C :: Binary Game - Using Values With Some Basic Logical Operations

When things at work get overwhelming, it's not unusual for me to briefly "escape" by writing small programs simply for fun. A few days ago, I had an idea for a "binary game". I completed the first draft of it yesterday.

The idea is simple. The game uses 8-bit values. At the start of the game, a random "target" value is generated. The player is dealt a "hand" of seven values. The object is to use the values in your hand, along with some basic logical operations, to create the "target" value. While the idea is simple, the game itself can be quite difficult.

Here is an example of the output:

Code: --------------------
T: 1111 1100 (0xFC)
--------------------
0: 0000 0000 (0x00)
--------------------
1: 1100 1110 (0xCE)
2: 1010 0011 (0xA3)
3: 1100 0101 (0xC5)
4: 1011 1111 (0xBF)
5: 1010 1011 (0xAB)
6: 0001 1011 (0x1B)
7: 0001 1011 (0x1B)
--------------------

: Looking at the first column:
- 'T' is the "target" value
- '0' can be thought of as the "game board" - this is the value that needs to match the target value for a win
- '1' - '7' are the values in your "hand"

You can apply logic AND ('A'), OR ('O'), or XOR ('X') to a value in your hand with the value on the "game board". You are also allowed to apply logic to two values in your hand to create a new value for your hand. When a value from your hand is used, it is removed.

Some examples of the commands:

A30 --- apply logic AND to value #3 in your hand, and the "game board" value
O23 --- apply logic OR to value #2 in your hand and value #3 in your hand
X70 --- apply logic XOR to value #7 in your hand, and the "game board" value

You can also be dealt new values (as long as there's room in your hand) with the '+' command. 'H' or 'h' prints the help, and 'Q' or 'q' exits the game.

I haven't thoroughly tested it yet, since I just finished it a yesterday, but so far it looks good. The program itself uses only standard C.

I was dickering with the idea of supporting more logical operators (NOT, NAND, NOR, XNOR, shift), but I like the simplicity and resulting difficulty of the current implementation.

During initial testing, I realized it's possible to have doubles in your hand. Also, it's quite possible to be dealt the target value directly, which means that you could potentially win with one move, chance permitting. At first I thought about defending against these conditions, but came to the conclusion that it is fine as is - chances of an instant win are small, and if it does occur, would still be an enjoyable experience. Besides, if you're dealt the target value after the "game board" value has been modified.

Also, I did not allow a value of "zero" in the players hand. This was originally because I thought it would be of little use (though I've been reconsidering this). This also means that if two values in the hand are combined and result in zero, both values are removed and no new value is added. This was originally a bug, but I think I'll just reclassify it as a feature

So far, I found that the best strategy is to avoid modifying the "game board" value, and just play with the values in your hand. If you can get the target value in your hand, you just OR it with the "game board" and you're done.