Yes, Quarto is a good game for kids, from about age 8. That's the age its publisher, Gigamic, puts on the box. The rules fit in a minute, there's no reading and no luck, and a game takes 10 to 20 minutes. It earned a Parents' Choice award and the Mensa Select label in 1993. Younger children can start with a simplified version that uses only one or two traits, then add the rest as they get the hang of it.
About us: we make Quads, an independent game built on the same hand-your-opponent-the-piece mechanic as Quarto. It isn't affiliated with Gigamic or the makers of Quarto.
Why it works for kids
- Short rules. Hand over a piece, place a piece, make four in a row that share something. Children who know noughts and crosses get it quickly.
- No luck, no reading. Everything is on the table. The pieces are told apart by sight and touch, so non-readers can play.
- Short games. Gigamic gives 10 to 20 minutes on its Quarto page, so a game fits before bedtime, and a losing game is quickly followed by another.
- Recognised by parents' and puzzle groups. Gigamic lists a 1993 Parents' Choice Award and the 1993 Mensa Select label among its awards. Wikipedia also lists a 1994 Best Bet from the Canadian Toy Testing Council.
- An accessible edition. Gigamic makes Quarto Access for blind and visually impaired players, built around touch and memory.
What it practises
A 1994 review for teachers in the Swiss journal Math-Ecole (republished by the IREM of Grenoble) listed what it takes to win: "beaucoup d'attention, de la logique, de l'anticipation, de la créativité stratégique". That's a lot of attention, logic, anticipation and strategic creativity. In practice that means:
| Skill | Where it shows up in the game |
|---|---|
| Sorting and classifying | Every piece has four traits, so children constantly ask "what do these have in common?" |
| Logic | "If I give a dark piece, they can finish that dark row." Every hand-off is an if-then. |
| Thinking ahead | Good players check what the opponent could do with a piece before handing it over. |
| Attention to detail | Missing one line loses the game, so children learn to scan the whole board. |
| Losing gracefully | You often lose by handing over the winning piece yourself. It's a gentle lesson in owning a mistake. |
Teachers use the same 16 pieces for Venn diagrams and binary numbers too. See our classroom guide.
Teaching it in four steps
- Explore the pieces. Tip them out and sort them: all the tall ones here, all the short ones there. Then sort by colour, by shape, by top.
Each trait splits the set exactly in half: 8 dark, 8 light.
- Play with one or two traits. Say only colour and shape count. Four dark in a row wins; four tall doesn't. Fewer things to check makes the hand-off rule easier to understand. The Math-Ecole review notes that the rules include variants "pour débutants" (for beginners).
- Play the full game. All four traits count. Remind them to look at every line before handing over a piece.
- Add 2×2 squares. For confident players, four matching pieces in a square also win. It's harder, with 19 shapes to watch instead of 10. Here's what the square rule changes.
Can kids beat adults?
Often, yes. The Math-Ecole review put it memorably: "un éternel «cancre» peut battre un licencié en mathématiques". In other words, a perpetual dunce can beat a maths graduate. Quarto rewards care more than knowledge. An adult who gets careless and hands over the winning piece loses to a child who checked every line.
To keep it fair for younger players, an adult can play with a handicap. For example, the adult must say out loud which lines are dangerous before each hand-off.
Playing on a screen
If you don't own a set, you can print a board and pieces or make one from bottle caps or blocks. Digital versions help children practise alone:
- Quads, our game, plays the same way with 2×2 squares always on. It's free in the browser and on phones, needs no account and works offline. Its easiest level, Rookie, gives away wins. In our tests it won just 1.2% against the other levels, so a beginner can win. The next level, Amateur, never hands over a winning piece while it has a safe one, which makes it a good teacher. We measured all the levels in 10,000 test games.
- Quads can also warn a player, while they choose a hand-off, when a piece in the tray would give the opponent a win. That's useful while children learn, and it can be turned off in settings.
- Two children can share one phone in pass-and-play mode. Our list of two-player games for one phone has more ideas.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Quarto for?
Gigamic, the publisher, recommends ages 8 and up. Younger children can play a simplified version where only one or two traits count.
Is Quarto educational?
It practises sorting by attributes, if-then logic, thinking ahead and attention to detail. Teachers also use the pieces to introduce Venn diagrams and binary numbers.
Can a child beat an adult at Quarto?
Often. There is no luck, and the game punishes carelessness more than inexperience: handing over the winning piece loses, whoever you are.
How many players is Quarto for?
Exactly two.