BBP Activity 6: Rock Paper Scissors Game

:video_game: Activity Time!

Time needed: 45-60 minutes
What you'll create: An interactive Rock Paper Scissors game where you battle against a computer opponent!

Activity Instruction:

In this activity, you will recreate the classic Rock Paper Scissors game in Python. Players will play against a fair computer robot with only 1 round of game. You'll learn to use lists, random selection, and conditional statements to create an interactive game.

Before You Start:

:white_check_mark: Make sure you have completed the lesson on Python Random Module
:white_check_mark: You understand how lists work (storing multiple items)
:white_check_mark: You know how to use if-elif-else blocks
:white_check_mark: Have your EduBlocks account ready to login

Setup Instructions

1. Open EduBlocks: Go to https://app.edublocks.org/login and login with your Google account
2. Start a new project: Click on the "Editor" icon
3. Configure your project:
   • Select the Python 3 mode
   • Give your project the filename: Rock Paper Scissors
   • Click "Start Coding" button
   • Click "Save" at the top-right corner

:bulb: :bulb: Pro tip: Save your work every 5-10 minutes! Use Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac) for quick saves.

Note: To resume a project later, click on the "Projects" icon instead of "Editor".

Steps to Complete Your Rock Paper Scissors Game

Step One: Basic Game Setup (10 minutes)

Let's start building! We'll use index numbers (0, 1, 2) to represent our three choices. This makes it easier for players to pick their move!

1. Drag the import block from the Random category
   • Find: import random
   • Drop it at the very top of your workspace
2. Create your options list
   • Drag: create list block from Lists category
   • Name it: options
   • Add three items: "rock", "paper", "scissors"
3. Display game instructions
   • Drag a print block
   • Type: "Welcome to Rock Paper Scissors!"
   • Add another print block
   • Type: "Enter 0 for rock, 1 for paper, 2 for scissors"tip :dart: Why use numbers? Using 0, 1, 2 is easier to type than spelling out "rock", "paper", or "scissors". This is how real programmers make things user-friendly!

Step 2: Player Choice Implementation (10 minutes)

Time to get the player's choice! We'll convert their number into the actual word (rock, paper, or scissors).

1. Get player input

   • Drag an input block
   • Type the prompt: "Pick your choice: "
   • Wrap it with an int() block to convert to number

2. Create player variable

   • Drag: create variable block
   • Name it: player
   • Set it to: get list item block
   • Connect your options list
   • Use the input number as the index

:bulb: :warning: Common mistake: Forgetting to convert input to integer! The input block gives us text, but list indexes need numbers.

Step 3: Computer Robot Choice (5 minutes)

Let's make the computer pick randomly - this is where the fun begins!

1. Create robot variable
   • Drag: create variable block
   • Name it: robot
2. Make it random
   • From Random category, drag: random.choice()
   • Put your options list inside the parentheses
   • Connect this to your robot variable

Step 4: Display Choices (5 minutes)

Show what each player chose - this builds suspense!

1. Print player's choice
   • Drag: print block
   • Type: "You chose: "
   • Add another print block with the player variable
2. Print robot's choice
   • Drag: print block
   • Type: "Robot chose: "
   • Add another print block with the robot variable

Step 5: Winning Conditions Logic (15 minutes)

Now for the exciting part - determining who wins! Remember the rules:

• Rock beats Scissors

• Paper beats Rock

• Scissors beats Paper

1. Start with the if block
   • Drag an if block from Control category
   • Check if: player == robot
   • Inside, add print block: "It's a draw!"
2. Add winning conditions using elif
   • Click the :emoji:️ gear on your if block
   • Add 3 elif sections
3. Set up each winning condition:
   • First elif: player == "rock" and robot == "scissors"
     • Print: "You win! Rock crushes scissors!"
   • Second elif: player == "paper" and robot == "rock"
     • Print: "You win! Paper covers rock!"
   • Third elif: player == "scissors" and robot == "paper"
     • Print: "You win! Scissors cut paper!"
4. Add the else block
   • In the else section, print: "Robot wins!"tip :emoji: Logic tip: We only need to check the 3 ways the player can win. If it's not a draw and the player didn't win, then the robot must have won!

Step 6: Testing Your Game (5 minutes)

Before moving on, let's test what you've built!

1. Click the "Run" button
2. Try these test cases:
   • Enter 0 (rock) - see what happens
   • Enter 1 (paper) - play a few rounds
   • Enter 2 (scissors) - check all outcomes

:bulb: Tip

:bug: Debugging tip: If your game crashes when you enter 3 or higher, that's normal! We'll fix this in the advanced challenge.

:trophy: Challenge Yourself!

Advanced Challenge - Input Validation (15 minutes)

Right now, if someone enters 3, 4, or -1, the program crashes! Let's make it bulletproof.

1. Wrap your player choice in validation

   • After getting the input number, add an if block
   • Check: if choice >= 0 and choice <= 2

2. Handle valid input

   • Inside the if block, put all your existing game code
   • This includes getting the player choice, robot choice, and winner logic

3. Handle invalid input

   • In the else block, print: "Your input number is invalid! Please enter 0, 1, or 2"
   • The game will end gracefully instead of crashing

Real Python Connection: In actual Python programming, this is called "input validation" - checking user input before using it prevents crashes and makes programs more professional!

Troubleshooting Tips

"My program shows an error when I run it!"

• Check that import random is at the very top
• Make sure your list has exactly 3 items: "rock", "paper", "scissors"
• Verify you're using int() around your input

"The robot always wins/loses!"

• Double-check your if-elif conditions
• Make sure you're using and between conditions (not or)
• Remember: player == "rock" (with quotes!)

"Nothing happens when I enter my choice!"

• Check that your variable names match (player, robot, options)
• Ensure your if-elif-else blocks are properly connected

Required Elements Checklist

Before submitting, make sure you have: :white_check_mark: Random module imported at the top
:white_check_mark: Options list with rock, paper, scissors
:white_check_mark: Player input converted to integer
:white_check_mark: Robot using random.choice()
:white_check_mark: Both choices displayed clearly
:white_check_mark: All winning conditions checked
:white_check_mark: Draw condition handled
:white_check_mark: (Advanced) Input validation for numbers outside 0-2

Project Submission

Great job creating your Rock Paper Scissors game! :tada:

When you're ready to submit:

1. Test your game one more time with different inputs
2. Save your project in EduBlocks
3. Submit your work:
   • Submit Your Project Here

Note: You need to submit 2 project links:

• Link 1: Your basic Rock Paper Scissors game
• Link 2: Your advanced version with input validation

Remember, making mistakes is part of learning - every programmer has made these same errors before becoming experts!