Create a Tic-Tac-Toe Python Game Engine With an AI Player (Overview)

Darren Jones
Create a Tic-Tac-Toe Python Game Engine With an AI Player Darren Jones 02:20
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A timeless childhood game is tic-tac-toe, also known as naughts and crosses. It’s a simple and enjoyable game, and coding a Python version of it can be a fun project. But why stop at a regular tic-tac-toe game? Adding artificial intelligence (AI) using Python can take this classic favorite to a whole new level of excitement.

In this video course, you’ll create a flexible game engine that will not only allow you to play tic-tac-toe but also include an unbeatable computer player that utilizes the powerful minimax algorithm.

During this video course, you’ll learn how to:

  • Develop a reusable Python library for the tic-tac-toe game engine
  • Build a Pythonic code style that models the tic-tac-toe domain
  • Implement different artificial players, including one that uses the unbeatable minimax algorithm
  • Create a text-based console front end for the game, allowing human players to participate
  • Discover effective strategies for optimizing performance

Throughout the course, you’ll explore important concepts such as designing immutable classes, implementing a generic plug-in architecture, and applying modern Python coding practices and patterns.

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Sample Code (.zip)

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Course Slides (.pdf)

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00:00 Create a Tic-Tac-Toe Python Game Engine With an AI Player.

00:05 When you were young, you may have learned to play tic-tac-toe, known by some as naughts and crosses. The game remains fun and challenging until you get a bit older.

00:14 Then you learn to program and discover the joy of coding a virtual version of this two-player game. As an adult, you may still appreciate the simplicity of the game by using Python to create an opponent with artificial intelligence.

00:28 In this course, you’ll build an extensible game engine with an unbeatable computer player that uses the minimax algorithm to play tic-tac-toe. Along the way, you’ll dive into immutable class design, generic plug-in architecture, and modern Python code practices and patterns.

00:46 In this course, you’ll learn how to create a reusable Python library with the tic-tac-toe game engine, model the domain of tic-tac-toe following Python code style, implement artificial players including one based on the minimax algorithm, and build a text-based console front end for the game with a human player.

01:07 This is an advanced course touching on a wide range of Python concepts that you should be comfortable with in order to complete the course smoothly. Remember that Real Python has tutorials and courses on all of these subjects if you feel there are any areas that you need to work on.

01:21 But one of the best ways to learn something is to throw yourself into it and learn as you go. You can always dive deeper into them after this course if you feel you want to know more on any of these areas,

01:33 the project that you are going to build relies solely on Python’s standard library and has no external dependencies. It was recorded using Python 3.12, but you’ll need at least Python 3.11 or later to take advantage of the latest syntax and features that are leveraged in this course.

01:51 Lastly, you should know the rules of the game that you’ll be implementing. The classic tic-tac-toe is played on a three-by-three grid of cells or squares, where each player places their mark, an X or an O, in an empty cell. The first player to place three of their marks in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins the game.

02:11 So now that you know what you need and what you’ll be building, let’s get started by taking a look at the finished game in action.

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