🎯 Build a Number Guessing Game with Python

Pick a random number and let the player guess until they get it.

import random

def play(difficulty='medium'):
    limits = {'easy': (1,20,10), 'medium': (1,100,7), 'hard': (1,500,5)}
    low, high, max_guesses = limits.get(difficulty, limits['medium'])
    secret = random.randint(low, high)
    attempts = 0

    print(f"\nGuess the number between {low} and {high}. You have {max_guesses} tries.\n")

    while attempts < max_guesses:
        remaining = max_guesses - attempts
        try:
            guess = int(input(f"Attempt {attempts+1}/{max_guesses} — Your guess: "))
        except ValueError:
            print("Enter a valid number.")
            continue

        attempts += 1

        if guess == secret:
            score = (max_guesses - attempts + 1) * 10
            print(f"\n✅ Correct! You got it in {attempts} attempt(s). Score: {score}")
            return score
        elif abs(guess - secret) <= 10:
            print("🔥 Very hot!" if guess < secret else "🔥 Very hot! Go lower.")
        elif abs(guess - secret) <= 25:
            direction = "higher" if guess < secret else "lower"
            print(f"♨️  Warm — go {direction}.")
        else:
            direction = "higher" if guess < secret else "lower"
            print(f"🧊 Cold — go {direction}.")

    print(f"\n❌ Out of tries! The number was {secret}.")
    return 0

play('medium')

import json, os

SCORES_FILE = 'scores.json'

def load_scores():
    if os.path.exists(SCORES_FILE):
        with open(SCORES_FILE) as f:
            return json.load(f)
    return []

def save_score(name, score, difficulty):
    scores = load_scores()
    scores.append({'name': name, 'score': score, 'difficulty': difficulty})
    scores.sort(key=lambda x: x['score'], reverse=True)
    with open(SCORES_FILE, 'w') as f:
        json.dump(scores[:10], f, indent=2)  # keep top 10

def show_leaderboard():
    scores = load_scores()
    if not scores:
        print("No scores yet!"); return
    print("\n🏆 Leaderboard")
    print(f"{'Rank':<5} {'Name':<15} {'Score':<8} Difficulty")
    print("-" * 40)
    for i, s in enumerate(scores[:10], 1):
        print(f"{i:<5} {s['name']:<15} {s['score']:<8} {s['difficulty']}")

def main():
    print("🎯 Number Guessing Game")
    name = input("Your name: ").strip() or "Player"
    print("Difficulty: 1) Easy  2) Medium  3) Hard")
    choice = input("Choice (default 2): ").strip()
    diff = {'1':'easy','3':'hard'}.get(choice, 'medium')

    score = play(diff)
    if score > 0:
        save_score(name, score, diff)
        print("Score saved!")
    show_leaderboard()

main()