nim_improved.py

# Game of Nim

def welcomeMessage():
    print\
 """
This is a 2 player game.
The computer-human based game will be made soon.
There are a total of 13 sticks.
Each player choses minimum 1 and maximum 4 sticks in one turn.
The player who picks up the last stick wins.
All the best to both players.
"""

def get_players():
    player1 = raw_input("What is player 1's name?")
    player2 = raw_input("What is player 2's name?")
    return player1, player2
    
def gameLogic():
    totalSticks = 13
    numberOfSticksPicked = 0
    turn = 1
    while totalSticks:
        print"Number of sticks remaining: ", totalSticks
        print "Player", turn, "'s turn."
        numberOfSticksPicked = int(raw_input("Pick minimum 1 and maximum 4 sticks.\n"))
        if numberOfSticksPicked > totalSticks\
        or numberOfSticksPicked > 4\
        or numberOfSticksPicked < 1:
            print"That is not allowed. Try picking again."
            continue
        totalSticks = totalSticks - numberOfSticksPicked
        if turn == 1:
            turn = 2
        elif turn == 2:
            turn = 1

    if turn == 1:
        return 1
    else:
        return 0

def winMessage(turn,player1,player2):
    if turn:
        print player2 + " won."
    else:
        print player1 + " won."
    
    

def main():
    welcomeMessage()
    player1, player2 = get_players()
    turn = gameLogic()
    winMessage(turn,player1,player2)

#Starting the program
main()