🔍 Shadow Detective - AI Murder Mystery Game

An interactive detective game where you investigate a murder case against an AI-powered killer that uses advanced algorithms to deceive you!

🎮 About

This is an AI-powered murder mystery game built for an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course. The game features an intelligent adversary that uses:

• Minimax Algorithm - For optimal deception strategies
• A Pathfinding* - To generate believable fake alibis
• Constraint Satisfaction - To maintain story consistency
• Probability Scoring - For risk-based decisions

🛠️ Technologies Used

• Backend: Python 3, Flask
• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have installed:

• Python 3.8 or higher (Download here)
• pip (comes with Python)
• Git (optional, for cloning)

🚀 Installation & Setup

Step 1: Download the Project

• Click the green "Code" button on GitHub
• Click "Download ZIP"
• Extract the ZIP file
• Open terminal/command prompt in that folder

Step 2: Create Virtual Environment

On Windows:

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

On Mac/Linux:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

You should see (venv) appear in your terminal.

Step 3: Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

🎮 Running the Game

1. Make sure your virtual environment is activated (you should see (venv) in terminal)

2. Run the Flask server:

python app.py

3. Open your browser and go to:

http://127.0.0.1:5000

4. Click "BEGIN INVESTIGATION" and start playing!

🎯 How to Play

1. Read the Case File: Review the victim, location, time, and weapon
2. Interrogate Suspects: Ask about their alibi, other suspects, the weapon, or victim
3. Search Locations: Look for physical evidence in different rooms
4. Find Contradictions: The AI might slip up and contradict itself
5. Make Your Accusation: When you're confident, accuse the killer!

⚠️ Warning: You only get ONE accusation. Choose wisely!

📊 Game Mechanics

• 5 Days to solve the case
• 5 Actions per day (interrogations, searches)
• AI Threat Level increases as you close in
• Suspicion Meter for each suspect
• Evidence Board to track clues

🎓 Educational Purpose

This project demonstrates key AI concepts:

• Game theory and adversarial search
• Pathfinding algorithms
• Constraint satisfaction problems
• Probabilistic reasoning

🐛 Troubleshooting

Problem: "python is not recognized"

• Make sure Python is installed and added to PATH
• Try py instead of python

Problem: "Module not found"

• Make sure virtual environment is activated
• Run pip install -r requirements.txt again

Problem: Port already in use

• Change port in app.py: app.run(debug=True, port=5001)

📝 License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

👤 Author

Muhammad Shozab - @muhammad-shozab

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Course: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• Inspired by classic murder mystery games like Clue

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Happy Investigating, Detective! 🔍