Playing a simple guessing game with R. It’s called Mastermind game! This game was originally created for two people, but R version will be for single-player mode, when an R developer or R data scientists need a break.

The gameplay is simple and so are the rules. The board contains 10 rows (or more) with possibilities of four colours and code pegs (white or black). R engine stores a secret colour combination and user selects a random combination.

Based on selection, the R engine returns the black or white pegs. Black peg represents that one colour is at the right place, white that the colour matches, but not the position. No pegs would mean that none of selected colours matches the secret colour combination.

Using x11() function, this game becomes so much fun with R. And the outlooks is:

The game code consists of board function, adding colours on the board, checking for the code pegs function and gameplay function.

##########################################
# 
# Mastermind board game for R Language
# 
# Game for single-player R developers/Data scientists for
# killing time, playing game while waiting for the ML
# model to finish training or just to play.
#
# Series:
# Little Useless-useful R functions #31
# Created: January 06, 2022
# Author: Tomaz Kastrun
# Blog: tomaztsql.wordpress.com
# V.1.0

# Changelog: 
###########################################

numberOfColors <- 4
numberOfTries <- 10

get_board <- function(nof_col, nof_try=10){
  plot.new()
  op <- par(bg = "white")
  grid(nx = 6, ny = 12, col = "gray", lty = "dotted",lwd = par("lwd"), equilogs = TRUE)
  
  # adding boarders 
  par(new = TRUE)
  plot(c(100,500), c(100,500), xlab = "", ylab = "", xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n',main = "Mastermind board game")
  nof_tries <- nof_try
  for (i in 1:nof_tries) { #rows
    for (j in 1:nof_col) { #columns
      col <- 50*(1:nof_col-1)
      rect(100+col[j], 500-(i*30), 150+col[j], 475-(i*30), col = 'white')
    }
  }
  colours = c('Red','Green','Blue','Yellow','Brown','Orange')
  for (z in 1:nof_col) {
    rect(100+z*50, 100, 150+z*50, 150, col = colours[z])
  } 
}

add_rect <- function(colour,try,nof_try=10) {
  par(new = TRUE)
  max_tries <- numberOfColors*nof_try #10 rows
  if (try %% numberOfColors == 0) { #number of tries = number of colours
    nof_try <- try/numberOfColors
    add_key_pegs(input_colours,store_secret, nof_try)
  } 
  
  if (try > numberOfColors){
    row <- ceiling((try/numberOfColors))
    rect_order <- abs(try-((row-1)*numberOfColors))
  } else {
    row <- 1
    rect_order <- try
  }
  rect(100+(rect_order*50)-50, 500-(row*30),150+((rect_order*50))-50, 475-(row*30), col = colour)
}


add_key_pegs <- function(input_colours, store_secret,nof_try){
 
  ss <- store_secret
  ic <- input_colours 
  ss1 <- as.vector(strsplit(as.character(ss), "")[[1]])
  ic1 <- as.vector(strsplit(as.character(ic), "")[[1]])
  
  white <- ""
  black <- ""
  for (i in 1:length(ss1)){
    for (j in 1:length(ic1)){
      if (i==j && ss1[i] == ic1[j]) {black <- as.integer(paste( c(black, ic1[j]),collapse=""))}
      if (ss1[i] == ic1[j]) { white <- as.integer(paste( c(white, ic1[j]),collapse="")) }
    }
  }
  
  black1 <- as.vector(strsplit(as.character(black), "")[[1]])
  white1 <- as.vector(strsplit(as.character(white), "")[[1]])
  
  black <- nchar(black)
  white <- length(unique(setdiff(white1, black1)))
  nof_tokes <- black + white
  tok <- replicate(black, "black")
  en <- replicate(white, "gray")
  token <- c(tok, en)
  name1 <- token[1]
  name2 <- token[2]
  name3 <- token[3]
  name4 <- token[4]
  
  if (nof_tokes == 1) {
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,500-(nof_try*30), col = name1, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
  }
  if (nof_tokes == 2) {
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,500-(nof_try*30), col = name1, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,490-(nof_try*30), col = name2, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
  }
  if (nof_tokes == 3) {
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,500-(nof_try*30), col = name1, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,490-(nof_try*30), col = name2, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(470,500-(nof_try*30), col = name3, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
  }
  if (nof_tokes == 4) {
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,500-(nof_try*30), col = name1, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(450,490-(nof_try*30), col = name2, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(470,500-(nof_try*30), col = name3, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
    par(new = TRUE)
    plot(470,490-(nof_try*30), col = name4, lwd = 2, xaxt = 'n', yaxt = 'n', xlab = "",ylab = "",xlim=range(100:500), ylim=range(100:500))
  }
}

get_secret <- function(nof_col, colours_repeat=FALSE) {
  colours <- c(1:4)
  s <- sample(colours,nof_col, replace=colours_repeat) 
  s <- paste(s, collapse="")
  return(as.integer(s))
}


game <- function(numberOfColors=4, numberOfTries=10){
   rm(list = ls())
   x11()
   end_game <- 1
   count <<- 0
   get_board(nof_col = numberOfColors, nof_try = numberOfTries)
   store_secret <<- get_secret(nof_col=numberOfColors, colours_repeat =TRUE)
   input_colours <<- 0L
   #input_colours <- c("Blue", "Yellow","Green","Yellow") #, "Brown", "Green")
   nof_selection <- numberOfColors
   max_tries <- nof_selection*numberOfTries 
 
   while (end_game <= max_tries && store_secret != input_colours) {
     mouse.at <- locator(n = 1, type = "o") 
     x.at <- mouse.at$x
     y.at <- mouse.at$y
     
     
     if (x.at >= 150 & x.at < 200 & y.at >= 100 & y.at <=150) {
       input_colours <<- as.integer(paste( c(input_colours, 1),collapse=""))
       add_rect('Red',end_game) 
     }
     if (x.at >= 200 & x.at < 250 & y.at >= 100 & y.at <=150) {
       input_colours <<- as.integer(paste( c(input_colours, 2),collapse=""))
       add_rect('Green',end_game) 
     }
     if (x.at >= 250 & x.at < 300 & y.at >= 100 & y.at <=150) {
       input_colours <<- as.integer(paste( c(input_colours, 3),collapse=""))
       add_rect('Blue',end_game) 
     }
     if (x.at >= 300 & x.at < 350 & y.at >= 100 & y.at <=150) {
       input_colours <<- as.integer(paste( c(input_colours, 4),collapse=""))
       add_rect('Yellow',end_game) 
     } 

     #end game if needed 
     if (store_secret == input_colours) {
       par(new = TRUE)
       mtext("GAME WON", side=1)
       break
     }

      #end game if needed 
     if (end_game == max_tries) {
       par(new = TRUE)
       mtext("END GAME", side=1)
     }
     
    if (end_game %% numberOfColors == 0)  {
           add_key_pegs(input_colours, store_secret, count)
           input_colours <<- 0L 
           count <<- count + 1
           print(count)
    
      } 
     # increment next level
     end_game = end_game + 1      
   }
    
}
  
######################
### Start The game ###
######################

game()
  

And a simple gameplay:

As always, code is available in at the Github in same Useless_R_function repository and the R file to the game is in the same repository, here. Check Github for future updates.

Happy R-coding and stay healthy!