AI Mini Project

🎮 Build a Game Bot in Python (Tic-Tac-Toe AI)

Let’s build a simple Tic-Tac-Toe game bot using Python logic. This project introduces basic AI with condition-checking and decision-making—perfect for students learning how AI thinks in games.

🧰 What You Need

• Python 3 installed
• No extra libraries required
• Basic knowledge of loops and conditionals

🧠 Game Logic: How It Works

The bot uses simple rules:

• Play in center if available
• Win if possible
• Block opponent if they can win
• Otherwise, play in a random available spot

📝 Step 1: Basic Setup

import random

board = [' ' for _ in range(9)]

def print_board():
    for i in range(3):
        print("|".join(board[i*3:(i+1)*3]))
        if i < 2:
            print("-----")

🎮 Step 2: Player Move

def player_move():
    move = int(input("Enter your move (0-8): "))
    if board[move] == ' ':
        board[move] = 'X'

🤖 Step 3: Bot Move (Basic AI)

def bot_move():
    # Try to win
    for i in range(9):
        if board[i] == ' ':
            board[i] = 'O'
            if check_win('O'):
                return
            board[i] = ' '

    # Block player
    for i in range(9):
        if board[i] == ' ':
            board[i] = 'X'
            if check_win('X'):
                board[i] = 'O'
                return
            board[i] = ' '

    # Take center
    if board[4] == ' ':
        board[4] = 'O'
        return

    # Random move
    empty = [i for i in range(9) if board[i] == ' ']
    if empty:
        board[random.choice(empty)] = 'O'

🏁 Step 4: Win Check

def check_win(player):
    wins = [(0,1,2), (3,4,5), (6,7,8),
            (0,3,6), (1,4,7), (2,5,8),
            (0,4,8), (2,4,6)]
    return any(board[a]==board[b]==board[c]==player for a,b,c in wins)

🚀 Step 5: Game Loop

def play_game():
    print("Welcome to Tic-Tac-Toe!")
    print_board()

    while ' ' in board:
        player_move()
        print_board()
        if check_win('X'):
            print("You win!")
            return
        bot_move()
        print_board()
        if check_win('O'):
            print("Bot wins!")
            return
    print("It's a draw!")

play_game()

🔍 Sample Output

Welcome to Tic-Tac-Toe!
 | | 
-----
 | | 
-----
 | | 
Enter your move (0-8):

🎓 Challenges for Students

• Improve the bot to use minimax algorithm
• Turn it into a GUI with Tkinter or Pygame
• Make it two-player mode
• Save game history to a file

Find all tutorials at DarchumsTech Blog.