🎯 Connect 4 Overview

Welcome! In this section, you’ll learn what skills Connect 4 teaches through hands-on game development.

What You’ll Build

A complete Connect 4 game that demonstrates essential programming concepts:

Core Skills You’ll Master

State Management

• Board representation using 2D arrays
• Player turn tracking and coin management
• Timer system with real-time updates
• Game lifecycle (start, play, win, restart)

Responsive UI Development

• CSS Grid for 6×7 game board layout
• Dynamic DOM manipulation and updates
• Smooth animations for falling pieces
• Mobile-responsive design patterns

Algorithm Implementation

• Gravity simulation for piece placement
• Win detection across 4 directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonals)
• Input validation and error handling
• Game state transitions

Object-Oriented Programming

• Class design with single responsibility principle
• Encapsulation of game logic and data
• Clean separation between UI and game logic
• Modular, testable code architecture

Learning Path

This Connect 4 project is structured as a progressive learning experience:

1. Overview (this lesson) - Understand the big picture
2. OOP - Organize code with classes and objects
3. Algorithms - Implement game logic and win detection
4. Challenges - Add advanced features like undo, persistence, and AI

Why Connect 4?

Connect 4 is the perfect learning project because it:

• Combines familiar game rules with programming fundamentals
• Requires both logical thinking and visual design
• Scales from simple concepts to advanced features
• Teaches skills you’ll use in larger applications

What’s Next

Ready to dive in? The next lesson covers Object-Oriented Programming - you’ll learn how to structure your code using classes that make the game logic clean, testable, and easy to extend.