Connect Four on 6 high, 7 wide grid, there are 4,531,985,219,092 positions for all game boards populated with 0 to 42 pieces. The game was first solved by James Dow Allen (October 1, 1988), and independently by Victor Allis (October 16, 1988). Allis describes a knowledge-based approach, with nine strategies, as a solution for Connect Four. Allen also describes winning strategies in his analysis of the game. At the time of the initial solutions for Connect Four, brute-force analysis was not deemed feasible given the game's complexity and the computer technology available at the time. Connect Four has since been solved with
How They Got Game How They Got Game The How They Got Game project's aim was to explore the historical and cultural impact of new media, through interactive simulation and video gaming. The involvement through people conducting research in many defined areas of computing, such as storytelling, strategy, simulation, sports and shooter. In this project, an important aspect is the preservation of software and documentation, where How They Got Game constructed a digital archive of source material. The project also introduced a Stanford class offered in the Science, Technology and Society program called the "History of Computer Game Design." Henry Lowood and Tim Lenoir