Reaction Game
In this weeks assignment we are going to build a simple reaction game and embody it in different shapes and forms.
Coding Instructions
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to set up a CircuitPython program to bring your microcontroller, buttons, and LED to life. We’ll guide you through an example designed to match the behavior outlined in the Acting Machine Diagram (shown below). Take your time to study the code and understand how everything fits together.
As you work through the tutorial, you’ll explore key Python concepts such as declaring variables, using loops (while), making decisions with if and elif statements, and defining and using functions. Additionally, you’ll learn to work with the neopixel library to control LED colors, giving your prototype a vibrant and interactive feel.
By the end, you’ll have an understanding of how to run code on your board, how to connect components and a rough idea of how the code is structured.
Game hardware and control flow
The basic game makes use of two input components (either Touch Sensor or Tactile Switch), and a Chainable RGB LED as an output.
Once the LED turns white, both players have to try and touch their sensor as quick as possible. Whoever is faster wins the round, and the LED will light up in the color of the winner.
The image above shows the minimal components you need to make the technology work. The diagram shows the control flow of the game. We will go into more detail of explaining about Acting Machine Diagrams later. For now you can already interpret how the control might flow if you start in the state (circle) labeled “wait” and then traverse the transitions (arrows) from state to state.
Game code
There is a simple way to derive a program that implement the control flow from the Acting Machine Diagram, we have already done that for you!
In order to navigate to the right code you first have to identify the LED form factor of the LEDs in your Connected Interaction Kit. Match the LED in your kit with one of the images below, then access the game code by pressing the button under the matching image.
| Chainable RGB/W LED (ChaiNEO) | Chainable RGB LED (Grove) |
|---|---|
 |  |
| Code for the game | Code for the game |
Extra Challenge: Make It Better!
Congratulations on getting the basic version of the game running! Now it’s time to put on your problem-solving hats and improve the game! The code you’ve been working with has a few intentional bugs. One key challenge involves the way button presses are handled:
Hint: If you keep a button pressed before the LED turns white, you’ll always win. That doesn’t sound very fair, does it?
Your task is to identify and fix this bug so the game works as intended. Look through the code and think of how you could achieve this, maybe also penalizing a player if they press the button before the led turns white!