Coup by @kiorq

Setup

• Set up the Python environment (Python v3) (I like to use python3 -m venv .env).
• Install requirements: pip install -r requirements.txt
• Run flask --app web run --debug
• Visit http://127.0.0.1:5000 to view.

How to Play

First, you need to know how to play coup.

Layout

The UI's layout is organized into four invisible rows:

1. Other Players
2. Player 1
3. Status and Action Bar
4. Treasury and Court Dock

Other Players

• The first row represents the other three players in the game (players 2-4). You can observe their coin count and facedown cards. Once revealed (lost influence), their color and name will be exposed.

• A player labeled "😵 EXILED" has all their cards revealed and will no longer participate in the game.

• When it's a player's turn, the label "🤖 PLAYING" will appear beneath them.

Player 1 (You)

• Below the other players is your section, labeled "Player 1 (You)." You'll see the coins you have left and your two cards. These cards are always visible to you, and once revealed (lost influence), their opacity will change making them more transparent.

Status and Action Bar

• Below Player 1 is the status and action bar.

• The status updates you on what is happening in the game, including the start of a turn, performed actions, challenges, blocks, and the end of a turn or the winner.

• Under the status, buttons appear for the actions you can perform. Actions with the ✔️ emoji signify actions without bluffing, while those with the ⚠️ emoji involve bluffing. You only see actions that you can successfully perform (e.g: you have enough coins for the penalty, or there are users with enough coins to steal)

• When challenged or blocked, you'll have options to respond accordingly.

• During other player's turn, you'll see the button 🤖 Automate Next Move, this is like a next button for the player's next move, each action is random.

Treasury and Court Dock

• This section displays the remaining coins in the treasury and the number of cards in the court dock.

Errors

As much bugs and saftey checks were added as possible to prevent errors, however if any errors, you'll see an error message at the top of the screen with a button that will reset the game if tapped

Design and Architecture

Technology Stack:

• Backend: Flask & Tinydb
• Frontend: HTML, Python (very little js written, tailwindcss cdn included)

State Management:

• The game operates as a state machine, with each move represented in the game state.
• The state is stored and retrieved in JSON format. (see serializer.py)

Interaction Flow:

1. User taps on an action button in the Action Bar on the frontend.
2. Frontend sends a POST request to the backend.
3. Backend updates the state based on the specific action.
4. Frontend reloads with the updated state, reflecting visual changes.

State Observation:

• Visit [GET] /api/current_state to observe the current game state in JSON format at any given time.
• The frontend dynamically adapts based on this data (web/services/ui_state.py helper functions make this easier).

Randomized Player Moves:

• Other player moves are randomized, providing an unpredictable gaming experience.
• The state machine facilitates step-by-step observation of action and challenge resolutions.

Zero JavaScript Requirement:

• The design emphasizes simplicity, requiring zero JavaScript.
• Python and HTML collaboratively deliver an engaging gaming experience.

Inspiration:

• Inspired by the classic Pokémon Crater game.

Directory Structure:

• game directory houses core game logic.
• web directory implements a Model-View-Controller (MVC) Flask setup, and interaction with game logic.

Things that are missing

A few things are missing from this design to keep it simple

• The ability to exchange
• The ability to respond to a challenge if you blocked another player's action 🤞
• The ability to choose a target for an action