Connect Four vs Nine Men's Morris: Modern Drop or Medieval Mill?
Connect Four
A modern abstract: drop discs into a 7x6 grid, connect four in any direction to win.
Pros
- Dead simple to learn — no movement phase, just placement
- Sub-15-minute games that fit any schedule
- Strong digital ecosystem with engines and ratings
- Solved with known optimal play
Cons
- No piece capture or removal
- No movement phase — once placed, pieces are static
- Single win condition (4 in a row)
Nine Men's Morris
An ancient alignment game (boards found in Egyptian temples ca. 1400 BCE). Players place 9 pieces, then move them to form "mills" (three in a row). Each mill formed lets you remove an opponent's piece. Win by reducing opponent below 3 pieces or trapping them.
Pros
- Three game phases (placement, movement, "flying") create genuine variety
- Capture mechanic via mill formation is uniquely satisfying
- Carved into cathedral cloisters and Roman ruins — true ancient pedigree
- Solved as a draw with perfect play, but very hard to play perfectly
Cons
- Three-phase rules confuse first-time players
- Stalemate phase ("flying") requires special endgame rule
- Niche outside Europe — not many casual players know it
- Boards are odd-shaped (three nested squares) which throws people
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Connect Four | Nine Men's Morris |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | USA, 1974 | Egypt/Mediterranean, ~1400 BCE |
| Board | 7x6 grid | Three nested squares with connecting lines (24 points) |
| Pieces per Player | 21 discs | 9 men |
| Phases | One (placement) | Three (placement, movement, flying) |
| Capture? | No | Yes (via "mills") |
| Solved? | Yes (first-player win) | Yes (draw with perfect play) |
| Game Length | 10-15 min | 15-30 min |
Verdict
Connect Four and Nine Men's Morris both reward you for lining up pieces, but the comparison ends there. Morris is a phased game: you place 9 pieces, then move them along the board's lines, with each "mill" you form letting you remove an opponent's piece. Connect Four is single-phase: drop a disc, hope it contributes to a four-in-a-row before your opponent's does. Morris feels like a slow strategic siege; Connect Four feels like a tactical shootout. The age difference is staggering — Morris boards are scratched into Roman pavement and medieval cathedral cloisters across Europe, while Connect Four launched in 1974 with a Hasbro tray. If you want a game with genuine ancient depth and the satisfying crunch of capturing pieces by forming mills, Nine Men's Morris is wonderful. If you want fast accessible competitive play that an 8-year-old can join, Connect Four is the obvious pick. Both are solved — Morris as a draw with perfect play, Connect Four as a first-player win — but neither is solvable by humans without computer aid.
Try Connect Four
See for yourself why Connect Four is the perfect balance of simplicity and depth.