Teach Your Kids to Code

Chapter 6. Random Fun and Games: Go Ahead, Take a Chance!

In Chapter 5, we programmed the computer to make decisions based on conditions. In this chapter, we’ll program the computer to pick a number between 1 and 10, to play Rock-Paper-Scissors, and even to roll dice or pick a card!

The common element in these games is the idea of randomness. We want the computer to pick a number at random between 1 and 10, and we guess what that number is. We want the computer to randomly pick rock, paper, or scissors, and then we choose what to play and see who wins. These examples—plus dice games, card games, and so on—are called games of chance. When we roll five dice to play Yahtzee, we usually get a different result every time we roll. That element of chance ...