Rock Paper Scissors

Turn your micro:bit into a Rock Paper Scissors game that you can play with your friends!

First we need to make a variable to keep track of whether we have a Rock, Paper or Scissors in our hand. A variable is a container for storing values. Click on the ||variables:Variables|| category in the Toolbox. Click on the Make a Variable button. Give your new variable the name “hand” and click Ok.

Click on the ||variables:Variables|| category in the Toolbox again. You’ll notice that there are some new blocks that have appeared. Drag a ||variables:set hand|| block into the ||input:on shake|| block. We’ll start our Rock Paper Scissors game when we shake 👋 our micro:bit.

Click on the ||math:Math|| category in the Toolbox. Drag a ||math:pick random|| block and drop it into the ||variables:set hand|| block replacing the number 0. Now when we shake our micro:bit, the variable hand will contain a random number between 1 and 3.

Click on the ||logic:Logic|| category in the Toolbox. Drag the ||logic:if true then else|| block out to the workspace and drop it into the ||input:on shake|| block under the ||variables:set hand|| block.

From the ||logic:Logic|| category, drag a ||logic:0 = 0|| comparison block and drop it into the ||logic:if true then else|| block replacing true.

Click on the ||variables:Variables|| category in the Toolbox. Drag a ||variables:hand|| block out and drop it into the ||logic:0 = 0|| comparison block replacing the first 0. Click on the second 0 in the comparison block and change to 1.

Click on the ||basic:Basic|| category in the Toolbox. Drag a ||basic:show icon|| block out and drop it under ||logic:if hand = 1 then||. In the ||basic:show icon|| block, click on the Heart icon and instead select the small square icon to represent a 💎 Rock.

At the bottom of the ||logic:if then else|| block, click on the plus ‘+’ sign. This will expand the code to include an ||logic:else if|| clause.

From the ||logic:Logic|| category, drag a ||logic:0 = 0|| comparison block and drop it into the open space next to the ||logic:else if|| clause.

From the ||variables:Variables|| category, drag a ||variables:hand|| block and drop it into the ||logic:0 = 0|| comparison block replacing the first 0. Click on the second 0 in the comparison block and change to 2.

From the ||basic:Basic|| category, drag a ||basic:show icon|| block out and drop it under ||logic:else if hand = 2 then||. In the ||basic:show icon|| block, click on the Heart icon and instead select the large square icon to represent 📃 Paper.

Now let’s deal with the last condition - if our hand variable isn’t holding a 1 (Rock) or a 2 (Paper), then it must be 3 (✀ Scissors)! From the ||basic:Basic|| category, drag another ||basic:show icon|| block out and drop it into the last opening under the ||logic:else||. In the ||basic:show icon|| block, click on the Heart icon and select the Scissors icon.

Let’s test your code! Press the white SHAKE button on the micro:bit on-screen simulator, or move your cursor quickly back and forth over the simulator. Do you see the icons for rock, paper and scissors randomly appear? ⭐ Great job! ⭐

If you have a micro:bit device, connect it to your computer and click the |Download| button. Follow the instructions to transfer your code onto the micro:bit. Once your code has been downloaded, attach your micro:bit to a battery pack and challenge another micro:bit or a human to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors!

Go further - Try adding 🎵 Music 🎵 blocks to your Rock Paper Scissors game for different sound effects. Note that some Music blocks may require a micro:bit v2 device to play.

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