Introduction

The "Create a Puzzle Game Using Java" project is focused on developing a

puzzle game that tests the player's problem-solving skills through a familiar and
classic challenge—the 15-box number slider game. The main goal of the game is
to arrange numbered tiles sequentially from 1 to 15 on a 4x4 grid by sliding them
into an empty space. This simple yet captivating puzzle offers a fun way for
players to engage with logical thinking and strategy, while also serving as a
practical introduction to game development using Java.

The core functionality of this puzzle game revolves around implementing smooth,
responsive movement of the tiles in a graphical user interface (GUI). Java Swing
is used to create the GUI, allowing for an interactive and aesthetically pleasing
game experience. The game interface includes features like a reset button to start
a new game and a dynamically updated display to reflect the player’s moves.
Swing, with its versatility, provides the perfect platform for this project, making
it accessible to both beginner and intermediate Java programmers.

The project’s primary challenge lies in implementing the logic behind the tile
movements. The sliding mechanic requires proper event handling, where user
actions such as mouse clicks or key presses trigger specific behaviors. These
behaviors are constrained by the rules of the game, ensuring that only valid moves
(sliding a tile adjacent to the empty space) are allowed. In this way, the game
enforces logical moves while maintaining the game flow.

The puzzle game serves as a practical demonstration of various Java

programming concepts. Object-oriented programming (OOP) principles are
employed throughout the project, allowing for clean, maintainable, and modular
code. For instance, each tile can be represented as an object, with properties such
as its number, position, and visibility. This approach simplifies code maintenance
and opens up opportunities for future modifications or enhancements.

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 Game Concept Overview

The puzzle game developed in this project is based on the classic 15-puzzle, a
well-known sliding puzzle that challenges players to arrange numbered tiles in
sequential order. The game is played on a 4x4 grid containing 15 numbered tiles
and one empty space, which allows the tiles to slide. The objective is to reorganize
the scrambled tiles into the correct sequence, starting from 1 at the top-left corner
and ending with 15 at the bottom-right, with the empty space occupying the final
position.

At the start of the game, the numbered tiles are randomly shuffled to create a new
puzzle configuration for each session. The player can then slide any tile adjacent
to the empty space into that space by clicking on the tile, causing the grid to shift
accordingly. This introduces a problem-solving challenge, requiring players to
think several moves ahead to ensure they don't block themselves from completing
the sequence.

The game is designed to maintain a smooth user experience, with responsive

controls and real-time visual feedback on tile movements. The empty space
moves seamlessly in response to valid player inputs, providing a natural and
intuitive interaction. The game will continue until the player successfully
arranges all the tiles in the correct numerical order, at which point a victory
message or notification is displayed.

The concept revolves around simplicity in design, ease of use, and logical
complexity in solving the puzzle. By offering a visually appealing interface and
an engaging challenge, the game provides a fun and educational experience that
exercises the player's problem-solving skills and spatial awareness. This project
combines entertainment with an introduction to algorithmic thinking and efficient
Java programming, making it a rewarding task for developers and an enjoyable
game for users.

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 Technology Stack

1. Java Programming Language :

- Java is the primary programming language used for developing the puzzle
game. Known for its portability, scalability, and object-oriented nature, Java
provides the foundational structure for the entire project. It allows for the
development of modular, reusable code and offers strong memory
management features, ensuring the game runs smoothly across platforms.

2. Java Swing (GUI Framework) :

- Java Swing is utilized for creating the graphical user interface (GUI) of the
game. Swing provides a comprehensive set of lightweight components like
buttons, panels, and layouts, which are used to design the game’s visual
elements. The flexibility of Swing allows for customization of the game
board, tiles, and other interface components, ensuring a visually engaging
experience for users.

3. Java AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) :

- Alongside Swing, Java’s Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) is used for

handling lower-level graphical and event-handling tasks. AWT is essential
for processing user inputs, such as mouse clicks or keyboard actions, which
control the movement of the puzzle tiles. It also provides foundational
drawing tools for rendering graphical components.

4. Event Handling :

- Java’s built-in event-handling mechanism is employed to capture and process

user interactions. This includes detecting when a player clicks on a tile or the
reset button. Event listeners are registered to respond to these actions, making
the game interactive and responsive.

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5. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Principles :

- The project heavily relies on object-oriented programming (OOP) principles,

ensuring clean, modular, and maintainable code. Each component of the
puzzle, such as the individual tiles, the grid, and the game state, is
encapsulated within separate classes. This modular design promotes
scalability and future expansion, allowing for new features or difficulty
levels to be added with ease.

6. Algorithms for Game Logic :

- Algorithms are at the heart of the game’s logic. The puzzle-solving

mechanism, the movement of tiles, and the random shuffling of tiles at the
start of each game are all driven by efficient algorithms. These algorithms
ensure that the game runs optimally and provides the player with a solvable
puzzle configuration each time they start a new game.

7. Integrated Development Environment (IDE) :

- For development, a Java IDE such as IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, or NetBeans is

used. These IDEs provide an integrated environment for coding, debugging,
and testing the game. They offer features such as syntax highlighting, code
completion, and error detection, which streamline the development process
and enhance productivity.

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 Design and Layout of the Puzzle Game

The design and layout of the 15-box Number Slider Puzzle Game aim to provide
a clean, intuitive, and engaging user experience while keeping the focus on
functionality and ease of play. The user interface (UI) is built using Java Swing,
which allows for the creation of a visually appealing, responsive game window
that is simple yet effective.

1. Grid Layout (4x4 Puzzle Grid) :

- The core component of the puzzle game is a 4x4 grid containing 15 numbered
tiles and one empty space. This grid is designed using a `GridLayout` in Java
Swing, ensuring that all the tiles are of equal size and perfectly aligned. The
grid is the primary area of interaction, and its layout is kept minimalistic to
avoid distractions. Each tile occupies a single cell in the grid, with the empty
space being an unnumbered, blank cell.

2. Empty Space (Movable Gap) :

- The empty space is a crucial element of the game’s mechanics, allowing

players to slide adjacent tiles into it. This space is visually represented by a
blank area in the grid, which helps the user understand that the space is
available for movement. The absence of a number in this area makes it easily
identifiable, guiding players toward possible moves.

3. Tile Movement and Interactivity :

- The player interacts with the game by clicking on a numbered tile that is
adjacent to the empty space. When clicked, the tile slides into the empty
space, updating the grid. The movement is instantaneous to ensure
responsive gameplay. Java’s event listeners and action handlers are used to
capture user input and control the tile movements. The design ensures that
only valid moves are allowed, preventing invalid interactions such as
clicking on non-adjacent tiles.

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 4. Reset Button :

- A "Reset" button is provided below or beside the puzzle grid, allowing the
player to start a new game with a freshly shuffled puzzle. The button is
designed to be easily accessible and distinct from the puzzle grid to prevent
accidental clicks during gameplay. This button adds to the overall user
experience, offering an easy way to restart the game without manually
closing and reopening the application.

5. Game Status Display (Optional) :

- A small section of the layout can be reserved for displaying game-related

information, such as the number of moves taken or a timer to track how long
the player has been working on the current puzzle. This feature is optional
but can enhance the gameplay experience by adding a performance metric,
encouraging players to solve the puzzle efficiently.

6. Victory Notification :

- When the player successfully arranges the tiles in the correct order (1-15), a
victory message or pop-up is displayed. This message could appear in the
form of a dialog box or a simple text area within the game window,
congratulating the player for solving the puzzle. The visual effect of the
victory notification should stand out without being intrusive.

The design and layout prioritize simplicity, clarity, and functionality, ensuring
that the puzzle game is easy to understand and play. The use of a clean grid,
intuitive tile movement, and responsive controls contributes to a positive user
experience.

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 Game Logic and Mechanics

The game logic and mechanics for the 15-box Number Slider Puzzle focus on
creating a smooth and interactive experience for the player, ensuring that the
puzzle is both challenging and solvable. The mechanics primarily deal with how
the numbered tiles are shuffled, moved, and checked for correctness to achieve
the final solved state.

1. Grid Representation :

- The puzzle operates on a 4x4 grid containing 15 numbered tiles and one
empty space. This grid is internally represented as a 2D array or list. Each
element in the grid represents a tile number, and the empty space is typically
represented by `0`. This grid-based approach simplifies tile tracking and
allows for efficient movement and validation.

2. Tile Movement :

- In the game, only tiles adjacent to the empty space can be moved. The player
interacts with the game by clicking on a tile next to the empty space, causing
it to slide into that space. The logic checks whether the selected tile is
adjacent to the empty space, ensuring that only valid moves (horizontal or
vertical) are allowed. This sliding mechanism is the core mechanic that
drives gameplay, with each valid move updating the position of the tiles on
the grid.

3. Shuffling Algorithm :

- To ensure the game provides a unique experience every time, the tiles are
shuffled at the start of each game. However, not all random shuffles result in
a solvable puzzle. The game uses a specific algorithm to randomize the tile
positions while ensuring the puzzle remains solvable. This is typically done
by calculating the number of inversions in the tile sequence and ensuring that
the puzzle starts in a solvable configuration.

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4. Validation of Moves :

- Each time the player clicks on a tile, the game checks if the move is valid. A
valid move occurs only if the clicked tile is next to the empty space. The
game logic then swaps the positions of the clicked tile and the empty space,
allowing the player to gradually move tiles into their correct positions. If the
move is invalid (i.e., the clicked tile is not adjacent to the empty space), no
action is taken.

5. Win Condition :

- The game constantly monitors the state of the grid after every move. The win
condition is met when all tiles are arranged in numerical order (1 through 15)
with the empty space in the bottom-right corner of the grid. When the player
successfully completes the puzzle, a victory message is displayed, signifying
that the game has been won.

6. Reset Functionality :

- A reset feature is included to allow the player to restart the game with a new
random tile arrangement. This functionality clears the current grid and
reinitializes it with a fresh, shuffled, and solvable configuration, giving the
player a new challenge.

7. Optional Features :

- In addition to the core mechanics, optional features like move counting and
timers can be implemented to enhance the challenge. A move counter tracks
the number of moves a player has made, and a timer measures how long it
takes to solve the puzzle. These features encourage players to improve their
performance over time.

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 Event Handling and Controls

The Event Handling and Controls system in the 15-box number slider puzzle game is
responsible for capturing and responding to user actions. This mechanism ensures that the
game remains interactive, allowing the player to move tiles, reset the game, and receive
feedback based on their inputs. Java's event-handling framework is used to manage user
interactions, making the game responsive and intuitive.

1. Mouse Click Events :

- The primary method of interaction in the puzzle game is through mouse

clicks on the tiles. Each tile (represented as a button or a component) is
equipped with an event listener, which detects when the user clicks on it.
When a tile is clicked, the game logic checks if the clicked tile is adjacent to
the empty space. If it is, the tile slides into the empty space. The mouse click
event triggers this action, allowing for smooth, responsive tile movement.

2. Action Listener :

- In Java, an `ActionListener` is typically used to handle these mouse clicks.

The listener is attached to each tile, and the `actionPerformed` method is
called when a tile is clicked. This method contains the logic for checking if
the move is valid and then updating the grid accordingly.

Example :
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
// Handle tile movement logic
}
});

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3. Keyboard Controls (Optional) :

- Although the primary control is through mouse clicks, the game can also
support keyboard navigation. In this case, arrow keys can be used to move
the empty space, sliding the adjacent tiles accordingly. For example, pressing
the "Up" arrow moves the empty space up by sliding the tile below it into the
empty spot. This type of control adds an additional layer of interactivity.

4. Key Listener:

- Java’s `KeyListener` can be implemented to detect when a player presses a

key (e.g., arrow keys or WASD keys for movement). The `keyPressed`
method captures the key events and triggers the appropriate tile movement.

5. Reset Button Event:

- The reset button is another critical control element in the game, allowing the
player to start over with a new shuffled puzzle. The reset button is equipped
with an event listener that listens for click events. When clicked, the game
logic calls the shuffle algorithm to reinitialize the puzzle, providing a fresh
challenge for the player.
Similar to the tile buttons, the reset button uses an `ActionListener` to capture
the click event and invoke the shuffling mechanism.

6. Victory Condition Notification:

- Once the player successfully arranges all the tiles in order, the game detects
the winning state. After every tile movement, the game checks if the grid is
in the solved state. When the player wins, a victory notification is displayed
(e.g., a dialog box or a message in the UI). This notification can be triggered
by an event handler that listens for the win condition, such as the tile
arrangement matching the solved configuration.

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 7. Timer and Move Counter (Optional):

- The game can include additional features like a timer or move counter to
enhance the player’s experience. In this case:
- A Timer could be implemented using Java’s `Timer` class or a background
thread that keeps track of elapsed time, updating the display after each
second.
- A Move Counter is updated every time the player moves a tile, incrementing
with each valid move. Both these elements are updated through event
handlers that listen for tile movements.

8. Undo Feature (Optional):

- If the game includes an undo feature, each move is stored in a stack, allowing
the player to revert their previous move. The event handling for the undo
button is straightforward: when clicked, the game pops the last move from
the stack and restores the grid to the previous state.

Summary of Controls:
- Mouse Click on Tile: Moves a tile adjacent to the empty space.
- Reset Button: Reshuffles the grid for a new game.
- Optional Keyboard Controls: Allows tile movement using arrow keys.
- Optional Timer and Move Counter: Tracks time and number of moves.
- Victory Notification: Triggers when the puzzle is solved.

This Event Handling and Controls section explains how user interactions, such as
mouse clicks and keyboard presses, are captured and processed in the puzzle
game. Through Java’s event-handling framework, the game remains responsive,
intuitive, and engaging.

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Output

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 Conclusion

The 15-box Number Slider Puzzle Game project successfully demonstrates the
integration of fundamental game development concepts using Java. By
implementing a solvable puzzle with interactive tile movements, a responsive
user interface, and intuitive controls, the project achieves its goal of providing a
challenging and engaging user experience.

Throughout the development process, various challenges such as ensuring

solvable puzzle configurations, handling user interactions efficiently, and
designing a clean and functional interface were tackled through thoughtful
solutions. Java’s powerful event-handling framework and platform-independent
nature ensured that the game runs smoothly across different systems while
maintaining high levels of interactivity.

The project also leaves room for further enhancements, such as adding additional
difficulty levels, implementing undo features, or introducing a leaderboard
system to track player performance. Overall, this project not only serves as a
practical exercise in game development but also provides a strong foundation for
creating more complex and dynamic applications in the future.

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 References

- https://www.coursera.org/projects/picture-puzzle-using-java

- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/42443759/set-image-to-button-
and-process-actionlistener-in-puzzle-game-using-java

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7aul702tY

- https://projectsgeek.com/2014/11/puzzle-game-project-java.html

- https://www.scribd.com/document/465504593/Puzzle-Game-
project

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5boeOAKWM8

- https://download.code-projects.org/details/71992f81-7e5b-4c6a-
ac3f-1240e5d12467

- https://github.com/kharizzakaye/Picture-Puzzle

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