Link 4

Drop a stone, block a column, and suddenly you're three moves deep in a mind game dressed as a classic arcade puzzle.

The board starts empty. Seven columns, six rows. You tap a column and a stone drops to the lowest open slot with a satisfying little thunk. Your opponent does the same. Four in a row — vertical, horizontal, or diagonal — wins. Simple? That's the trap. Link 4 is the kind of game where every move either builds your line or cuts off theirs, and sometimes you can't do both. I lost my first three games attacking straight down the middle. Classic beginner mistake. The center column feels powerful, but it's also where your opponent expects you to play. The real danger lives on the edges, especially those sneaky diagonals that start at the bottom corner and climb sideways. I started checking my opponent's last two moves before every single drop because if they've got three in a diagonal with an open end, you're already one move from dead. Block first, build second — that's the rule I wish someone had told me. The AI won't showboat, but it absolutely notices when you ignore a gap. The visuals are clean, the pace is brisk, and games rarely drag past two minutes. It's the kind of arcade puzzle you tell yourself you'll play once and then eight rounds later you're still trying to snap a losing streak. No timers, no pressure, just pure pattern recognition. If you want a brain warm-up that feels more like a quick match than a homework assignment, Link 4 delivers.

Click/touch on the board to drop the stones. Make the stones for 4 in a row (vertically, diagonally or horizontally) to win

Check every diagonal before you commit to a column — a three-stone line with an open end is already a threat.

Q: Is Link 4 free to play? A: Yes, it's completely free with no hidden payments or accounts required. Q: Can I play Link 4 on my phone? A: Yes, the touch controls work on mobile browsers and tablets without any download. Q: Do I need to download anything to play Link 4? A: No, it runs directly in your browser as an HTML5 game. Q: Does Link 4 have multiplayer? A: This version is single-player against a computer opponent, though the rules are identical to two-player Connect Four. Q: What's the goal in Link 4? A: Connect four of your stones vertically, horizontally, or diagonally before your opponent does. Q: Can I play Link 4 offline? A: You need an internet connection to load the game, but once it's open it runs smoothly in any modern browser.