Mancala Arena

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Table of Contents

• Purpose
• Features of the software
• Installation Instructions
• Usage Guide
• Feedback
• Contribution
• Contributors

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Purpose

The purpose of this project is to modernize the classic Mancala game by integrating engaging features, such as:

• AI opponents with adjustable difficulty levels.
• A dynamic leaderboard for players to track and compare scores.
• SMS notifications to keep players updated on their leaderboard position and gameplay activity.

Additionally, this project was designed with the following objectives:

1. User Experience:
   • Provide a fun and intuitive gaming experience for Mancala fans.
   • Create a competitive environment through a real-time leaderboard.
2. Educational Goals:
   • Demonstrate clean architecture principles (e.g., separation of concerns, SOLID design).
   • Gain hands-on experience with third-party API integration.

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Features of the software

• Multiple difficulty levels: The program offers 3 difficulty levels - Easy, Medium, Hard. This allows user to choose a challenge suited to their skills and experience. You can select the difficulty level using the dropdown menu as shown below, or choose Randomizer3000 if you want a random difficulty level.

• Cancel game button: The player can choose to cancel and restart the game at any time.

• View Leaderboard: The leaderboard is beside the game panel and is constantly being updated, allowing the player to see how they are doing compared to the rest of the players.

• Send message to the user: If the user chooses to receive SMS messages, they will receive an SMS message after every game they play describing their current rank on the leaderboard.

Installation Instructions

• You will need to install java to run this program.
• The program is compatible with OpenJDK 23

To utilize SMS notifications, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for Twilio:

   • Visit the Twilio signup page.
   • Be sure to enter the phone number you would like your notifications to be sent to.
   • Complete the verification process to access your Account SID, Auth Token, and Twilio Phone Number.

   Example Screenshot:

2. Set up Twilio credentials:

   • Navigate to the following file path:

     src -> main -> java -> us.jonathans -> app -> AppBuilder
     

   • Enter your Twilio credentials in the appropriate fields.

   Example screenshot:

   

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Usage Guide

1. Launch the Program:

   • After installation, run the program to open the Mancala game interface.

2. Enter Details:

   • Provide your username.
   • Optionally, enable SMS notifications and enter your phone number.

3. Select AI Difficulty:

   • Choose the engine difficulty level (minimax_easy, minimax_medium, or minimax_hard).

4. Start Playing:

   • Press the Start button to initialize the game. Stones will appear on the Mancala board.

5. Cancel or Stop:

   • Use the Cancel button if you need to stop or reset.

6. Leaderboard and Notifications:

   • After each game, your score is submitted to the leaderboard.
   • If SMS notifications are enabled, you will receive updates about your rank.

Example interface screenshot:

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Feedback

Take the survey here: Jancala Survey. To ensure your feedback is helpful:

• Provide clear, concise answers to the questions asked.
• Ensure your responses are constructive and directly address the specific issues or suggestions.
• Avoid vague or off-topic comments.

What to Expect After Submitting Feedback: A contributor will review your feedback promptly. If the feedback is reasonable and aligns with the project goals, the team will aim to implement your suggestions in a timely manner.

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Section for Contributions

If you would like to contribute to the project, you can make a fork of the repository on Github and work on it as you wish. However, if you wish to have your code merged to this repository, please make a branch on your forked repository and work on that branch, following all the naming conventions, code organization, and adhere strictly to clean architecture. To make a good pull request, name your branch according to the feature you are working on and write descriptive commit messages and title. After you make a pull request, at least two of the contributors would have to review and approve your pull request before it can be merged.

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Contributors

• Ivan Chepelev: GitHub
• Fiza Kabeer: GitHub
• Richard Lin: GitHub
• Jonathan Qiao: GitHub
• Mina Wu: GitHub

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