Building Simple Games to Learn Python Logic

Sometimes the best way to learn programming isn’t with dry exercises, but with games. Today’s student project was a classic: Rock–Paper–Scissors. Simple enough to code, but with plenty of opportunities to stretch logic, design, and even a little AI.

Why Games Work

Games are brilliant for learning because they combine:

• Clear rules – easy to translate into code.

• Instant feedback – the student can play against their program.

• Room to grow – simple structure, but endless improvements possible.

The Rock–Paper–Scissors Game

The student started by writing a Python program that asks the player to choose rock, paper, or scissors. The computer randomly chooses one too. Then, using simple logic (if–elif–else statements), the program decides who wins.

import random

choices = ["🪨 Rock", "📄 Paper", "✂️ Scissors"]

player = input("Choose Rock, Paper, or Scissors: ").lower()
computer = random.choice(choices)

print(f"You chose: {player}")
print(f"Computer chose: {computer}")

if player == "rock" and "Scissors" in computer:
    print("You win! 🎉")
elif player == "paper" and "Rock" in computer:
    print("You win! 🎉")
elif player == "scissors" and "Paper" in computer:
    print("You win! 🎉")
elif player in computer.lower():
    print("It’s a draw 🤝")
else:
    print("Computer wins! 💻")

The addition of emojis made it more fun to play — because who doesn’t prefer seeing ✂️ beat 📄 instead of plain text?

Adding a Simple AI

Once the basic game was working, the challenge was to make the computer a little “smarter.” Instead of always picking at random, the AI could:

• Track the player’s previous choices.

• Make a “guess” about what the player might choose next.

• Select the winning move accordingly.

Even with a basic approach — like assuming the player won’t pick the same move twice — the student was already learning about algorithms, prediction, and probability.

What They Learned

• Python syntax and structure – inputs, conditionals, loops.

• Debugging – why “scissor” isn’t the same as “scissors.”

• Logic design – turning human rules into code.

• AI basics – how programs can “adapt” instead of acting randomly.

Final Thought

Building a game may look like child’s play, but it’s one of the best ways to learn programming. Today’s rock–paper–scissors could easily grow into tomorrow’s full strategy game — and along the way, students discover that Python is less about code on a page and more about solving problems creatively.

At Hemel Private Tuition, we encourage students to build, test, and play with code — because learning works best when it’s fun.