Tic-Tac-Toe Game in Python - Unbeatable Minimax AI

NeuralNine
18 Apr 202442:36

TLDRIn this video, the creator guides viewers through building an unbeatable Tic-Tac-Toe game using Python and the Pygame library. The game features a Minimax AI algorithm, ensuring the computer always plays optimally. The tutorial covers installing necessary packages, initializing the game board, defining constants for geometry and colors, and implementing game logic. Viewers will learn to work with Pygame and understand the Minimax algorithm, making it an informative watch for both beginners and intermediate programmers.

Takeaways

  • 🎮 The video demonstrates how to create a Tic-Tac-Toe game in Python using Pygame.
  • 🤖 An unbeatable AI is implemented using the Minimax algorithm, ensuring the computer cannot lose if it plays optimally.
  • 🛠️ Prerequisites include installing Pygame and Numpy, which are essential Python packages for the game's functionality.
  • 🎨 The game features a 3x3 grid, with players moving in turns, and visual elements like colors and line widths are customizable.
  • 🔵 The player is represented by 'O' and the AI by 'X', alternating turns on the game board.
  • 🔲 The game board is managed as a 2D Numpy array, with zeros indicating empty cells, ones for player moves, and twos for AI moves.
  • 🎯 Key functions include 'draw_lines', 'draw_figures', 'mark_square', and 'check_win', which handle the game's logic and rendering.
  • 🔄 The Minimax function recursively evaluates the board state to determine the best move for the AI, considering all possible outcomes.
  • 🔁 The game loop continuously checks for player input, AI moves, and game-ending conditions like win, loss, or draw.
  • 🔄 The 'best_move' function utilizes Minimax to select the optimal move for the AI, considering future player responses.
  • 🔄 The game can be reset with a restart function, allowing for multiple playthroughs.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is building a Tic-Tac-Toe game in Python with an unbeatable AI using the Minimax algorithm.

  • Which library does the video use to create the game?

    -The video uses Pygame library to create the Tic-Tac-Toe game.

  • Why is the AI in the Tic-Tac-Toe game unbeatable?

    -The AI is unbeatable because it uses the Minimax algorithm, which plays perfectly according to the rules of Tic-Tac-Toe, ensuring it either wins or ties.

  • What is the purpose of the 'availableSquare' function in the script?

    -The 'availableSquare' function checks if a particular square on the Tic-Tac-Toe board is empty, indicating it is available for a player to make a move.

  • How does the 'checkWin' function determine if a player has won the game?

    -The 'checkWin' function evaluates the board to see if there are three identical marks (either 'X' or 'O') in a row, column, or diagonal, which would indicate a win.

  • What is the significance of the 'isBoardFull' function?

    -The 'isBoardFull' function checks if all squares on the board have been filled, which would result in a tie if no player has won.

  • How does the 'drawFigures' function contribute to the game?

    -The 'drawFigures' function is responsible for rendering the player's marks ('X' or 'O') on the board based on the game's current state.

  • What is the role of the 'Minimax' function in the AI's decision-making process?

    -The 'Minimax' function is central to the AI's decision-making process as it recursively evaluates all possible moves and their outcomes to choose the optimal move.

  • Why is the 'bestMove' function important in the AI's strategy?

    -The 'bestMove' function is important because it uses the Minimax algorithm to determine the most advantageous move for the AI, considering all possible game outcomes.

  • How does the video script handle the game's main loop?

    -The main loop of the game handles user inputs, checks for wins or ties, alternates turns between the player and AI, and updates the game state continuously until the game ends.

  • What is the role of the 'restartGame' function in the script?

    -The 'restartGame' function resets the game board and variables to their initial state, allowing players to start a new game after the current one has ended.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Introduction to Building a Tic Tac Toe Game with AI

The video begins with an introduction to creating a Tic Tac Toe game featuring an unbeatable AI using Pygame in Python. The presenter outlines the final result, which is a simple 3x3 grid game where the player and computer take turns marking their symbols. The AI is unbeatable because it plays optimally, ensuring a tie at worst. The video is aimed at both beginners and intermediate programmers, teaching them to work with Pygame and implement the Minimax AI algorithm. Before starting the coding, the presenter instructs viewers to install Pygame and NumPy, and to import necessary Python modules.

05:01

🖥️ Setting Up the Game Environment and Constants

The presenter proceeds to set up the game environment by initializing Pygame and defining constants for the game's geometry, such as window size, line width, and colors for different game outcomes. These constants include RGB values for white, gray, red, green, and black, which will be used for the background, tie indication, win/loss indication, and default color. The presenter also sets up the window size and initializes a board using a NumPy array, explaining the significance of each constant and how they will be used throughout the code.

10:03

📐 Drawing the Game Board and Figures

The video then delves into the creation of functions for drawing the game's board and figures. The 'draw lines' function is responsible for drawing the grid lines, which can change color depending on the game's outcome. Another function, 'draw figures', checks the board's state and marks the player's and AI's moves with circles and crosses, respectively. The presenter explains the logic behind drawing these figures, including calculating the center of each square for accurate placement.

15:04

🔄 Functions for Game Logic and Board State

The presenter continues by defining functions that handle the game logic and board state. These include functions to mark a square, check if a square is available, and determine if the board is full. Additionally, a function to check for a win condition is explained, which looks for three identical marks in a row, column, or diagonal. The video emphasizes the importance of these functions for the game's core mechanics and AI decision-making.

20:07

🤖 Implementing the Minimax AI Algorithm

The core of the AI is introduced with the Minimax algorithm, which is used to determine the AI's optimal move. The presenter explains the algorithm's recursive nature and its role in evaluating board positions and predicting outcomes. The Minimax function is detailed, including base cases for win, loss, and tie scenarios. The video aims to provide a practical implementation of the algorithm, even for those who may not fully grasp its theoretical aspects.

25:09

🏁 Base Cases and Recursive Calls in Minimax

The presenter elaborates on the base cases of the Minimax algorithm, which include conditions for win, loss, and tie. The video explains how the algorithm uses these base cases to stop recursion and return a score. The recursive calls are further discussed, highlighting how the AI simulates different moves and countermoves to evaluate the best course of action. The explanation aims to clarify the back-and-forth nature of the Minimax algorithm and its role in the AI's decision process.

30:11

🔄 Selecting the Best Move and Restarting the Game

The video moves on to defining a function that uses the Minimax algorithm to determine the AI's best move. The 'best move' function evaluates possible moves and selects the one with the highest score. Additionally, a 'restart game' function is introduced to reset the game board and conditions for a new game. The presenter ensures that all components are in place for the game loop, which will handle the game's flow and interactions.

35:13

🕹️ Main Game Loop and Event Handling

The presenter outlines the main game loop, which includes event handling for mouse clicks and keyboard inputs. The loop manages the game's state, alternating between player and AI turns, and checks for win conditions after each move. The video demonstrates how the game responds to user inputs, such as clicking on the board to place a mark or pressing a key to reset the game. The loop also handles drawing the game's current state and updating the screen.

40:15

🛠️ Debugging and Final Thoughts

The video concludes with a debugging session where the presenter identifies and fixes issues in the code. They ensure that the game logic works correctly, the AI's moves are displayed, and the game can be reset. The presenter reflects on the implementation of the Tic Tac Toe game with an unbeatable AI, encouraging viewers to learn from the process and experiment with the code. The video ends with a call to action for viewers to like, comment, and subscribe for more content.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic-Tac-Toe, also known as Noughts and Crosses, is a classic paper-and-pencil game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3x3 grid. The objective of the game is to be the first to place three of their marks in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row. In the context of the video, the Tic-Tac-Toe game is implemented in Python using the Pygame library, where the AI player is designed to be unbeatable by employing the Minimax algorithm.

💡Unbeatable AI

The term 'Unbeatable AI' refers to an artificial intelligence designed to play games so perfectly that it cannot be defeated under normal circumstances. In the video, the AI for Tic-Tac-Toe is unbeatable because it uses the Minimax algorithm to consider all possible moves and counter-moves, ensuring it always makes the best decision. This is demonstrated when the AI, represented by 'X', plays perfectly and either wins or draws, but never loses.

💡Pygame

Pygame is a set of Python modules designed for writing video games. It includes computer graphics and sound libraries designed to be used with the Python programming language. In the video, Pygame is used to create the visual interface for the Tic-Tac-Toe game, handling tasks such as drawing the game board, responding to player inputs, and rendering the game pieces.

💡Minimax Algorithm

The Minimax algorithm is a recursive algorithm used in decision-making and game theory, especially in two-player games with perfect information. It involves evaluating the optimal move for a player by considering all possible moves and counter-moves, assigning a score to each possible game state, and choosing the move that maximizes the minimum potential outcome. In the video, the Minimax algorithm is central to making the AI unbeatable in Tic-Tac-Toe.

💡RGB values

RGB values are used in digital imaging to represent colors through a combination of the three primary colors: red, green, and blue. Each color is represented by an integer value ranging from 0 to 255. In the video, RGB values are used to define the colors for the game's interface, such as white (255, 255, 255), gray (180, 180, 180), and black (0, 0, 0), which are essential for creating the game's aesthetic.

💡Constants

In programming, constants are values that do not change throughout the execution of a program. They are used to make the code more readable and maintainable. In the video, constants are defined for various aspects of the game, such as the size of the game window, the dimensions of the Tic-Tac-Toe grid, and the colors used for different game states, which provide a consistent framework for the game's logic.

💡Board Representation

Board representation in the context of the video refers to how the Tic-Tac-Toe game board is structured in the code. It is typically a 2D array or a matrix where each cell can hold a value representing an empty space, an 'X', or an 'O'. The video uses a 3x3 numpy array to represent the board, with zeros indicating empty cells, ones for the player's marks, and twos for the AI's marks.

💡Event Loop

An event loop is a programming construct that waits for and dispatches events or messages in a program. In the video, the main event loop is crucial for the game's interactivity, as it listens for user inputs such as mouse clicks and keyboard presses, allowing the game to respond to player actions and update the game state accordingly.

💡Recursion

Recursion in programming is a method where a function calls itself directly or indirectly to solve smaller instances of the same problem. In the video, recursion is fundamental to the Minimax algorithm's operation, as it simulates all possible game outcomes by making a move, then recursively evaluating the resulting board positions until a terminal state (win, lose, or draw) is reached.

💡Terminal State

In game theory and decision-making algorithms, a terminal state is a state in a game tree that has no further moves. It represents the end of a game scenario. In the video, terminal states are used in the Minimax algorithm to determine the base cases for the recursive function, such as when the game is won, lost, or results in a tie.

Highlights

Introduction to building a Tic-Tac-Toe game with an unbeatable AI using Pygame in Python.

Final result preview: a simple 3x3 grid Tic-Tac-Toe game where the AI plays perfectly.

Explanation of the unbeatable nature of Tic-Tac-Toe when played perfectly.

Instructions to install Pygame and Numpy packages required for the project.

Importing necessary Python modules and initializing Pygame.

Defining constants for game geometry, sizes, colors, and proportions.

Creating a screen object and setting up the game window.

Initializing the game board as a 3x3 numpy array.

Function to draw the grid lines of the Tic-Tac-Toe board.

Function to draw player figures (circles and crosses) on the board.

Function to mark a square on the board for a specific player.

Function to check if a square on the board is available for play.

Function to determine if the board is full and no further moves are possible.

Function to check for a win on the board for a specific player.

Introduction to the Minimax algorithm used for the AI's decision-making process.

Detailed explanation of the Minimax function and its role in the AI strategy.

Base cases for the Minimax function: win, lose, or tie.

Recursive nature of the Minimax function to simulate all possible game outcomes.

Function to determine the best move for the AI using the Minimax algorithm.

Main game loop for handling player and AI moves, and checking game status.

Event handling in the game loop for mouse clicks and keyboard inputs.

Function to restart the game and reset the board and game state.

Conclusion and invitation for feedback on the video content and tutorial.