Innovation Games 2024: High School Guidelines

High School Tic-Tac-Toe projects will be written using the Python programming language in Codecraft Works’ Tic-Tac-Toe editor ⎋.

While you can use AI tools to generate code that would work in this particular challenge, it may not necessarily give you the code needed to win the game. Tic-Tac-Toe typically ends in a draw if played correctly. With that in mind, we have an additional factor used to determine the winner of a match that ends in a draw. We use the average amount of time, recorded in nano-seconds, needed to compute the various moves made by the player in to account and use the lower average as a tie breaker. That means that the code that determines where the player should move not only has to correctly pick the right spot, it also has to do it as quickly as possible.

The code generated by AI tools may be able to get the moves you want to make, but will it be able to do it in the most efficient way possible?

Competition Rules & Requirements

Read and review the competition rules on the Innovation Games competition page.

Program Registration

1. To create an account for themselves, coaches will visit CodecraftWorks.com ⎋ and click the gold-colored “Login” button on the left side of the site. If you are viewing this page on a mobile device, the button may appear at the top of the page instead. Selecting this button will take you to the login page. If you have already created an account, you can skip this step.

2. Coaches must confirm their email address, school, and students’ grade level in this form: Innovation Games Coding: Program Registration ⎋. Codecraft will be in touch ASAP with a link and code to a custom program. This program is where coaches and students will access competition resources and project submission.

Student Account Creation and Distribution

1. Once coaches have received their program information, coaches will create student accounts that have usernames and passwords. Coaches will also be able to reset student passwords.

   • To create student accounts, follow these instructions: How to Create Student Accounts with Passwords ⎋.

   • When creating students’ display names, please use their first name and last initial (with more letters as needed to distinguish between students).

2. Coaches will distribute usernames and passwords to their students and be equipped to handle any password resets.

   • To change a student’s password or display name, follow these instructions: How to Manage Student Accounts with Passwords ⎋.

Login Instructions

Students can log in by entering their program’s short code on the main login page ⎋ or by clicking the “Student Login” button on their program page. For more detailed instructions, view this page: How to Log in to Student Accounts With Passwords ⎋.

Coaches will continue to log in with their email addresses on the main login page ⎋.

Project Submission Instructions

1. Coaches will first need to have created accounts for their students on the Codecraft platform ⎋ if they have not already. Coaches can do this using the instructions in the “Student Account Creation and Distribution” section above.

2. Students will need to visit their coach’s program on the Codecraft platform. Students can do this using the information in the “Login Instructions” section above.

3. Once they log in, the student will be redirected to the program page. Beginning on October 28, 2024, they should see the “Submit CCPC Project” button on that page. Click this button and fill in the requested information to submit the project. Again, students must have accounts created for them by their coaches and be logged in to see this button. Competition entries must be submitted through the coach’s program page NO LATER​ than 4 pm on November 4, 2024.

4. All students must submit projects using their own Codecraft platform accounts. Coaches should not be logged into the Codecraft platform for project submission; each student’s account should be used to submit their own project.

Judging

Players’ programs will be randomly matched against each other in a bracketed tournament. There will be multiple games of tic-tac-toe per matchup.

The victor of a matchup will be whoever wins the most games. In the event of a draw, the Player that ran most efficiently (i.e. least amount of time to execute) will be the winner. Winners will advance through the bracket until there is a single Player left standing.

“Player” matches will be run through our interface. Details about the interface can be found on your program page. View the “Program Registration” and “Student Account Creation and Distribution” sections above for help joining your program.

If a Player submits an invalid move, their turn will be skipped. If a single game lasts more than a certain amount of turns (in excess of 9), the Player that ran most efficiently will be the winner.

If a Player program fails to submit a move, crashes, gets stuck in an infinite loop, or fails to compile, they will be disqualified.