Our story
Never stop playing.
4tec was invented by John Dunne. It took three versions and forty years to get from a question about noughts and crosses to a game that is manufactured in Ireland and shipped all over the world.
How 4tec came to be
From sticks and sellotape to injection moulding
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Curiosity
It began with a question: what would it be like to play noughts and crosses in three dimensions? John mocked up a model with sticks and sellotape. Like the flat version, it was too easy to win.
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The fourth dimension
So he went up a level and expanded the number of squares. 4tec was born. The first prototype was moulded in metal and glass.
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Hand-made
Friends and family loved it, so John hand-made more, and a hand-made version was distributed across Ireland. People liked the game — but with so many parts done by hand, it couldn't be made cost-effectively.
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Today
The injection-moulded, mass-producible 4tec: it flat-packs, is simple to assemble, takes zero time to learn, and ships from Ireland all over the world.
A note from John
“The game is the game.”
John Dunne is 4tec's inventor and CEO. This is his letter from the current site, in his own words.
Like all great things, 4tec has a long history that brought us to here. The physical game has had three different iterations, though the essence almost the same. The very first one I moulded myself with glass and metal, and really only the materials have changed. The game is the game. The second one was hand-made again, that we produced and distributed across Ireland. That approach was not sustainable. It proved to us that people liked the game, but we were never going to increase manufacturing cost-effectively when so many parts were done by hand.
And so today we have the injection-moulded, mass-producible one that we have shipping all over the world today. And though there have been many times when it seemed like 4tec would not get off the ground, my belief in the game never waned. Like checkers and chess, this game is an instant classic and although new, will feel very familiar.
I have always believed that the more you play in life, the better you feel, and that whatever you do, you should never stop playing. 4tec is simple to play, takes zero time to learn and has billions of combinations to get to 4 in a row. Whether you are young or old, 4tec is a brilliant game to play. I am so proud to be manufacturing the game here in Ireland and exporting all over the world.
I hope that 4tec gives you the fun and happiness it has given to thousands of others. Please send me an email anytime.
John Dunne
CEO & Inventor of 4tec · help@4tecgame.com
P.S. Remember, never stop playing.
Award winning
Small Business Marketing Award, All Ireland Marketing Awards 2023
“Delighted to receive a small business award at the 2023 All-Ireland marketing awards in Ireland for 4tec.”
Backed on Kickstarter
Funded by backers around the world
We were overwhelmed by the very early response on Kickstarter. We really appreciate our backers — friends, family, the Kickstarter community, and people we don't know from around the world who supported us.
4tec — €39.99. Two for €59.99.
Made in Ireland. All orders ship within 48 hours.