Beginner Python – Using Basic Functions

In this tutorial, we will be creating a Tic Tac Toe game using Python and basic functions. This tutorial is perfect for beginners who are just starting to learn Python and want to practice using functions.

Step 1: Setting Up the Game

First, let’s create a 3×3 grid to represent the Tic Tac Toe game. We can use a list of lists to represent the grid:

    grid = [
        [' ', ' ', ' '],
        [' ', ' ', ' '],
        [' ', ' ', ' ']
    ]
    

Step 2: Displaying the Game Board

We can create a function to display the game board using nested loops:

    def display_board():
        for row in grid:
            print('|'.join(row))
            print('-' * 5)
    

Step 3: Taking User Input

Next, we can create a function to take user input for placing their X or O on the game board:

    def get_user_input(player):
        row = int(input(f'Player {player}, enter row number (0-2): '))
        col = int(input(f'Player {player}, enter column number (0-2): '))
        return row, col
    

Step 4: Checking for a Winner

We can create a function to check for a winner after each move. This function will check for three in a row vertically, horizontally, and diagonally:

    def check_winner():
        # Check rows
        for row in grid:
            if row[0] == row[1] == row[2] and row[0] != ' ':
                return True
        # Check columns
        for i in range(3):
            if grid[0][i] == grid[1][i] == grid[2][i] and grid[0][i] != ' ':
                return True
        # Check diagonals
        if grid[0][0] == grid[1][1] == grid[2][2] and grid[0][0] != ' ':
            return True
        if grid[0][2] == grid[1][1] == grid[2][0] and grid[0][2] != ' ':
            return True
        return False
    

Step 5: Putting it All Together

Now, we can create a main function to put all the pieces together and play the game:

    def play_game():
        display_board()
        player = 'X'
        while True:
            row, col = get_user_input(player)
            grid[row][col] = player
            display_board()
            if check_winner():
                print(f'Player {player} wins!')
                break
            if ' ' not in [cell for row in grid for cell in row]:
                print('It's a tie!')
                break
            player = 'O' if player == 'X' else 'X'
    

That’s it! You have now created a Tic Tac Toe game using Python and basic functions. Have fun playing and experimenting with the game!