Last updated: 19 October 2026
In short
- Four in a Row is a free drop-the-disc game, like the classic game many people know as Connect 4.
- There is no chat. Other players only see a name, a level, a rating and the moves.
- Every name is checked by our game server, so it can’t contain contact details, and players can block or report anyone.
- Children under 13 can play as guests. They can’t make an account. Guests’ details are not kept.
- Accounts (13+) store only a username, a scrambled password and recovery code, game results and safety settings. No email, no real name.
- Adverts shown to children under 13 are non-personalised.
- Questions or worries? Email info@4inarow.online.
What the game is
Two players take turns dropping discs into a grid. The first to get four in a row wins. Children can play:
- against the computer (easy, medium or hard): this runs entirely in the browser
- 2 players on one screen: for playing together on the same device
- online: against other players, with a friend using a private link, or in a small tournament
Safety
Because a name is the only thing players see of each other, every name is checked by our game server before anyone else can see it, and players have simple tools to keep away from anyone they don’t want to play.
- No chat. No messages, no friend requests, no photos and no profiles. Players can’t contact each other through the game.
- Safe names. Every guest name and username is checked. Names can’t include email addresses, phone numbers (or any number longer than 3 digits), web links, social media names or “add me” requests, postcodes or street addresses, ages, schools, or rude or hateful words. Look-alike letters, spaces and numbers used as letters are caught too. If a name isn’t allowed, the game explains why and suggests safe nicknames like “BraveOtter”. Please help your child choose a name that is not their real name.
- Block a player. From the list of players online, or after a game. Blocked players are hidden, and you can’t challenge each other or be matched together. They aren’t told. Blocks are saved with an account, or kept in the browser for guests.
- Report a name. Players pick a reason (contact details, rude, or something else). There’s no box to type in. If 3 different players report the same name within 24 hours, it is changed to a safe random name straight away.
- Hide from the lobby. Players can stay out of the list of players online and still play.
- Private by default for under-18s. Players who say they are under 18 start hidden from the lobby, with challenges from others turned off and (for accounts) their rating and level kept off the leaderboard. They can switch these on.
- Turn off challenges. Players can stop others challenging them, and only play people they choose or friends by private link.
- No pestering. After “No thanks”, the same player has to wait before asking again, and can ask at most 3 times in 10 minutes.
- Fair, timed games. Online games have a move timer, and a player can leave a game at any time.
- Password reset without an email address. When an account is made, the player is shown a one-off recovery code to save. With it they can reset a forgotten password; this signs the account out everywhere else and gives a new code. Very common passwords (like “password123”) are refused.
Our terms ban rude or mean names, and we can rename or remove accounts. The game’s own page for parents and carers has the same details.
An icon on the desktop or home screen
Players can press “Put Four in a Row on your desktop” to give the game its own icon on a computer, phone or tablet. It opens the same website in its own window. Nothing is downloaded from an app store, there’s no sign-up, and nothing extra is stored about your child. To remove it, uninstall it like any app, or delete the icon.
Ages and the age question
The first time someone opens the game, it asks “How old are you?” with three equal choices: Under 13, 13 to 17, and 18 or over. None is picked in advance. The answer stays only in that browser on that device; it is never sent to our server. It is used to:
- Under 13: hide sign-in and account creation (guest play only), and tag adverts as child-directed so they are non-personalised.
- 13 to 17: allow an account, and tag adverts so Google applies its protections for teenagers.
- 18 or over: allow an account. Personalised adverts only if they agree in the consent message.
The answer can be changed at any time with “Change age setting” at the bottom of the game or on the account page. We can’t check ages, so please help younger children answer.
What is stored
| Who | What we keep | For how long |
|---|---|---|
| Guest (any age) | Nothing. The guest name and moves are held only while they are connected. | Deleted when they leave |
| Account (13+) | Username, scrambled (hashed) password and recovery code, rating, best rating, games won, lost and drawn, blocked players, lobby and challenge settings, date created, date last used, scrambled sign-in codes | Until deleted, or 24 months after last use |
| On the device | Age answer, last guest name, blocked players (guests), sign-in code (accounts only) | Until cleared in the browser |
Players with an account who have played at least 5 rated games can appear on the public top-20 leaderboard (username, rating, level, games and wins). Full details: privacy notice and cookies page.
Adverts
There are no adverts in the game yet. If we add them, they will come from Google so the game can stay free. Adverts are kept away from the board to avoid accidental taps. For children who say they are under 13 (and anyone who hasn’t answered the age question yet), adverts are tagged as child-directed, so they are non-personalised and not based on what your child does online.
How to delete an account
- Open the game, press the account button at the top, then open Delete my account, type the password and confirm. Everything is deleted straight away.
- Forgotten the password? Use the recovery code to set a new one first. If you can’t do that, email info@4inarow.online with the username. If a child under 13 has made an account, we will delete it.
- To clear what the game saved on a device, clear the site data in the browser settings.
Contact
The game is run by Mark Davies (47 Ravenswood Road, London SW12 9PN), an individual in England, United Kingdom. Email info@4inarow.online. We aim to reply within a few days, and always within one month. You can also contact the UK Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113.