Button game · Docs

Build rock, paper, scissors with buttons. Only the player can click, and the game ends on its own if they walk away.

You will make /rps. The bot shows three buttons. The player picks one, the bot picks one, and the reply shows who won.

You picked rock, I picked scissors. You win!

This guide uses a View. A View is a set of buttons that lives inside one run of a command. The buttons, the code that runs on a click, and the result all stay in the same command. You do not need an event for it.

1. Create the command#

Open Create → Slash Command and switch to Advanced at the top of the form.

Field	Value
Command Name	`rps`
Description	`Play rock, paper, scissors`

Leave the Content / Reply Message box empty. The code writes the reply.

2. Add the buttons#

Open Pre-hook and paste:

python

class Game(View):
    def __init__(self, user_id):
        self.user_id = user_id   # only this member can click
        self.pick = None

    async def choose(self, interaction, pick):
        await defer(interaction, action="update")
        self.pick = pick
        self.stop()   # ends the game; the post-hook runs next

    @button(label="Rock", emoji="🪨", style="secondary", custom_id="rock")
    async def rock(self, interaction, component):
        await self.choose(interaction, "rock")

    @button(label="Paper", emoji="📄", style="secondary", custom_id="paper")
    async def paper(self, interaction, component):
        await self.choose(interaction, "paper")

    @button(label="Scissors", emoji="✂️", style="secondary", custom_id="scissors")
    async def scissors(self, interaction, component):
        await self.choose(interaction, "scissors")

game = Game(user_id=user.id)
game.interaction = interaction
set_view(game)
set_content(f"{user.mention}, pick one!")

What each part does:

Part	Job
`class Game(View)`	Makes a new set of buttons.
`self.user_id = user_id`	Only the member who ran `/rps` can click. Other clicks are ignored.
`@button(...)`	Adds one button. The function under it runs on a click.
`defer(interaction, action="update")`	Tells Discord "click received" within its 3-second limit.
`self.stop()`	Ends the View. No code after it in that function runs.
`set_view(game)`	Puts the buttons on the reply and waits for clicks.

Watch out

Do not call super().__init__() in your View, and do not call game.wait() yourself. set_view does the waiting for you.

3. Show the result#

Open Post-hook and paste:

python

if game.pick is None:
    result = "Too slow! The game ended."
else:
    bot_pick = random(["rock", "paper", "scissors"])
    beats = {"rock": "scissors", "paper": "rock", "scissors": "paper"}
    if game.pick == bot_pick:
        outcome = "It's a tie!"
    elif beats[game.pick] == bot_pick:
        outcome = "You win!"
    else:
        outcome = "I win!"
    result = f"You picked **{game.pick}**, I picked **{bot_pick}**. {outcome}"

await respond_interaction(interaction, content=result)

The post-hook runs after the View ends. That happens after a click, or after 3 minutes with no click. If the time runs out, game.pick is still None.

respond_interaction changes the reply text and removes the buttons.

4. Try it#

Save, then run /rps in your server. Click a button.

Ask a friend to click your buttons. Nothing happens for them, because of user_id.

Make it better#

Keep score#

Save wins with a member variable. Add this to the post-hook, just before the respond_interaction line:

python

if game.pick is not None and outcome == "You win!":
    wins = int(member_var("rps_wins", 0)) + 1
    update_member_var("rps_wins", wins)
    result = f"{result} You have {wins} wins."

Member variables are saved as text, so int(...) turns the value back into a number. See Saving data.

Learn more#

Buttons and menus explains Views and when to use an event instead.
Views lists every View tool, like update_component and disable_all_components.
Interactions covers defer and respond_interaction.

You will make /rps. The bot shows three buttons. The player picks one, the bot picks one, and the reply shows who won.

You picked rock, I picked scissors. You win!

1. Create the command#

Open Create → Slash Command and switch to Advanced at the top of the form.

Field	Value
Command Name	`rps`
Description	`Play rock, paper, scissors`

Leave the Content / Reply Message box empty. The code writes the reply.

2. Add the buttons#

Open Pre-hook and paste:

python

class Game(View):
    def __init__(self, user_id):
        self.user_id = user_id   # only this member can click
        self.pick = None

    async def choose(self, interaction, pick):
        await defer(interaction, action="update")
        self.pick = pick
        self.stop()   # ends the game; the post-hook runs next

    @button(label="Rock", emoji="🪨", style="secondary", custom_id="rock")
    async def rock(self, interaction, component):
        await self.choose(interaction, "rock")

    @button(label="Paper", emoji="📄", style="secondary", custom_id="paper")
    async def paper(self, interaction, component):
        await self.choose(interaction, "paper")

    @button(label="Scissors", emoji="✂️", style="secondary", custom_id="scissors")
    async def scissors(self, interaction, component):
        await self.choose(interaction, "scissors")

game = Game(user_id=user.id)
game.interaction = interaction
set_view(game)
set_content(f"{user.mention}, pick one!")

What each part does:

Part	Job
`class Game(View)`	Makes a new set of buttons.
`self.user_id = user_id`	Only the member who ran `/rps` can click. Other clicks are ignored.
`@button(...)`	Adds one button. The function under it runs on a click.
`defer(interaction, action="update")`	Tells Discord "click received" within its 3-second limit.
`self.stop()`	Ends the View. No code after it in that function runs.
`set_view(game)`	Puts the buttons on the reply and waits for clicks.

Watch out

Do not call super().__init__() in your View, and do not call game.wait() yourself. set_view does the waiting for you.

3. Show the result#

Open Post-hook and paste:

python

if game.pick is None:
    result = "Too slow! The game ended."
else:
    bot_pick = random(["rock", "paper", "scissors"])
    beats = {"rock": "scissors", "paper": "rock", "scissors": "paper"}
    if game.pick == bot_pick:
        outcome = "It's a tie!"
    elif beats[game.pick] == bot_pick:
        outcome = "You win!"
    else:
        outcome = "I win!"
    result = f"You picked **{game.pick}**, I picked **{bot_pick}**. {outcome}"

await respond_interaction(interaction, content=result)

The post-hook runs after the View ends. That happens after a click, or after 3 minutes with no click. If the time runs out, game.pick is still None.

respond_interaction changes the reply text and removes the buttons.

4. Try it#

Save, then run /rps in your server. Click a button.

Ask a friend to click your buttons. Nothing happens for them, because of user_id.

Make it better#

Keep score#

Save wins with a member variable. Add this to the post-hook, just before the respond_interaction line:

python

if game.pick is not None and outcome == "You win!":
    wins = int(member_var("rps_wins", 0)) + 1
    update_member_var("rps_wins", wins)
    result = f"{result} You have {wins} wins."

Member variables are saved as text, so int(...) turns the value back into a number. See Saving data.

Learn more#

Buttons and menus explains Views and when to use an event instead.
Views lists every View tool, like update_component and disable_all_components.
Interactions covers defer and respond_interaction.