itLearn it one drop at a time.
Play against a bot with our Classic rules. Tap a column to drop a disc, and the coach points at the column it would pick and says why.
- Easy, Normal, or Sharp bots. Sharp looks seven moves ahead.
- You choose who drops first, and Undo takes back a move.
- No account, no host, nothing saved.
- You0 discs
- Bot0 discs
You are gold, the bot is blue. A white ring marks the last disc dropped.
Your move. Tap a column.
Drop in column 4, the middle. Middle discs join the most possible lines.
Quick rules
- Two players take turns dropping one disc into a column of a board seven columns wide and six rows tall.
- A disc falls to the lowest free space in its column. You cannot drop into a full column.
- The first player to line up four of their own discs wins. The line can run across, up and down, or on a diagonal.
- If the board fills up and nobody has four in a row, the game is a draw.
- You choose who drops first. In a row of games, players usually take turns going first.
Found a bug, or a rule that feels off?Tell us in our Discord →
A little history
A grid that dropped into every home.
Disc-dropping games like this have been sold under many names since the 1970s, including Four Up, Plot Four, Find Four and Drop Four. The version most people know best was first sold in 1974 under a trademarked name, and we call ours Drop Four.
The rules never changed much: seven columns, six rows and four in a row. That is the version we teach, and we show it before every game.
Fun facts
- The board has 42 spaces, and each player gets 21 discs, so the board fills exactly.
- In 1988 two researchers each proved that the player who drops first can always win, by starting in the middle column.
- The middle column is part of more possible lines than any other.
Why people love it
Simple moves. Sneaky plans.
One move to learn.
Pick a column. That is the whole turn, and anyone can play it in a minute.
Gravity makes the puzzle.
You cannot drop where you like. A disc lands on top of the last one, so each space opens up at its own time.
Two threats at once.
The best move makes two ways to win. The other player can only block one.
Quick games, quick rematches.
A game takes a few minutes, so it is easy to play another.
How to play
Drop. Block. Make four.
Setup
- Players: two: you and a bot. You are gold, the bot is blue.
- Board: seven columns and six rows, standing upright.
- Discs: twenty-one each, enough to fill all 42 spaces.
- First drop: you choose who drops first. Alternating is common.
Winning
Be the first to line up four of your own discs, across, up and down, or on a diagonal.
- 1
Pick a column
On your turn, drop one disc into any column that is not full.
- 2
It falls
The disc lands in the lowest free space of that column. You choose the column, not the height.
- 3
Make four
Four of your discs in a straight line wins, in any direction: across, up and down, or diagonal.
- 4
Stop their three
If the other player has three in a line with a free space to finish it, drop there first.
- 5
Mind the space above
A disc you drop opens the space above it. If that space finishes their four, don’t drop there.
- 6
A full board is a draw
If all 42 spaces are filled and nobody has four in a row, the game is a draw.
These are our Classic rules, taken from the Feral Game Kit's definition of the game. They will be shown in every room before the game starts. Printable rules card →
Lessons
Learn it in a few minutes.
6 quick lessons, one idea each. Make the call, see why it works, and move on. Your progress is saved in this browser.
Where a disc lands
Column 3 already has two discs in it. You drop a disc there. Where does it land?
Scoring
First to four.
There are no points in Drop Four. The first player to line up four wins, and a full board with no four is a draw.
| How a game ends | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Four of your discs across | You win | |
| Four of your discs up and down | You win | |
| Four of your discs on a diagonal | You win | |
| The board fills with no four in a row | A draw |
A line of five or more also wins, as long as it contains four. A game always ends: with 42 spaces and 21 discs each, the board fills if nobody wins.
Strategy
Play it smart. Then play it feral.
Tip 1
Take the middle.
The middle column joins the most lines. Start there, and keep dropping in the middle of the board.
Tip 2
Check for a win, then a block.
Before every drop, ask: can I make four now? Then: can they? Win first, block second.
Tip 3
Look at the space above.
Every disc opens the space on top of it. Never open a space that finishes their four.
Tip 4
Build two threats at once.
Two different ways to make four on the same turn can’t both be blocked. That is how games are won.
Tip 5
Think in odd and even rows.
Spaces fill in order, so who gets a given row often depends on who dropped first. Watch which threats can only be filled late.
What would you do?
One decision. Every day.
A new Drop Four puzzle every day, the same for everyone. Solve it, then send it to the group chat and see who gets it right.
Want more? See today's puzzles for every game →
Your path to game night
Learn it here. Play it with friends.
Finish the lessons or win a practice game and you're ready to sit down at a real Drop Four table with your people.
The Feral Worlds community
Play-testing Drop Four? Tell us in Discord.
Found a bug, a rule that feels off, or a house rule your family swears by? Our Discord is where we collect play-test feedback, and where game nights are starting to happen.
Glossary
Talk like a regular.
- Column
- One of the seven upright lanes. You drop a disc into a column.
- Row
- A level across the board. There are six.
- Four in a row
- Four of your discs in a straight line. It wins.
- Block
- Dropping in the space the other player needs to finish four.
- Threat
- Three in a line with a free space that would make four.
- Double threat
- Two threats at once. The other player can only stop one.
- Diagonal
- A line of discs going up or down one column at a time.
The Feral twist
Still under the hat.
Every game can be played Classic. In Feral mode, the host writes the house rules: how big the board is, how long the line has to be, what happens when a column fills. We'll show you what Drop Four can do when it's ready.
In the Board Games pack
Drop Four is on the ballot.
Backers vote on which board games join the Board Games pack. Owning the pack means every one that joins is yours too.
$9.95, one time, to host every game in it. Playing is always free. Packs go on sale when the full game launches.
Drop Four is on the ballot
Save me a seat.
Hear when the Kickstarter opens so you can vote Drop Four into the Board Games pack, and when you can host it with friends.