marcpaulo15 / mu-torere-game

Python code to play Mū tōrere (two-player board game)

Mu Torere Game

The aim of this project is to develop the Python code to play the Mū tōrere Game. It uses the Pygame module, and allows the players to customize the game. The figure below shows a screenshot of an ongoing game.

Run the /src/main.py and give it a try! :)

Game Rules

Mū tōrere is a two-player board game played mainly by Māori people from New Zealand's North Island. Like many other Māori board games, it is tightly interwoven with stories and histories.

The board is in the form of an eight-pointed star with endpoints, called kewai, connected to the center point, or pūtahi. The lines connecting the kewai to the pūtahi are oriented at 45 degrees. Each player controls four counters which are initially placed on the board at the kewai (eight-pointed star).

At the beginning of the game the pūtahi (center) is empty. Players move one of their counters per turn to an empty point. Players can move only to an adjacent kewai, and can move to the pūtahi only when the moved counter is adjacent to an opponent's counter. The player who blocks all the opponent's counters from moving is the winner.

Code

The code has been organized following the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigm. The logic of the game is split into three classes that can be found in the /src directory. Each class implements a different concept and might use or depend on other classes. Each module has its __main__ function with a short demo on how the module works. Feel free to run each file as many times as you need to fully understand how it is used.

The following figure shows the hierarchy and dependencies between classes. In the next paragraphs, each module will be explained in more detail.

• MuTorereSpace:: implements the logic behind a space in a Mu Torere board. There are 9 spaces in a simple board. Each player has 4 counters that are placed in different spaces, so at any step there is only one empty space.

• MuTorereBoard: implements the logic behind a Mu Torere Board. Allows and manages the movement of counters (MuTorereSpace) along the board.

• GameHandler: implements the logic of a Mu Torere Game. Process each turn and updates the state of the game. Calling the run method will run the game.

• main.py: initialize a GameHandler instance and run the game.

• config:: json file that allows the players to customize their game without having to change anything in the code.

Running The Game

In the /src directory there is a file named main.py. Run this file in order to play the game. Basically, it initializes a GameHandler instance and calls its run method. Use your mouse to right-click on the available counter you want to move. Alternate turns with your opponent and have some fun! :)

Here is an example of a game won by the blue Player:

Customizing Your Game

In the /config directory there is the configuration file named config.json. This file contains the parameters of the game that the users (players) are allowed to customize. Remember to make sure that the values you use make sense! (for instance, that the board diameter is lower than the dimensions of the screen).

The colors are in RGB format and the values of each component range from 0 to 255. Almost every color, text, sound, and shape can be personalized. For instance, have a look at this awesome setting. Feel free to try different combinations to find out which one is your favourite :)

Future Work

Here you have some suggestions:

• Implement a human-vs-machine mode.
• Improve the User-Interface in order to add more functionalities and enhance the user experience.
• Enable an easier and higher-level way to custom the game. In other words, replace the config.json file with a more user-friendly approach.