Mastermind - Python

Introduction

Mastermind is a classic board game that tests the player's logical reasoning and code-breaking abilities. The game consists of two players - the code maker and the codebreaker. The code maker creates a secret code and the codebreaker must guess the code within a limited number of attempts.

In this project, we will be creating a console-based version of the Mastermind game using Python. This will be a great opportunity to apply Python programming concepts such as loops, functions, and data structures.

Game Rules

1. The code maker creates a secret code consisting of four colors (chosen from a palette of six colors).
2. The codebreaker has a limited number of attempts to guess the code.
3. After each guess, the code maker provides feedback in the form of black and white pegs:

• For each correct color in the correct position, a black peg is awarded.
• For each correct color in the wrong position, a white peg is awarded.

4. The codebreaker wins if they correctly guess the code within the allotted number of attempts.

Implementation

The game will be implemented using Python 3. The following steps will be involved:

1. Create a palette of six colors.
2. Write a function to generate a secret code consisting of four colors.
3. Ask the user to input four colors for their guess.
4. Write a function to compare the user's guess with the secret code and provide feedback in the form of black and white pegs.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the user either guesses the code or runs out of attempts.
6. Print a message indicating if the user has won or lost.

Here's a sample code snippet for the main game loop:

secret_code = generate_code()
attempts = 10
while attempts > 0:
    user_guess = get_user_guess()
    black_pegs, white_pegs = get_feedback(user_guess, secret_code)
    print(f"Result: {black_pegs} black peg(s), {white_pegs} white peg(s)")
    if black_pegs == 4:
        print("Congratulations! You have cracked the code!")
        break
    attempts -= 1

Conclusion

With this project, we have learned how to create a console-based game using Python. We have applied some of the key concepts of Python programming such as functions, data structures, and loops. This project can be further expanded by adding features such as a scoring system, a graphical user interface, and an AI opponent.