Bingo/Connect four (4)

<strong>Connect Four</strong> is a fast playing abstract game that works well with children. I have played over 100 games with my 7 and 5 year old children and believe that Connect Four should be a core game in any parent's collection. <strong>Object of the game:</strong> Connect Four is a 2 player game played on a vertical 7x6 board. Players alternate playing a piece to any column. Because the board is vertical, a piece will fall to the lowest empty row. The object of the game is to be the first player to get four pieces in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally ("pretty sneaky sis"). <strong>Simple Rules:</strong> The game can be taught in less than a minute and the rules are so simple that even a young child will have no difficulty understanding. <strong>Ease of Play:</strong> The mechanics of play are also quite simple, drop a piece in a column, trying to get four in a row before your opponent. <strong>Game Length:</strong> A game can be completed in only a few minutes at most. This allows for several plays at one sitting, even with the shorter attention span of children. <strong>Downtime:</strong> There is very little downtime between turns, so children will not get bored. In fact, since children usually take longer to make their move than adults, the downtime for children is very short. <strong>Luck:</strong> There is no luck in the game, which can be a negative because it can be difficult for a child to beat an adult. However, the game plays so quickly that children can greatly improve their play in a short period of time. At first, my children only concentrated on vertical or horizontal wins. Soon, they learned to look for diagonal wins. Soon after, they began to learn how to force a win. Still, it will probably be necessary for an adult to "take it easy" at least for a while. <strong>No Adult Necessary:</strong> The game is so simple to play and easy to set up that children can play it without adult supervision. My children often play this without me and it is probably one of their two most played games. (<em>Trouble</em> is the other one) <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Connect Four is not highly rated on BGG, in part because it has been solved. (The first player can always force a win) Fortunately, the fact that the game has been solved does not affect the vast majority of players and certainly does not impact the enjoyment of children. <strong>Connect Four is a classic game and one that every parent should own.</strong>