Autonomous Snake Game

This repository contains the implementation of the classic Snake game. It features an autonomous agent powered by Q-Learning and Flood Fill algorithm. The project is built with a Java Swing client and a Spring Boot backend for leaderboard management and score tracking.

For the complete breakdown of the mathematical foundation and the building process, check out the full article on Medium:
Building an Autonomous Snake Game with Q-Learning

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Project Structure

The repository is divided into two main components:

1. SnakeGameSwing: The client side application. This includes the game engine, the Java Swing GUI, the Q-Learning agent logic, and the local file handling for Q-Table persistence.
2. SnakeGameServer: The backend service. A Spring Boot application that manages high scores and provides a REST API for global rankings.(Not secure)

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Core Features

• Autonomous Agent: Uses Reinforcement Learning (Q-Learning) to learn optimal paths (not the shortest path) through trial and error.
• Safety Heuristics: Implements a Flood Fill algorithm to prevent the snake from entering dead end traps where the reachable area is smaller than its current length.
• Robust UI: Custom rendered Java Swing interface utilizing an event driven architecture.
• Secure Rankings: Scores are submitted to the server using HMAC-SHA256 digital signatures to prevent tampering and ensure the integrity of the leaderboard.(Some level of safety.)

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Installation and Execution

To run the game, you must generate a JAR file locally. This process ensures that the application is built within your environment, which helps bypass certain operating system security warnings associated with untrusted third-party binaries.

Building the JAR File

1. Visit the Website: You can view the project live and download the jar directly from the official landing page: quilversnakebot.vercel.app

Note: Please note that your Operating System (Windows/macOS) may flag the downloaded .jar file as untrusted and prevent it from running. To resolve this and ensure a secure execution, you can build the file manually on your own device after checking the code for security issues.

2. Clone the Repository: If you have Git installed, run:

   git clone [https://github.com/CodeAvecAsnit/AutonomousSnakeGame.git](https://github.com/CodeAvecAsnit/AutonomousSnakeGame.git)
   

Note: If you cannot clone the repo or download from the website, manually download the source files as a ZIP from the repository.

3. Navigate to the Client Directory:

   cd AutonomousSnakeGame/SnakeGameSwing
   
   
   

4. Compile and Package: Use Maven to build the project and generate the executable JAR:

   mvn clean package
   
   
   

5. Run the Game: The JAR file will be generated in the target folder. Execute it using:

   java -jar target/SnakeGameSwing-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar
   

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Implementation Details

• Language: Java
• Frameworks: Spring Boot (Backend), Java Swing (Frontend)
• Build Tool: Maven
• Algorithm Reference: The Q-Learning logic and pathfinding constraints are inspired by research into Safe Reinforcement Learning.

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