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Connect 4

There are some games that are timeless. I'm pretty sure that in thirty years, kids will still be playing tag. Sure, they might be doing it in jet packs on some distant moon or something, but they'll still be chasing each other around trying to avoid being "it." It's a simple game, with a simple premise, and at the end of the day, it can be all sorts of fun.

Well, I would argue that Connect 4 is also one such game. In case you haven't had the pleasure of playing it before, it's sort of like Tic Tac Toe. You and another player alternate turns, trying to get  four of your pieces in a line before your opponent does. The line can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, so you have options.

I remember I enjoyed playing the game as a kid, and it always seemed fun. I didn't always win, but given that I liked playing the game, I must have won enough that the process wasn't onerous. Basically, I have a soft spot in my heart for playing Connect 4.

Well, one of our nephews had a birthday recently, and he received Connect 4 for his birthday. You better believe that I asked if he wanted to play with me. Lucky for me, he assented, and we spent a good amount of the afternoon placing red and yellow chips. Now, I'm a lot older than he is, so I have a bit more experience with strategy and trying to see more than one move ahead. So, I beat him for the first few games (he also quipped, "can't you just lose?" once).

To his credit, however, he started to catch on fairly quickly. The trick that worked during the first game didn't work by the fourth game, and he understood what I meant when I said I was going to try to block him. In fact, he managed to beat me a couple of times. Maybe I just got sloppy, but regardless of the reason, he won fair and square.  You should've seen the smile on his face, especially since he knew I wasn't intentionally throwing the match.

The best part, however, is that the Mild Wife got in on the fun, too. In fact, we both enjoyed the process enough that we went out and purchased our very own set of Connect 4. Yup, we are the proud owners of the classic game. Heck, if we have people over (especially little people), there are very good odds that we're going to suggest a round of Connect 4.
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