Tutorials

How to Make Python Checkers Game? [Full Source Code]

In this tutorial, you will learn how to make Python Checkers Game. You will get the complete Python checkers game source code so that you can try it yourself.

Basically, checkers is a strategy-based board game that people love to play with their friends and family in their free time.

Today, I will use Python 3 and the PyGame library to build this Python Checkers Game. I hope it will also improve your Python game development experience.

Python Checkers Game Source Code

Install PyGame

pip install pygame

code.py

import pygame
import math
import random

# Define some colors
BLACK    = (   0,   0,   0)
WHITE    = ( 255, 255, 255)
GREEN    = (   0, 255,   0)
RED      = ( 255,   0,   0)
BLUE     = (   0,   0, 255)
YELLOW   = ( 255, 255,   0)
TRANS    = (   1,   2,   3)

# CONSTANTS:
WIDTH = 700
HEIGHT = 700
MARK_SIZE = 50

class Game:
    """class to keep track of the status of the game."""
    def __init__(self):
        """
        Start a new game with an empty board and random player going first.
        """
        self.status = 'playing'
        self.turn = random.randrange(2)
        self.players = ['x','o']
        self.selected_token = None
        self.jumping = False
        pygame.display.set_caption("%s's turn" % self.players[self.turn % 2])
        self.game_board = [['x','-','x','-','x','-','x','-'],
                           ['-','x','-','x','-','x','-','x'],
                           ['x','-','x','-','x','-','x','-'],
                           ['-','-','-','-','-','-','-','-'],
                           ['-','-','-','-','-','-','-','-'],
                           ['-','o','-','o','-','o','-','o'],
                           ['o','-','o','-','o','-','o','-'],
                           ['-','o','-','o','-','o','-','o']]

    def evaluate_click(self, mouse_pos):
        """
        Select a token if none is selected.
        Move token to a square if it is a valid move.
        Start a new game if the game is over.
        """
        if self.status == 'playing':
            row, column = get_clicked_row(mouse_pos), get_clicked_column(mouse_pos)
            if self.selected_token:
                move = self.is_valid_move(self.players[self.turn % 2], self.selected_token, row, column)
                if move[0]:
                    self.play(self.players[self.turn % 2], self.selected_token, row, column, move[1])
                elif row == self.selected_token[0] and column == self.selected_token[1]:
                    self.selected_token = None
                    if self.jumping:
                        self.jumping = False
                        self.next_turn()
                else:
                    print 'invalid move'
            else:
                if self.game_board[row][column].lower() == self.players[self.turn % 2]:
                    self.selected_token = [row, column]
        elif self.status == 'game over':
            self.__init__()

    def is_valid_move(self, player, token_location, to_row, to_col):
        """
        Check if clicked location is a valid square for player to move to.
        """
        from_row = token_location[0]
        from_col = token_location[1]
        token_char = self.game_board[from_row][from_col]
        if self.game_board[to_row][to_col] != '-':
            return False, None
        if (((token_char.isupper() and abs(from_row - to_row) == 1) or (player == 'x' and to_row - from_row == 1) or
             (player == 'o' and from_row - to_row == 1)) and abs(from_col - to_col) == 1) and not self.jumping:
            return True, None
        if (((token_char.isupper() and abs(from_row - to_row) == 2) or (player == 'x' and to_row - from_row == 2) or
             (player == 'o' and from_row - to_row == 2)) and abs(from_col - to_col) == 2):
            jump_row = (to_row - from_row) / 2 + from_row
            jump_col = (to_col - from_col) / 2 + from_col
            if self.game_board[jump_row][jump_col].lower() not in [player, '-']:
                return True, [jump_row, jump_col]
        return False, None

    def play(self, player, token_location, to_row, to_col, jump):
        """
        Move selected token to a particular square, then check to see if the game is over.
        """
        from_row = token_location[0]
        from_col = token_location[1]
        token_char = self.game_board[from_row][from_col]
        self.game_board[to_row][to_col] = token_char
        self.game_board[from_row][from_col] = '-'
        if (player == 'x' and to_row == 7) or (player == 'o' and to_row == 0):
            self.game_board[to_row][to_col] = token_char.upper()
        if jump:
            self.game_board[jump[0]][jump[1]] = '-'
            self.selected_token = [to_row, to_col]
            self.jumping = True
        else:
            self.selected_token = None
            self.next_turn()
        winner = self.check_winner()
        if winner is None:
            pygame.display.set_caption("%s's turn" % self.players[self.turn % 2])
        elif winner == 'draw':
            pygame.display.set_caption("It's a stalemate! Click to start again")
            self.status = 'game over'
        else:
            pygame.display.set_caption("%s wins! Click to start again" % winner)
            self.status = 'game over'

    def next_turn(self):
        self.turn += 1
        pygame.display.set_caption("%s's turn" % self.players[self.turn % 2])

    def check_winner(self):
        """
        check to see if someone won, or if it is a draw.
        """
        x = sum([row.count('x') + row.count('X') for row in self.game_board])
        if x == 0:
            return 'o'
        o = sum([row.count('o') + row.count('O') for row in self.game_board])
        if o == 0:
            return 'x'
        if x == 1 and o == 1:
            return 'draw'
        return None

    def draw(self):
        """
        Draw the game board and the X's and O's.
        """
        for i in range(9):
            pygame.draw.line(screen, WHITE, [i * WIDTH / 8, 0], [i * WIDTH / 8, HEIGHT], 5)
            pygame.draw.line(screen, WHITE, [0, i * HEIGHT / 8], [WIDTH, i * HEIGHT / 8], 5)
        font = pygame.font.SysFont('Calibri', MARK_SIZE, False, False)
        for r in range(len(self.game_board)):
            for c in range(len(self.game_board[r])):
                mark = self.game_board[r][c]
                if self.players[self.turn % 2] == mark.lower():
                    color = YELLOW
                else:
                    color = WHITE
                if self.selected_token:
                    if self.selected_token[0] == r and self.selected_token[1] == c:
                        color = RED
                if mark != '-':
                    mark_text = font.render(self.game_board[r][c], True, color)
                    x = WIDTH / 8 * c + WIDTH / 16
                    y = HEIGHT / 8 * r + HEIGHT / 16
                    screen.blit(mark_text, [x - mark_text.get_width() / 2, y - mark_text.get_height() / 2])

# Helper functions:
def get_clicked_column(mouse_pos):
    x = mouse_pos[0]
    for i in range(1, 8):
        if x < i * WIDTH / 8:
            return i - 1
    return 7

def get_clicked_row(mouse_pos):
    y = mouse_pos[1]
    for i in range(1, 8):
        if y < i * HEIGHT / 8:
            return i - 1
    return 7

# start pygame:
pygame.init()
size = (WIDTH, HEIGHT)
screen = pygame.display.set_mode(size)

# start tic-tac-toe game:
game = Game()

# Loop until the user clicks the close button.
done = False
 
# Used to manage how fast the screen updates
clock = pygame.time.Clock()

# game loop:
while not done:
    # --- Main event loop
    for event in pygame.event.get(): # User did something
        if event.type == pygame.QUIT: # If user clicked close
            done = True # Flag that we are done so we exit this loop
        if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN:
            entry = str(event.key)
        if event.type == pygame.MOUSEBUTTONDOWN:
            mouse_x, mouse_y = pygame.mouse.get_pos()
            game.evaluate_click(pygame.mouse.get_pos())

    # --- Drawing code should go here
 
    # First, clear the screen to black. Don't put other drawing commands
    # above this, or they will be erased with this command.
    screen.fill(BLACK)

    # draw the game board and marks:
    game.draw()

    # --- Go ahead and update the screen with what we've drawn.
    pygame.display.flip()
 
    # --- Limit to 60 frames per second
    clock.tick(60)

# Close the window and quit.
# If you forget this line, the program will 'hang'
# on exit if running from IDLE.
pygame.quit()

Python Checkers Game Screenshot

Furqan

Well. I've been working for the past three years as a web designer and developer. I have successfully created websites for small to medium sized companies as part of my freelance career. During that time I've also completed my bachelor's in Information Technology.

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