MentalX

Inspiration

Connect 4 seems like a fairly simple game on paper, but playing it without a board is a completely different story. Trying to hold the patterns of the board in your head, while simultaneously trying to win the game (and prevent your opponent from winning as well!) is taxing, yet strangely addictive.

What it does

MentalX is a Boardless, customizable Connect 4 variant. It can be customized for different sizes, different amounts needed to be connected, and soon will have 3 player and 3 axes implementation. It currently allows peers to play with each other on the same laptop, and also has an AI functionality, where a Monte Carlo Tree Search learning Artificial Intelligence seeks to beat any challenger.

How we built it

First we created the Connect 4 game, with a small command line user interface, and then added on different variations such as not showing the board until one player got four of a kind, and changing the size. After this was finished, we researched different game playing methods for AI, and discovered the Monte Carlo tree search algorithm. We implemented this, and have the AI using this method to choose its moves.

What's next for MentalX

MentalX's primary platform is not computers. Creating aesthetic user interfaces and increased computer functionality would be nice, but the future for MentalX lies in the mobile industry. Using bluetooth to connect with friends, creating a time mode where players only have 5 seconds to make a move, or even doing pass and play functionality all are fundamentally easier on mobile devices. We also plan on including an "advanced" mode where one has to know which move they make that wins the game for them, or they lose. MentalX's technology can be extended to other games such as Hex, in an effort to increase pattern recognition and endurance.

Built With

• python