Quest 10: Number Game - Can You Guess It?

Build Your First Interactive Game

🎲 QUEST 10 | Difficulty: Beginner | Time: 5 minutes

📊 Complexity Level: Intermediate ⭐⭐

Builds on fundamental concepts from earlier quests. Best for students who have completed Quests 1-6 or have some basic programming experience. This combines multiple concepts into a complete project.

📖 Introduction: The Guessing Challenge

A mysterious wizard thinks of a number between 1 and 100. Your job? Guess it! After each guess, the wizard gives you a hint: “Too high!” or “Too low!” How many guesses will you need?

This classic game combines everything you’ve learned: variables, conditionals, loops, and functions!

🎮 Story Time: You’ve stumbled upon an ancient puzzle door. To open it, you must guess the secret number. The door whispers hints after each attempt. Will you solve it in time? This is your chance to build a real, playable game from scratch!

💡 Explanation: Game Components

Every game needs these elements:

Game State: Variables to track game data (secret number, guesses, etc.)
Game Loop: Repeat until win condition is met
User Input: Get player’s actions
Logic: Process input and determine outcome
Feedback: Tell player what happened

# Basic game structure
secret = 42
guesses_left = 5

while guesses_left > 0:
    # Get input
    guess = int(input("Guess: "))
    
    # Check win condition
    if guess == secret:
        print("You win!")
        break
    
    # Provide feedback
    if guess > secret:
        print("Too high!")
    else:
        print("Too low!")
    
    guesses_left -= 1

🎯 Game Design Principles:

Clear Goal: Player knows what to accomplish (guess the number)
Feedback: Player gets information after each action
Challenge: Not too easy, not too hard
Progression: Player gets better with each attempt
Win/Lose Conditions: Clear ending states

Our game includes: - Random number generation - Limited attempts (optional difficulty) - Hints (hot/cold feedback) - Score tracking

🎮 Activity: Build the Number Guessing Game

Here’s a complete, playable version:

🎯 Challenge - Enhance the Game:

Add difficulty levels (Easy: 1-50, Medium: 1-100, Hard: 1-500)
Track high score (fewest attempts ever)
Add a “give up” option
Implement a streak counter for consecutive wins

👨‍💻 Code Example: Game with Statistics

Let’s add game statistics tracking:

💡 Game Development Tips:

Start Simple: Get basic version working first
Test Often: Play your game frequently while developing
Add Features Gradually: One feature at a time
Handle Errors: What if player enters invalid input?
Make it Fun: Add personality with messages and emojis!

Common enhancements: - Difficulty selection - Hint system - Time limits - Multiplayer mode - Sound effects (in web version)

🧩 Puzzle Time!

What’s the optimal strategy? Figure it out:

🔑 Solution Explained:

For a number between 1-100:

Linear Search (Guessing 1, 2, 3…): - Worst case: 100 attempts - Average case: 50 attempts - If number is 87: exactly 87 attempts

Binary Search (Dividing in half): - Attempts: ~log₂(100) ≈ 7 attempts maximum! - Works by eliminating half the possibilities each time

Example for secret = 87: 1. Guess 50 → Too low, search [51-100] 2. Guess 75 → Too low, search [76-100] 3. Guess 87 → FOUND! (or search [88-100] if too high)

Maximum attempts: With binary search, you can find any number 1-100 in at most 7 guesses!

The Math: Each guess halves the search space: - 100 → 50 → 25 → 12 → 6 → 3 → 1 - That’s roughly log₂(100) ≈ 6.64 ≈ 7 guesses

Lesson: Smart algorithms make a HUGE difference!

🎯 Key Takeaways

✨ Quest 10 Complete! ✨

You’ve learned:

✅ Games combine variables, loops, conditionals, and functions
✅ Game loops run until a win/lose condition is met
✅ Good games provide clear feedback to players
✅ Binary search is much faster than linear search
✅ Track statistics to make games more engaging
✅ Start simple and add features gradually

Next Quest: Ready for mind-bending recursion? Try Quest 11: Recursion!

🚀 Try This at Home!

Create variations of the game:

Rock, Paper, Scissors:

import random

choices = ["rock", "paper", "scissors"]
computer = random.choice(choices)
player = "rock"  # or get from input

print(f"You: {player}, Computer: {computer}")

if player == computer:
    print("Tie!")
elif (player == "rock" and computer == "scissors") or \
     (player == "paper" and computer == "rock") or \
     (player == "scissors" and computer == "paper"):
    print("You win!")
else:
    print("Computer wins!")

Basic Math Quiz Game:

import random

score = 0
for i in range(5):
    a = random.randint(1, 10)
    b = random.randint(1, 10)
    answer = a + b
    
    print(f"Question {i+1}: {a} + {b} = ?")
    # guess = int(input("Your answer: "))
    guess = answer  # Simulate correct answer
    
    if guess == answer:
        print("✅ Correct!")
        score += 1
    else:
        print(f"❌ Wrong! Answer was {answer}")

print(f"\nFinal score: {score}/5")

📱 You’re a Game Developer Now! Keep building and experimenting! 🎮

--- title: "Quest 10: Number Game - Can You Guess It?" subtitle: "Build Your First Interactive Game" format: live-html: code-tools: true --- ::: {.quest-badge} 🎲 QUEST 10 | Difficulty: Beginner | Time: 5 minutes ::: ::: {.concept-box} **📊 Complexity Level: Intermediate ⭐⭐** Builds on fundamental concepts from earlier quests. Best for students who have completed Quests 1-6 or have some basic programming experience. This combines multiple concepts into a complete project. ::: ## 📖 Introduction: The Guessing Challenge A mysterious wizard thinks of a number between 1 and 100. Your job? Guess it! After each guess, the wizard gives you a hint: "Too high!" or "Too low!" How many guesses will you need? This classic game combines everything you've learned: variables, conditionals, loops, and functions! ::: {.story-box} **🎮 Story Time**: You've stumbled upon an ancient puzzle door. To open it, you must guess the secret number. The door whispers hints after each attempt. Will you solve it in time? This is your chance to build a real, playable game from scratch! ::: ## 💡 Explanation: Game Components Every game needs these elements: 1. **Game State**: Variables to track game data (secret number, guesses, etc.) 2. **Game Loop**: Repeat until win condition is met 3. **User Input**: Get player's actions 4. **Logic**: Process input and determine outcome 5. **Feedback**: Tell player what happened ```python # Basic game structure secret = 42 guesses_left = 5 while guesses_left > 0: # Get input guess = int(input("Guess: ")) # Check win condition if guess == secret: print("You win!") break # Provide feedback if guess > secret: print("Too high!") else: print("Too low!") guesses_left -= 1 ``` ::: {.concept-box} **🎯 Game Design Principles**: 1. **Clear Goal**: Player knows what to accomplish (guess the number) 2. **Feedback**: Player gets information after each action 3. **Challenge**: Not too easy, not too hard 4. **Progression**: Player gets better with each attempt 5. **Win/Lose Conditions**: Clear ending states **Our game includes**: - Random number generation - Limited attempts (optional difficulty) - Hints (hot/cold feedback) - Score tracking ::: ## 🎮 Activity: Build the Number Guessing Game Here's a complete, playable version: ```{pyodide-python} import random def play_number_game(): """Complete number guessing game""" # Game setup secret_number = random.randint(1, 100) max_attempts = 7 attempts = 0 print("🎲 WELCOME TO THE NUMBER GUESSING GAME! 🎲") print() print("I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 100.") print(f"You have {max_attempts} attempts to guess it!") print("Let's begin!\n") # Game loop while attempts < max_attempts: attempts += 1 remaining = max_attempts - attempts + 1 # Simulated guesses using a smart strategy (binary search) # In a real game: guess = int(input(f"Attempt {attempts}/{max_attempts}: ")) if attempts == 1: guess = 50 # Start in the middle elif attempts == 2: guess = 75 if secret_number > 50 else 25 # Adjust based on hint elif attempts == 3: # Get closer based on previous hints if guess < secret_number: guess = guess + (100 - guess) // 2 else: guess = guess // 2 else: guess = secret_number # Win on 4th attempt for demo print(f"Attempt {attempts}/{max_attempts}: Guessing {guess}") # Check if correct if guess == secret_number: print() print("🎉 CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉") print(f"You found it! The number was {secret_number}!") print(f"You won in {attempts} attempts!") # Calculate score (fewer attempts = higher score) score = (max_attempts - attempts + 1) * 100 print(f"Your score: {score} points") return True # Provide hints difference = abs(guess - secret_number) if guess < secret_number: print("📈 Too low!", end=" ") else: print("📉 Too high!", end=" ") # Temperature hints if difference <= 5: print("🔥 You're burning hot!") elif difference <= 10: print("♨️ Getting warm!") elif difference <= 20: print("🌡️ Lukewarm...") else: print("❄️ Cold!") print(f"({remaining} attempts remaining)\n") # Out of attempts print("😔 Game Over!") print(f"The secret number was {secret_number}") print("Better luck next time!") return False # Play the game! play_number_game() ``` ::: {.challenge-box} **🎯 Challenge - Enhance the Game**: 1. Add difficulty levels (Easy: 1-50, Medium: 1-100, Hard: 1-500) 2. Track high score (fewest attempts ever) 3. Add a "give up" option 4. Implement a streak counter for consecutive wins ::: ## 👨‍💻 Code Example: Game with Statistics Let's add game statistics tracking: ```{pyodide-python} class NumberGame: """Number guessing game with statistics""" def __init__(self): self.games_played = 0 self.games_won = 0 self.total_attempts = 0 self.best_score = float('inf') def play_round(self, max_number=100, max_attempts=10): """Play one round of the game""" secret = random.randint(1, max_number) self.games_played += 1 attempts = 0 print(f"\n🎮 Game #{self.games_played}") print(f"Guess a number between 1 and {max_number}\n") # Simulate gameplay (use binary search for AI) low, high = 1, max_number while attempts < max_attempts: attempts += 1 # AI uses binary search strategy guess = (low + high) // 2 print(f"Attempt {attempts}: Guessing {guess}...", end=" ") if guess == secret: print("✅ CORRECT!") self.games_won += 1 self.total_attempts += attempts self.best_score = min(self.best_score, attempts) return attempts elif guess < secret: print("📈 Too low") low = guess + 1 else: print("📉 Too high") high = guess - 1 print(f"\n❌ Failed! The number was {secret}") self.total_attempts += attempts return None def show_statistics(self): """Display game statistics""" print("\n" + "=" * 40) print("📊 GAME STATISTICS") print("=" * 40) print(f"Games Played: {self.games_played}") print(f"Games Won: {self.games_won}") if self.games_played > 0: win_rate = (self.games_won / self.games_played) * 100 print(f"Win Rate: {win_rate:.1f}%") if self.games_won > 0: avg_attempts = self.total_attempts / self.games_won print(f"Average Attempts (wins): {avg_attempts:.2f}") print(f"Best Score: {self.best_score} attempts") print("=" * 40) # Create game and play multiple rounds game = NumberGame() # Play 5 rounds for _ in range(5): game.play_round(max_number=100, max_attempts=10) # Show statistics game.show_statistics() ``` ::: {.tip-box} **💡 Game Development Tips**: 1. **Start Simple**: Get basic version working first 2. **Test Often**: Play your game frequently while developing 3. **Add Features Gradually**: One feature at a time 4. **Handle Errors**: What if player enters invalid input? 5. **Make it Fun**: Add personality with messages and emojis! **Common enhancements**: - Difficulty selection - Hint system - Time limits - Multiplayer mode - Sound effects (in web version) ::: ## 🧩 Puzzle Time! What's the optimal strategy? Figure it out: ```{pyodide-python} def linear_search_guessing(secret, max_num): """Guess by trying 1, 2, 3, 4... in order""" attempts = 0 for guess in range(1, max_num + 1): attempts += 1 if guess == secret: return attempts return attempts def binary_search_guessing(secret, max_num): """Guess by eliminating half the range each time""" attempts = 0 low, high = 1, max_num while low <= high: attempts += 1 guess = (low + high) // 2 if guess == secret: return attempts elif guess < secret: low = guess + 1 else: high = guess - 1 return attempts # Compare strategies test_secret = 87 test_max = 100 linear_attempts = linear_search_guessing(test_secret, test_max) binary_attempts = binary_search_guessing(test_secret, test_max) print(f"Secret number: {test_secret} (out of 1-{test_max})") print(f"\nLinear search (1,2,3...): {linear_attempts} attempts") print(f"Binary search (divide-and-conquer): {binary_attempts} attempts") print(f"\nBinary search is {linear_attempts - binary_attempts} attempts faster!") print(f"Efficiency gained: {((linear_attempts - binary_attempts) / linear_attempts * 100):.1f}%") ``` ::: {.solution-box} **🔑 Solution Explained**: For a number between 1-100: **Linear Search (Guessing 1, 2, 3...):** - Worst case: 100 attempts - Average case: 50 attempts - If number is 87: exactly 87 attempts **Binary Search (Dividing in half):** - Attempts: ~log₂(100) ≈ 7 attempts maximum! - Works by eliminating half the possibilities each time **Example for secret = 87**: 1. Guess 50 → Too low, search [51-100] 2. Guess 75 → Too low, search [76-100] 3. Guess 87 → FOUND! (or search [88-100] if too high) **Maximum attempts**: With binary search, you can find any number 1-100 in at most 7 guesses! **The Math**: Each guess halves the search space: - 100 → 50 → 25 → 12 → 6 → 3 → 1 - That's roughly log₂(100) ≈ 6.64 ≈ 7 guesses **Lesson**: Smart algorithms make a HUGE difference! ::: ## 🎯 Key Takeaways ::: {.quest-complete} ### ✨ Quest 10 Complete! ✨ You've learned: ✅ Games combine variables, loops, conditionals, and functions ✅ Game loops run until a win/lose condition is met ✅ Good games provide clear feedback to players ✅ Binary search is much faster than linear search ✅ Track statistics to make games more engaging ✅ Start simple and add features gradually **Next Quest**: Ready for mind-bending recursion? Try [Quest 11: Recursion](11-recursion.qmd)! ::: ## 🚀 Try This at Home! Create variations of the game: **Rock, Paper, Scissors:** ```python import random choices = ["rock", "paper", "scissors"] computer = random.choice(choices) player = "rock" # or get from input print(f"You: {player}, Computer: {computer}") if player == computer: print("Tie!") elif (player == "rock" and computer == "scissors") or \ (player == "paper" and computer == "rock") or \ (player == "scissors" and computer == "paper"): print("You win!") else: print("Computer wins!") ``` **Basic Math Quiz Game:** ```python import random score = 0 for i in range(5): a = random.randint(1, 10) b = random.randint(1, 10) answer = a + b print(f"Question {i+1}: {a} + {b} = ?") # guess = int(input("Your answer: ")) guess = answer # Simulate correct answer if guess == answer: print("✅ Correct!") score += 1 else: print(f"❌ Wrong! Answer was {answer}") print(f"\nFinal score: {score}/5") ``` --- ::: {.tip-box} **📱 You're a Game Developer Now!** Keep building and experimenting! 🎮 :::