Quick answer: to play Quarto online against real people, use Board Game Arena, which is free in the browser. To play against a computer in the browser, try 8Games (three levels) or Quarto Legends. If you want the same hand-your-opponent-the-piece game with five AI levels, a daily puzzle and phone apps, Quads is free, independent and runs in any browser. We found no official Quarto app from its publisher.
A quick, honest note: we make Quads, so we're one of the options on this list. Quads is an independent game and isn't made by, affiliated with, or endorsed by Gigamic or the makers of Quarto. We re-checked every browser option on its own live page on October 28, 2026 (the phone apps were last checked on September 15, 2026), and marked anything we couldn't confirm.
The mechanic you're looking for
Quarto was invented by Swiss mathematician Blaise Muller and published by Gigamic in 1991. Two players share a 4×4 board and 16 pieces (what is Quarto?). Each piece is tall or short, dark or light, round or square, and solid or hollow. You never choose the piece you place: your opponent hands it to you. The first to complete a line of four pieces sharing a trait wins. (Full rules with diagrams.)
Comparison at a glance
| Option | Where | Price | vs computer | Same-device 2P | Online vs people | 2×2 rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board Game Arena | Browser | Free | Not offered | Not stated | Yes, live or turn-based | Optional variant |
| 8Games | Browser (PC) | Free, with ads | 3 levels | Yes | No | Not stated |
| Quarto Legends | Browser | Free | 1 opponent | Yes | Peer-to-peer mode (untested) | Not stated |
| quarto.deprez.ca | Browser | Free | 6 levels | No | No | Not stated |
| Ludoteka | Browser | Free, nickname required | Unclear | Not stated | Yes | No |
| Quads (ours) | Browser, iOS, Android | Free, with ads | 5 levels | Yes, in the app | No (async challenge codes) | Always on |
Re-check log, October 28, 2026: all five browser options still load and match the descriptions below. Board Game Arena's Quarto counter has passed 865,000 games. 8Games still offers beginner, master and champion levels with no registration. Quarto Legends still has computer, same-screen and over-the-internet modes, and we found no ad code on it. quarto.deprez.ca still has six levels and lets you choose who goes first. Ludoteka's rules still count only rows, columns and diagonals.
Board Game Arena: best for playing real people
Board Game Arena is the biggest place to play Quarto against humans. The game page says it's free and needs no download, and it supports both real-time and turn-based games. Its rules include the 2×2 square as an advanced variant. On October 28, 2026 its counter showed 865,734 Quarto games played, and it lists an average game as lasting 4 minutes.
- Good for: finding opponents at any hour, and slow turn-based games with friends.
- Missing: the game page doesn't mention a computer opponent, so it's not the place to practise solo.
- Unconfirmed: whether you need an account for Quarto specifically, and whether ads appear during play.
8Games: best quick game against the computer
8Games runs a 3D Quarto board in the browser with no registration. You can pick beginner, master or champion difficulty, or play a second person on the same board.
- Good for: jumping straight into a solo game on a computer.
- Missing: no online play against people. The page is heavy with ads, and it's built for desktop browsers.
Quarto Legends: simple and ad-free
Quarto Legends is a small browser game with three modes: a computer opponent, two players at one screen, and a remote two-player mode that connects browsers directly. We saw no ad code on the page.
- Good for: a clean, free game without distractions.
- Missing: there's no difficulty setting, and the fixed-width board is designed for desktop screens.
- Unconfirmed: we didn't test a live remote connection.
quarto.deprez.ca: most AI levels, oldest interface
quarto.deprez.ca is a long-running "play against the computer" page with six difficulty levels and a choice of who goes first. It's text-and-images simple, and the page reloads after every move.
- Good for: a stiff computer opponent on a desktop.
- Missing: a mobile layout, and any two-player mode.
Ludoteka: classic rules, online rooms
Ludoteka hosts classic Quarto rules in a traditional game-room site where you pick a nickname and join other players. Its rules page doesn't include the 2×2 square.
Quads: five AI levels, a daily puzzle, and apps
Quads is our game. It uses the same idea: 16 pieces, four two-way traits, and you place the piece your opponent chooses. It always counts 2×2 squares as wins.
- Five computer opponents, from Rookie to Grandmaster. The top levels solve the endgame exactly.
- A daily puzzle, the same for everyone and solvable in one or two moves. Play today's in the browser.
- Pass & Play for two people on one device, and Challenge a Friend codes for trading puzzle positions.
- Free in the browser and on iPhone and iPad and Android, in 8 languages, with no account. It shows ads, and a one-time purchase removes them in the app.
- Missing: there's no live online play against strangers. If that's what you want, use Board Game Arena.
On your phone
We couldn't find an official Quarto app from Gigamic on the App Store or Google Play as of September 15, 2026. Third-party versions exist on both stores. On iOS, QUARTO.GG is free, with online and same-device play, but its last update was February 2024. On Android, several versions offer play against the computer or against a friend on the same device. Check each listing's update date and reviews before installing. On a phone, Board Game Arena runs in the mobile browser, and Quads has native apps.
On Windows, Quarto 2D is a free Microsoft Store app with a computer opponent and two-player mode.
Options that no longer work
Two options still turn up in older lists and search results, but you can't play either one any more:
- Battlehub Quarto: the page is still up, but it's a 2015 promo for mobile apps whose store listings are gone.
- quarto.is-great.org: the old game address returns a "page not found" error, and the domain now serves unrelated spam. Don't visit it. The same computer opponent appears to live on at quarto.deprez.ca, above.
Which should you pick?
- Play real people online: Board Game Arena.
- Quick solo game on a laptop: 8Games or Quarto Legends.
- Hardest classic computer opponent: quarto.deprez.ca on level 6.
- Phone, daily puzzle, graded AI levels or two players on one device: Quads. We tested how its five levels compare over 10,000 games.
No screen at all? Print a board and pieces, or practise alone with our 12 Quarto puzzles.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play Quarto online for free?
Yes. Board Game Arena offers Quarto free against other people in the browser, and several free browser versions let you play against a computer, including 8Games and Quarto Legends. Quads is a free, independent game with the same mechanic, playable in the browser and on iPhone and Android.
Where can I play Quarto against the computer?
In the browser, 8Games has three difficulty levels, quarto.deprez.ca has six, and Quarto Legends has one computer opponent. Quads has five AI levels in the browser and in its mobile apps.
Is there an official Quarto app?
As of September 15, 2026 we could not find an official digital Quarto app from its publisher, Gigamic, on the App Store or Google Play. Third-party apps exist on both stores.