8-Puzzle Game

Overview

This is an implementation of the 8-puzzle game written in Python using the tkinter library for the graphical user interface. The objective of the game is to arrange the tiles in a specific order by sliding them into the empty space. The game starts by displaying the correct order of tiles, and then the player shuffles the puzzle and begins solving it.

How to Play

1. Start the Game: Run the application, and the initial state of the puzzle will be shown, displaying the target configuration that the player must achieve.
2. Shuffle the Puzzle: Press the "Shuffle" button to randomize the tiles' positions. Once shuffled, the player can begin solving the puzzle.
3. Move the Tiles: Click on any valid adjacent tile (next to the empty space) to slide it into the empty space. Only tiles adjacent to the empty space can be moved.
4. Invalid Moves: If you attempt to click on a tile that cannot be moved (i.e., not adjacent to the empty space), a message box will appear saying "You pressed an invalid button."
5. Win Condition: When the puzzle is successfully solved, a message box will pop up congratulating you with the message "You win!".
6. Executable Version: There is also a precompiled .exe file of the game included in the exe-(Easy) folder. This is an easy version of the game that becomes harder after the second shuffle.

What is the 8-Puzzle Game?

The 8-puzzle game consists of a 3x3 grid with eight numbered tiles and one empty space. The goal is to move the tiles by sliding them into the empty space to achieve a specific target configuration, typically arranging the numbers in ascending order from 1 to 8, with the empty space in the bottom-right corner.

Rules of the Game:

• Only tiles adjacent to the empty space can be moved.
• The player can shuffle the puzzle to randomize the tiles at the beginning of the game.
• The puzzle is considered solved when the tiles are arranged in the target configuration.

The game is a well-known challenge in artificial intelligence and algorithm development because of its combinatorial nature, requiring logical thinking and sometimes the use of heuristic algorithms to solve more complex versions.

Installation and Execution

Requirements

To run the Python version of the game, you will need:

• Python 3.x
• tkinter library (usually comes pre-installed with Python)

Running the Game

1. Clone or download this repository to your local machine.

git clone <repository_url>

2. Navigate to the directory containing the game files.

cd 8-puzzle-game

3. Run the game with the following command:

python main.py

Alternatively, if you want to play the compiled .exe version:

1. Navigate to the exe-(Easy) folder.
2. Run the .exe file directly by double-clicking it.

Note: The first shuffle in the .exe version is easy, but next ones are difficult.

Enjoy the Game!

We hope you enjoy solving the 8-puzzle! Whether you're playing the easy or hard version, this classic puzzle game offers a satisfying challenge for players of all levels.