Exploring a Fun Python Game in 100 Lines of Code

Python is an excellent language for learning programming concepts through hands-on experience. Creating small and engaging games is a great way to practice Python’s syntax and features. In this blog post, we’ll delve into creating a simple yet fun Python game within 100 lines of code.

The game we’ll build is a classic “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game. It’s a straightforward yet challenging game that involves making decisions and using randomness. Here’s the code for the game:

pythonimport random

def determine_winner(player_choice, computer_choice):
    if player_choice == computer_choice:
        return "It's a tie!"
    elif (player_choice == "rock" and computer_choice == "scissors") or \
         (player_choice == "paper" and computer_choice == "rock") or \
         (player_choice == "scissors" and computer_choice == "paper"):
        return "Player wins!"
    else:
        return "Computer wins!"

def play_game():
    choices = ["rock", "paper", "scissors"]
    player_choice = input("Choose rock, paper, or scissors: ").lower()

    while player_choice not in choices:
        print("Invalid choice. Please try again.")
        player_choice = input("Choose rock, paper, or scissors: ").lower()

    computer_choice = random.choice(choices)
    print(f"You chose {player_choice}, and the computer chose {computer_choice}.")
    print(determine_winner(player_choice, computer_choice))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    play_game()

Let’s break down the code:

Imports: We import the random module to allow the computer to make a random choice.
Determine Winner: The determine_winner function takes the player’s choice and the computer’s choice as input and returns who won the round. It uses a simple if-elif-else structure to determine the winner based on the rules of the game.
Play Game: The play_game function is the main game loop. It first prompts the player to choose between rock, paper, or scissors. It then checks if the player’s input is valid (i.e., one of the three choices). If not, it prompts the player to try again.
Computer’s Choice: The computer makes a random choice from the list of options using the random.choice function.
Display Result: The game then displays both the player’s choice and the computer’s choice and calls the determine_winner function to determine who won the round.
Execution: Finally, we check if the script is being run directly (not imported as a module) and call the play_game function to start the game.

This simple game not only demonstrates the basic concepts of Python programming, such as functions, conditionals, and user input, but also introduces the concept of randomness and decision-making. It’s a fun and engaging way to learn Python while having a blast!