Two-player game
Strike 4
Drop discs, block your rival and line up four first
- Set-up
- Under a minute
- Reading
- None
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Children from 6 who are ready for a real thinking game but not long rules
Think twice if You need a game for three or more; with a group, the others can only wait for 'winner stays on'
How we rate it
Learning curve. There's one rule: get four in a row. It's the same game as Connect 4, which is a reference game for 1 on our scale.
Luck & skill. No dice or cards, so it's pure skill. Going first is an advantage, so take turns starting.
Interaction. Every move either builds your line or blocks your opponent's, so you watch each other all the time.
Set-up. Assemble the grid using the supplied instructions and share out the discs.
Reading. Nothing to read during play.
Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.
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Is Strike 4 right for you?
Great if
- Children from 6 who are ready for a real thinking game but not long rules
- Quick games between siblings, or a parent and child, after homework
- Teaching children to look ahead and block the other player's lines
- Families who want a four-in-a-row game from an Indian maker
Skip it if
- You need a game for three or more; with a group, the others can only wait for 'winner stays on'
- You want lots of variety; every game uses the same simple rule
- You specifically want Hasbro's Connect 4 with its legs and slider bar; that's a separate product
How Strike 4 plays
Set up the upright grid using the instructions supplied with your set. Each player chooses one colour and takes their discs.
- Time to teach: about 2 minutes.
- Reading and language: There's nothing to read during play. Once someone explains the one rule, the game works in any language; only the rules sheet is in English.
Strike 4 - Funskool Games · Funskool Official · Official
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A turn, step by step
- 1Drop
On your turn, drop one disc of your colour into any column that isn't full. It falls to the lowest empty space.
- 2Block
Watch the other player's discs. If they have three in a line with a space they can reach, put your disc there to stop them.
- 3Win
The first to get four of their colour in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, wins. Empty the grid and swap who goes first.
The full explanation: how a game of Strike 4 goes
Take turns dropping one disc into any slot at the top of the grid. It falls to the lowest empty space in that column, so the grid fills from the bottom up.
The first player to get four discs of their colour in a line wins: across, up and down, or diagonally. Much of the game is blocking. If the other player has three in a row with an open space, drop your disc there.
After the game, empty the grid as shown in the supplied instructions. Swap who starts the next game: going first is an advantage.
Tip: the middle column is part of the most possible lines, so it's a strong place to start. Good players set up two threats at once, because the other player can block only one of them.
What's in the box
- 1Strike 4 unit
Upright playing grid; follow the supplied assembly instructions - 21Red discs
called tokens in the rules sheet - 21Yellow discs
- 1Rules sheet
one page, English, with assembly pictures
The earlier Funskool rules list one unit and 21 discs in each colour. Check the current New and Improved listing for exact contents and frame design.
Where to buy
Paid link · We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
We found no independent reviews of Funskool's Strike 4 itself, so this is what reviewers say about the four-in-a-row game it shares with Connect 4. It's about as simple as a real strategy game gets: one rule, a few minutes a game, and a six-year-old can play properly against a parent. Child-development reviewers like that it builds planning, pattern-spotting and concentration. The catches are that only two can play, it can feel samey after many games, and with perfect play the first player always wins, so take turns going first.
What people love
- Learn it in a minute and finish a game in a few, which makes it easy to fit in
- It gets children thinking ahead, spotting patterns and blocking
- Adults enjoy it too: there's real strategy, and the game was even studied and solved by mathematicians
Common complaints
- Strictly two players, so the rest of a group has to wait
- It can feel samey after many games
- With perfect play, the first player always wins, so serious players take turns going first
Based on 5 reviews and discussions
- Review Connect 4 Game (no author shown, page updated September 2024) · The Good Play Guide (UK)
- Players Optimal Strategy for Connect 4 (discussion thread, 2026) · Hacker News
- Reference Connect Four · Wikipedia
- Reference Funskool Strike 4 Games (product description) · Toycra
- Reference Strike 4 (maker's product page) · Funskool
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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Strike 4
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game Drop discs, block your rival and line up four first | A different fit Hasbro's original version of the same game, with legs and a slider bar; also made in India | A different fit Another quick two-player classic on a grid, where discs flip colour | A different fit The simplest lining-up game, for younger children |
| Players | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Best with | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Play time | 5–15 min | 5–15 min | 15–30 min | 1–5 min |
| Age | 6+ | 6+ | 8+ | 5+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| On this page | Explore Connect 4 | Explore Othello | Explore Tic Tac Toe |
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Connect 4
Drop discs, block your rival and get four in a row
Qwirkle
Match colours or shapes to build lines of six tiles
Othello
Trap a line of discs, flip them to your colour
Tic Tac Toe
Three in a row wins: every child's first strategy game
Questions people ask about Strike 4
Is Strike 4 the same as Connect 4?
Both use the familiar four-in-a-row idea. Strike 4 is Funskool’s own product, while Connect 4 is Hasbro’s. The linked Strike 4 is the New and Improved version; the frame and storage design can differ between products.
How do you empty the Strike 4 grid?
Follow the assembly and emptying instructions supplied with the New and Improved set. Our linked Funskool sheet shows the earlier classic tray-and-grid design, which empties by lifting and tipping.
What age is Strike 4 for?
Funskool says 6 and up (its rules sheet shows both 6+ and 7+). Six-year-olds can learn to spot and block lines of three, and adults enjoy it too. The discs are small, so keep them away from toddlers.
Can adults enjoy Strike 4, or is it only for children?
Adults enjoy it too. The rule takes a minute to learn, but good play means looking a few moves ahead and setting up two threats at once, so a parent and an older child can have a real contest. Games are short, so 'best of five' after dinner works well.
Game facts
- Publisher
- Funskool
- In India
- Funskool (India) Ltd, Chennai
- Players
- 2
- Language
- No reading – There's nothing to read during play. Once someone explains the one rule, the game works in any language; only the rules sheet is in English.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.