🎮 Connect 4 - Multiplayer Game

A Java implementation of the classic Connect Four game featuring a beautiful JavaFX interface and real-time multiplayer gameplay over network.

✨ Features

🎯 Real-time Multiplayer - Two players compete over a local network
🎨 Animated Interface - Smooth disc-dropping animations with JavaFX
🔄 Turn Management - Automatic turn synchronization between players
🏆 Win Detection - Automatic detection of wins, draws, and disconnections
🎭 Player Colors - Red (X) vs Yellow (O) discs
📡 TCP Sockets - Reliable client-server communication

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Java 21 or higher
Gradle 8.0+
JavaFX SDK

Installation

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/russoangelo/connect-4.git
cd connect-4

Build the project
```
./gradlew build
```

Running the Game

Start the Server

./gradlew run --main-class=com.connectfour.connect4.Server

The server will start on port 12345 and wait for two players.

Start Client 1

Open a new terminal:

./gradlew run --main-class=com.connectfour.connect4.ClientGUI

Start Client 2

Open another terminal:

./gradlew run --main-class=com.connectfour.connect4.ClientGUI

🎮 How to Play

Start the server - It will wait for two players to connect
Launch two clients - First player gets Red (X), second gets Yellow (O)
Take turns - Click on a column number to drop your disc
Win condition - Connect four discs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
Game ends - When someone wins, the board is full, or a player disconnects

🏗️ Project Structure

connect-4/
├── src/main/java/com/connectfour/connect4/
│   ├── Server.java           # Main server (port 12345)
│   ├── ClientGUI.java        # JavaFX client interface
│   ├── ClientHandler.java    # Handles client connections
│   ├── Game.java             # Game logic and win detection
├── build.gradle.kts
└── README.md

🔧 Technical Details

Architecture

Server: Multi-threaded TCP server handling two simultaneous connections
Client: JavaFX application with socket communication
Protocol: Custom text-based protocol over TCP
Game Logic: Synchronized game state shared between threads

Network Protocol

Server → Client:

PLAYER_ID:X/O - Assigns player symbol
BOARD_START - Begins board transmission
BOARD_END - Ends board transmission
YOUR_TURN - Notifies player's turn
WAIT_TURN - Wait for opponent
WIN/LOSE/DRAW - Game result

Client → Server:

0-6 - Column number for move

Key Classes

Game: Core game logic, board state, win detection
Server: Accepts connections and creates game instances
ClientHandler: Manages individual client communication
ClientGUI: JavaFX interface with animations

🎨 Customization

Change Server Port

Edit Server.java:

final int PORT = 12345; // Change to preferred port

Modify Board Size

Edit Game.java:

public static final int ROWS = 6;
public static final int COLS = 7;

Animation Speed

Edit ClientGUI.java:

transition.setDuration(Duration.millis(500));

🐛 Known Issues

Server must be restarted between games
No reconnection support if client disconnects
Requires manual IP configuration for non-localhost play

📝 License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

👤 Author

Angelo Russo

GitHub: @russoangelo

⭐ Show Your Support

Give a ⭐️ if you like this project!

russoangelo/netfour