Four in a Row or Sketch Round?

The key differences

• There’s no player count that suits both – Four in a Row and Sketch Round are made for different groups.
• From 3 players on, only Sketch Round works: it goes up to 10 players, Four in a Row only up to 2.
• Sketch Round needs a TV, or an iPad or Mac as the table; Four in a Row also runs on phones alone.
• Sketch Round needs at least 3 players – with fewer people, only Four in a Row works.
• Sketch Round is louder than Four in a Row (loud vs. calm).
• Only Four in a Row can be played against the computer – Sketch Round needs real players.
• Four in a Row rewards skill more than Sketch Round (pure skill vs. mostly skill).
• Four in a Row is over sooner: usually 3–10 minutes, while Sketch Round takes 10–20 minutes.

At a glance

At a glance	Four in a Row	Sketch Round
Type	Board and dice games	Party games
Players	2 players	3–10 players
Length of a game	3–10 min	10–20 min
Age	ages 5+	ages 7+
Luck or skill	pure skill	mostly skill
Noise level	calm	loud
Learning curve	explained in a minute	explained in a minute
Interaction	you react to each other	lots of back and forth
TV	not needed	needed
Against the computer	yes	no
Teams	no	no
Bluffing	no	no
Reading needed	no	yes

Which one suits you?

Four in a Row

Discs drop into columns, and the first to line up four wins. Any kid gets the rules, yet every game is a small duel of thinking one move ahead.

Pick Four in a Row when two people want a clear-cut duel for a few minutes.

Sketch Round

One person draws on their phone while everyone else watches the picture appear live on the TV and types a guess. Faster correct guesses score more – and the worst drawings tend to be the funniest.

Pick Sketch Round when three to ten people are gathered around a TV and like to laugh.

What they have in common

• Both come free with Gather and need no account.