Connect Three is the quick drop-a-disc game where three in a row wins. On My MP Games you can play this connect 3 game free in your browser: as single player Connect 3 against the computer, with a friend by room code, or with two players sharing one phone or keyboard. Pick a column, watch your disc fall to the lowest empty space, and line up three of your colour across, down or diagonally before your rival does. There is no download and no sign-up, and it works on phones, tablets and desktops.
How to Play Connect Three
Connect Three uses the same gravity rule as Connect Four, on a smaller board with a shorter target. A game takes a minute or two.
- Choose a mode. Press Play vs Computer for a single player game, Create room to play a friend online, Join room if you have a code, or Local vs to play on one device.
- Pick a board. The classic board has 5 columns and 4 rows. The host can choose a bigger 6 × 5 or 7 × 6 board for a longer game.
- Drop a disc. On your turn, tap or click any column, or press its number key. Your disc falls to the lowest free space in that column.
- Make three in a row. The first player with three discs in a straight line, across, down or diagonally, wins. The winning line lights up.
- Play again. If every space fills without a line of three, the game is a draw. Press rematch to swap who starts.
Connect Three Rules
Gravity
You cannot place a disc anywhere you like. It always drops to the bottom of the column, on top of any discs already there. A full column cannot take another disc.
Winning lines
Any three of your discs touching in a straight line count: horizontal, vertical or either diagonal. A longer line also wins, but three is all you need.
Taking turns
Yellow drops first and the players alternate. In an online room, only the player whose turn it is can drop, and the board updates on both screens at the same moment.
Single Player Connect 3 vs the Computer
Single player mode is the fastest way to start. Press Play vs Computer and choose a level:
- Easy always takes a winning move when it sees one, but otherwise often plays at random. Good for children and first games.
- Medium looks a few moves ahead, blocks your threats and sets up its own.
- Hard searches the whole game on the classic board. On a 5 × 4 board the first player can always force a win, so if the computer starts, expect to lose. Start first yourself and try to find the winning line.
Play Connect Three Online with Friends
Press Create room and share the code or invite link. Your friend joins from any device and you take turns in real time. For two players on one device, choose Local vs and pass the phone, or take turns on the same keyboard with the number keys.
Connect Three Strategy Tips
- Start in the middle. The centre column is part of more possible lines than any other, so it gives you the most options.
- Build two threats at once. Your opponent can only block one space per turn. Two open threats win the game.
- Check the space above. Before you drop, look at the space your disc will create on top. If it completes a line for your rival, play elsewhere.
- Block early. Two of your rival's discs in a row with an open end is already dangerous on a small board.
- Use the bottom row. Low threats are easiest to fill, so a horizontal pair on the bottom row with both ends open often wins outright.
Connect Three, Connect Four and Tic-Tac-Toe
Connect Three sits between Tic-Tac-Toe and Connect Four. Like Tic-Tac-Toe you only need three in a row, but gravity limits where you can play, so you have to think about the order of moves. It is a good way to learn the threat and blocking ideas that matter in Connect Four, in games short enough to play many times in a row.
Connect Three FAQ
How do you play Connect Three?
Players take turns dropping a disc into a column. It falls to the lowest empty space. The first player to get three discs in a row across, down or diagonally wins.
Can I play Connect 3 single player?
Yes. Press Play vs Computer and choose easy, medium or hard. The game starts instantly with no sign-up.
How big is the Connect Three board?
The classic board has 5 columns and 4 rows. The host can also choose 6 × 5 or 7 × 6 for longer games.
Is Connect Three solved?
Yes. On the 5 × 4 board the player who moves first can always win with perfect play. The hard computer plays perfectly, so go first and look for the winning line.
How is Connect Three different from Connect Four?
You only need three in a row instead of four, and the board is smaller, so games are quicker and threats appear sooner.
Can two people play Connect Three on one device?
Yes. Choose Local vs and take turns tapping the columns, or use the number keys on a keyboard.
Is this connect 3 game free and does it work on phones?
Yes. It is free with no download, and it works in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers.
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