โโญ Introduction: A Classic Game in Code
Tic Tac Toe is one of those projects that almost every programmer builds at least once โ and for good reason.
Despite its simplicity, the game requires clear logic, rules, and state tracking, making it an excellent way to practice core programming concepts in a fun and familiar context.
This notebook implements a playable Tic Tac Toe game using Python.
๐ฏ Purpose: Practising Logic and Flow
The goal of this notebook is to help learners understand how to:
- Represent a game board in code
- Track player turns
- Validate user input
- Check win and draw conditions
- Control the flow of a game from start to finish
Itโs less about fancy features, and more about thinking clearly.
๐ง How It Works: Game Loop Thinking
At a high level, the game follows this flow:
- Initialise an empty game board
- Display the board to the players
- Alternate turns between players
- Update the board after each move
- Check for a winner or a draw
- End the game when a condition is met
This introduces the idea of a game loop, a pattern used widely in interactive programs.
๐งฉ The Technical Part: Board, Turns, and Rules
A simplified example of the board representation might look like this:
board = [" ", " ", " ",
" ", " ", " ",
" ", " ", " "]
And a basic win check:
def check_winner(board):
win_conditions = [
(0,1,2), (3,4,5), (6,7,8),
(0,3,6), (1,4,7), (2,5,8),
(0,4,8), (2,4,6)
]
for a, b, c in win_conditions:
if board[a] == board[b] == board[c] != " ":
return True
return False
๐ What This Demonstrates
- ๐ฏ Clear rule definition
- ๐ Repeated checks inside a loop
- ๐ง State stored and updated over time
- ๐ก Validation to prevent invalid moves
These patterns show up in many real-world applications.
๐ก Key Takeaways: Why This Project Matters
This notebook reinforces several important skills:
- ๐ง Translating rules into logic
- ๐ Managing state changes
- ๐งฑ Breaking problems into smaller functions
- ๐ฎ Designing interactive programs
Many developers remember this as the project where things โclickedโ.
๐ Conclusion: Small Game, Big Learning
The Tic Tac Toe notebook is more than just a game:
Itโs an exercise in clarity, structure, and logical thinking.
With this project complete, learners are well prepared to explore:
- Larger game logic
- Menu-driven programs
- AI opponents
- Object-oriented refactors
Every complex system starts with simple rules โ just like Tic Tac Toe.
๐ Link to Notebook
Notebook link: Coming Soon