Tic Tac Toe in Mendix
Mendix is a versatile low-code development platform that can be used to build a variety of applications across many industries. While it is primarily designed for building business applications and complex enterprise software, it is not typically used for developing complex gaming applications.
Mendix is optimized for creating applications that streamline business processes, manage data, and facilitate organizational communication and collaboration.
That said, Mendix could be used to build simple or educational games that don’t require advanced graphics or complex gameplay mechanics. For example, you could develop quiz-style games, interactive learning modules, or decision-making simulations using Mendix’s low-code capabilities. To explore this, I built a small Tic Tac Toe game.
Getting Started with Building Tic Tac Toe
To kickstart your development of Tic Tac Toe, I have published my version of the game in the Mendix Marketplace.
Tic-Tac-Toe: https://marketplace.mendix.com/link/component/219678
When creating my module, I considered the following:
Define Player Roles:
I began by defining the roles of the players. Tic Tac Toe is traditionally a two-player game, but you can also incorporate an AI component to allow for a single-player mode. Decide whether the computer or the user will take on each role.
Determine Winning Conditions:
Identify the winning conditions for the game. In Tic Tac Toe, a player wins by placing three marks (X or O) in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row on the grid. Ensure your game logic accounts for these conditions.
Initial Setup:
I started by creating the game board — a 3x3 grid. This can be represented using objects as a list or matrix(using the Template grid). Each cell of the grid represents a playable position.
Assign IDs:
I assigned unique identifiers to each grid cell to track their state and determine the winner. These IDs will help you reference specific cells during gameplay and check for winning conditions.
Gameplay Logic:
Implement the gameplay logic to handle player moves by associating the user with the object of the grid and update the game state accordingly. When a player makes a move (claims a box), update the corresponding cell with their mark (X or O). After each move, check if the current player has achieved a winning combination.
Check for Winner:
After each player’s move, I check if there is a winner. Iterate through the grid to determine if any player has achieved a winning combination (three in a row, column, or diagonal). If a winner is found, end the game and declare the winner.
Handle AI Moves (Optional):
If incorporating AI, implement the logic for the computer player’s moves. This may involve simple strategies such as random moves or more sophisticated algorithms to simulate human-like gameplay.
User Interface (UI):
Design and implement the user interface for the game, including the game board display, player prompts, and game status updates. Ensure the UI provides clear feedback to players during gameplay.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can lay the groundwork for building a functional Tic Tac Toe game. As you progress, you can refine the gameplay experience, add additional features, and enhance the user interface to create a polished and enjoyable gaming experience.
Additionally, you can explore microflows and logic implementations in my Marketplace module:
https://marketplace.mendix.com/link/component/219678
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