Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Python Python Basics (2015) Letter Game App Letter Game Refinement

Can someone tell me why my letter game refinement is coming back with a syntax error on "if start == 'q':".

import os
import random
import sys

# make a list of words
words = [
    'apple',
    'banana',
    'orange',
    'coconut',
    'strawberry',
    'lime',
    'grapefruit',
    'lemon',
    'kumquat',
    'blueberry',
    'melon'
]    

def clear():
    if os.name == 'nt':
        os.system('cls')
    else:
        os.system('clear')

# draw guessed letters, spaces and strikes
def draw(bad_guesses, good_guess, secret_word):
    clear()

    print('Strikes: {}/7'.format(len(bad_guesses)))
    print('')

    for letter in bad_guesses:
        print(letter, end=' ')
    print('\n\n')

    for letter in secret_word:
        if letter in good_guesses:
            print(letter, end='')
        else:
            print('_', end='')

def get_guess(bad_guesses, good_guesses):
    # take guess
    while True:
        guess = input("Guess a letter: ").lower()

        if len(guess) != 1:
            print("You can only guess a single letter!")
        elif guess in bad_guesses or guess in good_guesses:
            print("You've already guessed that letter!")
        elif not guess.isalpha():
            print("You can only guess letters!")
        else:
            return guess

def play(done):
    clear()
    secret_word = random.choice(words)
    bad_guesses = []
    good_guesses = []

    while True:
        draw(bad_guesses, good_guesses, secret_word)   
        guess = get_guess(bad_guess, good_guesses) 

        if guess in secret_word:
            good_guesses.append(guess)
            found = True
            for letter in secret_word:
                if letter not in good_guesses:
                    found = False
            if found:
                print("You win!")
                print("The secret word was {}".format(secret_word))
                done = True
        else:  
            bad_guesses.append(guess)  
            if len(bad_guesses) == 7:
                draw(bad_guesses, good_guesses, secret_word)
                print("You lost!")
                print("The secret word was {}".format(secret_word))
                done = True
        if done:
            play_again = input("Play again? Y/n ").lower()  
            if play_again != 'n':
                return play(done=False)
        else:
            sys.exit()      

def welcome():
    start = input("Please enter/retun to start or Q to quit ".lower()
    if start == 'q':
        print("Bye!")
        sys.exit()
    else: 
        return True

print('Welcome to letter Guess!")

done = False

while True:
    clear()
    welcome()
    play(done)

2 Answers

Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points

On the line right above the line that's throwing a syntax error, you forgot the closing paren to your input statement

Thanks!

That fixed the syntax error. I found a few more and finally got it to work now.