Connect 4

Connect 4—based on earlier strategy game The Captain’s Mistress—challenges players to be the first to place four tokens in a row. Its quick gameplay makes it a favorite with kids, who can detect patterns, problem solve, and use basic math. Some serious gamers deride Connect 4 because it’s been “solved,”—there’s mathematically a way for the first player to win every time—but it remains a popular game in many households for its kid-friendly play.