How to Create Hangman Game in C Programming

Creating a Hangman game in C programming is a great way to practice coding and design a user-friendly interface. In this tutorial, we will build a Hangman game that includes a visual representation of the "hanged man" and limits the user to 6 incorrect attempts. Follow along to create a fun and interactive game!

Introduction

Hangman is a word-guessing game where players try to guess a hidden word by suggesting letters. If they fail to guess the word within a limited number of attempts, they lose the game. This project will teach you how to code the Hangman game in C, design a simple menu interface, and implement a visual "hanged man" to enhance the user experience.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Setting Up the Environment

First, ensure you have a C compiler installed on your system. You can use popular IDEs like Code::Blocks, Dev-C++, or any text editor with a command-line compiler.

2. Creating the Basic Structure

Create a new C file (e.g., hangman.c) and start with the basic structure of the program. Include the necessary header files:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <time.h>

3. Designing the Menu Interface

Design a simple and eye-catching menu interface to help users navigate the game:

void displayMenu() {
    printf("*********************************\n");
    printf("*        Hangman Game Menu       *\n");
    printf("*********************************\n");
    printf("* 1. Start New Game              *\n");
    printf("* 2. Exit                        *\n");
    printf("*********************************\n");
    printf("Choose an option: ");
}

4. Implementing the Game Logic

Next, implement the core game logic. We'll create a function to start a new game, show the current state of the word, handle user guesses, and display the hanged man.

void displayHangman(int attempts) {
    switch (attempts) {
        case 6:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n      |\n      |\n      |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
        case 5:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n  O   |\n      |\n      |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
        case 4:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n  O   |\n  |   |\n      |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
        case 3:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n  O   |\n /|   |\n      |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
        case 2:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n  O   |\n /|\\  |\n      |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
        case 1:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n  O   |\n /|\\  |\n /    |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
        case 0:
            printf("  +---+\n  |   |\n  O   |\n /|\\  |\n / \\  |\n      |\n=========\n");
            break;
    }
}

void startNewGame() {
    char* words[] = {"programming", "gadget", "syntax", "keyboard", "function"};
    int numWords = sizeof(words) / sizeof(words[0]);
    srand(time(NULL));
    int wordIndex = rand() % numWords;
    char* word = words[wordIndex];
    char guess;
    int i;
    int correctGuesses = 0;
    int wordLength = strlen(word);
    char guessed[wordLength + 1];
    int attempts = 6;
    int alreadyGuessed[256] = {0}; // Array to keep track of guessed letters

    // Initialize guessed array with underscores
    for (i = 0; i < wordLength; i++) {
        guessed[i] = '_';
    }
    guessed[wordLength] = '\0';  // Null-terminate the string

    printf("\nWelcome to Hangman!\n");

    while (attempts > 0 && correctGuesses < wordLength) {
        printf("\nWord: %s\n", guessed);
        printf("Attempts remaining: %d\n", attempts);
        displayHangman(attempts);
        printf("Enter your guess: ");
        scanf(" %c", &guess);
        guess = tolower(guess);

        // Check if the letter has already been guessed
        if (alreadyGuessed[(int)guess]) {
            printf("You've already guessed '%c'. Try a different letter.\n", guess);
            continue;
        }

        alreadyGuessed[(int)guess] = 1; // Mark this letter as guessed

        int found = 0;
        for (i = 0; i < wordLength; i++) {
            if (tolower(word[i]) == guess) {
                if (guessed[i] == '_') {
                    guessed[i] = word[i];
                    correctGuesses++;
                    found = 1;
                }
            }
        }

        if (!found) {
            attempts--;
            printf("Wrong guess!\n");
        }
    }

    if (correctGuesses == wordLength) {
        printf("\nCongratulations! You've guessed the word: %s\n", word);
    } else {
        displayHangman(attempts);
        printf("\nGame Over! The word was: %s\n", word);
    }
}

5. Handling User Input

Handle user input to navigate between the menu and the game:

int main() {
    int option;

    while (1) {
        displayMenu();
        scanf("%d", &option);

        switch (option) {
            case 1:
                startNewGame();
                break;
            case 2:
                printf("Exiting game. Goodbye!\n");
                exit(0);
            default:
                printf("Invalid option. Please try again.\n");
                break;
        }
    }

    return 0;
}

Compiling and Running the Program

Once you've written the code, it's time to compile and run it.

1. Compile the Code: If you're using GCC, open your terminal and navigate to the directory containing your code file. Run the following command:

   gcc hangman.c -o hangman

   This will compile the code and create an executable file named hangman.
2. Run the Program: After compiling, In the same Command Prompt window, type:

   hangman

   Running this executable will start the game.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to create a Hangman game in C programming with an eye-catching menu interface and a visual representation of the "hanged man." We covered the basics of setting up the environment, designing the menu, implementing game logic with a limited number of attempts, and handling user input. This project provides a fun and interactive way to enhance your programming skills.

Feel free to build upon this project by adding more features or improving the user interface.

Read AlsoCreating an Animated Dual Login/Signup Form that Delights Users

That’s a wrap!

I hope you enjoyed this article

Did you like it? Let me know in the comments below 🔥 and you can support me by buying me a coffee.

And don’t forget to sign up to our email newsletter so you can get useful content like this sent right to your inbox!

Thanks!
Faraz 😊