Dame Game

A sophisticated desktop checkers game implemented in Java, featuring both player-vs-player and player-vs-AI gameplay modes. The AI opponent offers three difficulty levels powered by the Minimax algorithm.

Main game interface showing the checker board

Features

• 🎮 Two-player local multiplayer
• 🤖 Single-player mode against AI
• 🎯 Three AI difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard)
• 📊 Real-time score tracking
• 🎨 Clean and intuitive user interface
• ♟️ Standard checkers rules implementation

AI Implementation

The game features an intelligent AI opponent implemented using the Minimax algorithm with Alpha-Beta pruning optimization for better performance.

How Minimax Works

The Minimax algorithm is a recursive decision-making algorithm used in game theory. It works by simulating all possible moves and their outcomes to determine the best move:

       [Root Node]
      /     |     \
    [A]    [B]    [C]    MAX level
   /  \    / \    / \
 [D]  [E] [F] [G][H] [I] MIN level
(4)  (6) (2) (8)(1) (9)  Evaluation scores

Example:

Key aspects of our implementation:

• The algorithm simulates the opponent making optimal moves
• Position evaluation considers:
  • Piece count and king pieces
  • Strategic board positions
  • Available moves and mobility
  • Board control and piece protection

Difficulty levels are implemented by adjusting search depth:

• Easy: 2 levels deep (quick decisions)
• Medium: 4 levels deep (balanced performance)
• Hard: 6 levels deep (more strategic play)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Java JDK 8 or higher
• Git (for cloning)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/ayoubomari/Dame.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

cd Dame

3. Compile and run the application:

javac Main.java
java Main

Game Interface

AI difficulty selection screen

Gameplay showing possible moves

How to Play

1. Starting the Game

   • Choose between Player vs Player or Player vs AI
   • For AI mode, select your preferred difficulty level

2. Game Controls

   • Click to select your piece
   • Click again on a highlighted square to move
   • Double jumps are automatically enforced
   • Pieces become kings when reaching the opposite end

3. Winning the Game

   • Capture all opponent's pieces
   • Or block all opponent's possible moves

Technologies Used

• Java (Core language)
• AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit)
• Swing (GUI components)
• Git & GitHub (Version control)

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to all contributors who helped shape this project
• Special thanks to the Java Swing community for resources and documentation
• Inspired by classic checkers games and AI implementations

Contact

Ayoub Omari - GitHub

Project Link: https://github.com/ayoubomari/Dame

⭐ Don't forget to give the project a star if you found it helpful!