Dice Roller Simulation

1) Project Overview

In this project, you will build a Dice Roller Simulation. You tell the program how many dice to roll and how many sides each die has (like a 6-sided die). The computer "rolls" the dice by picking random numbers, then shows each roll and the total. You can roll again as many times as you want.

2) Learning Objectives

By the end, you will:

Use variables to store information.
Read user input and convert it to numbers.
Use the random module to generate random numbers.
Use loops (while, for) to repeat actions.
Use if statements to make decisions.
Write and call simple functions.
Practice clean output and basic error checking.

3) Step-by-Step Explanation

Plan the features:
- Ask the user: "How many dice?" and "How many sides per die?"
- Roll the dice (generate random numbers).
- Show each result and the total.
- Ask if the user wants to roll again.
Import the random module:
- We need random.randint(a, b) to get a random number between a and b.
Write a helper function to get a positive integer:
- Keep asking until the user types a valid whole number in a safe range.
Write a function to roll dice:
- Given the number of dice and sides, generate the results and add them up.
Build the main loop:
- Greet the user.
- Ask for number of dice (for example 1–10).
- Ask for number of sides (for example 4–20).
- Roll and show results (list of rolls, total, highest, lowest).
- Ask if they want to roll again.
- If not, say goodbye.
Test your program:
- Try different inputs, including mistakes (like typing "hello") to see your error messages.

4) Complete and well-commented Python code

Copy this into a file named dice_roller.py and run it.

Try it Yourself »

import random  # We use this to generate random numbers for dice rolls.

def get_positive_int(prompt, min_value=1, max_value=100):
    """
    Ask the user for a whole number between min_value and max_value.
    Keep asking until the user enters a valid number.
    """
    while True:
        user_text = input(prompt)
        try:
            number = int(user_text)
            if number < min_value or number > max_value:
                print(f"Please enter a whole number between {min_value} and {max_value}.")
                continue
            return number
        except ValueError:
            print("That is not a whole number. Try again.")

def roll_dice(num_dice, sides):
    """
    Roll 'num_dice' dice, each with 'sides' sides.
    Returns a list of individual results and the total sum.
    """
    results = []
    for _ in range(num_dice):
        roll = random.randint(1, sides)  # Random number from 1 to 'sides'
        results.append(roll)
    total = sum(results)
    return results, total

def main():
    print("Welcome to the Dice Roller Simulation!")
    print("You choose how many dice to roll and how many sides each die has.")
    print("Example: 2 dice with 6 sides each is written as 2d6.\n")

    while True:
        # Get user choices with simple limits to keep things manageable.
        num_dice = get_positive_int("How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? ", 1, 10)
        sides = get_positive_int("How many sides per die (4–20)? ", 4, 20)

        # Roll the dice
        results, total = roll_dice(num_dice, sides)

        # Show what happened
        print(f"\nRolling {num_dice} d{sides}...")
        print("Results:", " ".join(str(r) for r in results))
        print("Total:  ", total)
        print(f"Highest roll: {max(results)}")
        print(f"Lowest roll: {min(results)}")

        # Ask if the user wants to roll again
        again = input("\nRoll again? (y/n): ").strip().lower()
        if not again or again[0] != 'y':
            break
        print()  # blank line for readability

    print("\nThanks for playing! Goodbye.")

# Run the program
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

5) Output examples

Example 1: Normal gameplay

Welcome to the Dice Roller Simulation!
You choose how many dice to roll and how many sides each die has.
Example: 2 dice with 6 sides each is written as 2d6.

How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? 3
How many sides per die (4–20)? 6

Rolling 3 d6...
Results: 2 5 4
Total: 11
Highest roll: 5
Lowest roll: 2

Roll again? (y/n): y

How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? 1
How many sides per die (4–20)? 10

Rolling 1 d10...
Results: 9
Total: 9
Highest roll: 9
Lowest roll: 9

Roll again? (y/n): n

Thanks for playing! Goodbye.

Example 2: Rolling multiple dice

Welcome to the Dice Roller Simulation!
You choose how many dice to roll and how many sides each die has.
Example: 2 dice with 6 sides each is written as 2d6.

How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? 5
How many sides per die (4–20)? 12

Rolling 5 d12...
Results: 7 11 3 12 8
Total: 41
Highest roll: 12
Lowest roll: 3

Roll again? (y/n): n

Thanks for playing! Goodbye.

Example 3: Input validation (handling mistakes)

Welcome to the Dice Roller Simulation!
You choose how many dice to roll and how many sides each die has.
Example: 2 dice with 6 sides each is written as 2d6.

How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? hello
That is not a whole number. Try again.
How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? 12
Please enter a whole number between 1 and 10.
How many dice do you want to roll (1–10)? 2
How many sides per die (4–20)? 20

Rolling 2 d20...
Results: 17 3
Total: 20
Highest roll: 17
Lowest roll: 3

Roll again? (y/n): n

Thanks for playing! Goodbye.

6) Small Exercise (Challenge)

Two-player mode

Ask for names of Player 1 and Player 2.
Both players roll the same kind of dice (same number and sides).
Compare totals and print who wins, or say it's a tie.

Tip: You can reuse the roll_dice function twice and compare the two totals.

Example Implementation Steps:

Ask for Player 1's name and Player 2's name
Ask how many dice and how many sides
Call roll_dice() for Player 1 and display results
Call roll_dice() for Player 2 and display results
Compare the totals and print the winner

Additional Challenge Ideas

Add special dice types (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) as quick options
Keep track of statistics (total rolls, highest ever, lowest ever)
Add advantage/disadvantage rolling (roll twice, take higher/lower)
Create a "critical hit" message when rolling maximum on all dice
Save roll history to a file
Add weighted dice (some numbers more likely than others)

7) Summary

Great work! You built a fun Dice Roller that uses random numbers, loops, decisions, and functions. These are the building blocks of many games and simulations. Keep experimenting—small changes can lead to exciting new ideas. You've got this!

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