Mobile Application Development / Game Development

Connect 4or

Connect 4or is a native Android implementation of the classic Connect Four strategy game. Built entirely in Kotlin using modern Android development...

Connect 4or

Category: Mobile Application Development / Game Development
Platform: Android
Language: Kotlin
Build System: Gradle (Kotlin DSL)
Status: Active Development

Project Overview

Connect 4or is a native Android implementation of the classic Connect Four strategy game. Built entirely in Kotlin using modern Android development practices, the application delivers a polished, responsive gaming experience on Android devices.

Connect Four is a two-player connection board game in which players alternately drop coloured discs into a seven-column, six-row vertically suspended grid. The objective is to be the first player to form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of four of one's own discs.

Core Features

Game Mechanics

  • Full implementation of the classic Connect Four ruleset
  • Two-player local (same-device) multiplayer
  • Intelligent win detection across all valid line orientations:
    • Horizontal (left-right)
    • Vertical (top-bottom)
    • Diagonal (both directions)
  • Draw detection when the board fills completely

Android-Native Implementation

  • Built with Kotlin as the primary language — Google's officially recommended Android development language
  • Follows modern Android architecture patterns
  • Native UI components for smooth, responsive gameplay
  • Proper state management for game sessions

Build System

  • Gradle with Kotlin DSL (build.gradle.kts) for type-safe, expressive build configuration
  • Multi-module project structure (app module + test infrastructure)
  • Standard Android test framework integration (androidTest + unit test directories)

Technical Architecture

Component Detail
Language Kotlin
Target Platform Android
Build System Gradle with Kotlin DSL
Min SDK Standard Android SDK
Project Structure Standard Android module layout
Testing androidTest (instrumented) + test (unit) directories

Project Structure

Connect 4or/
├── app/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── main/          <- Application source code
│   │   ├── test/          <- Unit tests
│   │   └── androidTest/   <- Instrumented device tests
│   └── build.gradle.kts   <- Module build configuration
├── build.gradle.kts       <- Root project build config
├── settings.gradle.kts    <- Project settings
└── gradle.properties      <- Gradle and JVM properties

Gameplay

Rules

  1. Players alternate turns, each dropping one disc per turn
  2. Discs fall to the lowest available row in the chosen column
  3. First player to connect four discs in a row (any direction) wins
  4. If all 42 cells fill without a winner, the game is a draw

Win Conditions

  • Horizontal: Four consecutive discs in the same row
  • Vertical: Four consecutive discs in the same column
  • Diagonal: Four consecutive discs on either diagonal axis

Development Notes

The project uses Kotlin DSL throughout, reflecting current best practices in Android development. The Kotlin DSL provides compile-time safety and IDE auto-completion for Gradle configuration, making the build scripts more maintainable and less error-prone than traditional Groovy DSL.

The standard Android project layout ensures compatibility with Android Studio and the broader Android toolchain ecosystem.

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