n-In-A-Row

To date, I have written three interfaces to the C algorithm. The first is a simple text-oriented interface that can be compiled and run on just about any machine. The second is a pretty nifty SGI interface that I wrote for a Computer Graphics course at The University of Waterloo. The third is an HTML interface (based on one initially written by Daniel Gordon) that allows a user to play the game over the World Wide Web. I've also written versions of the game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. All of this, and more, is available from this page. (Wow!!!)

Since the algorithm is so flexible, it's really easy to write several different front-end interfaces (with different looks and feels) for it on a variety of platforms. I encourage you to try writing your own interface.

Connect Four® is a trademark of Hasbro. I designed and implemented an algorithm to play the game, not the game concept itself.

What would you like to see?

• The original assignment, written in LISP.
• The front-end-independent C code and algorithm (version 3.11).
• The SGI interface (gzipped tar file, 122K).
• The HTML interface.
• Statistics on the above game.
• an obfuscated-code version (standalone, fully functional, ANSI-compliant C code, 57 lines long)
• 4-In-A-Row for the Commodore 64 (binary, LOAD and RUN, 1515 bytes).
• 4-In-A-Row for the (unexpanded) VIC-20 (binary, LOAD and RUN, 1515 bytes).
• 6502 ACME assember source code for the above two binaries.
• A newer version of 4-In-A-Row for the Commodore 64 with a fancier front end (D64 disk image).

Related items on the Web:

• An article on Expert Play in Connect-Four, by James Allen.
• A masters thesis on Connect-Four, by Victor Allis (PDF file).
• Velena, a Shannon C-type program which plays connect four perfectly.
• Mega Tic-Tac-Toe, a Java applet by Paul Nahay which can play Connect-4 among other games.
• The Wikipedia Entry for Connect Four.

Back to my home page.