Siege durak/Podkidnoy (Throw-in) durak

Description

This is a network-based console version of the classic Russian card game "Podkidnoy Durak" (Throw-in Fool). Both the client and server are written in pure C.

TCP/IP sockets are used for network communication, enabling reliable data transfer via read and write system calls. The client and server follow an event-driven programming model using select() for I/O multiplexing.

Gameplay

Card suits: %, #, v, ^
Card ranks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A
Game phases: attack, defense, and throw-in

The game supports dynamic throw-ins based on real-time player reactions — whoever throws first, their card is accepted.

Hint system

Players receive visual hints based on their role:

Attacker: all cards of matching rank
Defender: cards that beat the attacking one (higher of same suit or trump)
Thrower: cards of the same rank as those already on the table

Players may press Enter to either surrender the defense or skip the throw-in phase.

The server analyzes each phase:

Determines whether the defender can beat the attack
If defense fails, transitions to the throw-in phase
If no throw-in is possible, moves to the next attack phase

During defense, the defender sees only one attacking card at a time (others see all cards).

Game State Machine (ASCII Diagram)

+-----------------+
|     ATTACK      |
| (attacker plays)|
+--------+--------+
         |
         v
+-----------------+
|     DEFENSE     |
| (defender tries |
|   to beat cards)|
+--------+--------+
         |
         v
+----------------------------+
| CAN OTHERS THROW-IN?       |
| (same rank as on table)    |
+------+----------+----------+
       |YES       |NO
       v           \
+-----------------+ \
| THROW-IN QUEUE  |  \
|                 |   \
| - If defender   |    \
|   already failed|     \
|   ≥1 card →     |      v
|   put all queued|  +----------------------------+
|   cards on table|  | DEFENSE RESULT?             |
|   → check again |  | - SUCCESS: defender becomes |
|                 |  |   next attacker             |
| - If still      |  | - FAIL: player after        |
|   defending well|  |   defender attacks next     |
|   → throw 1 card|  +----------------------------+
|   → DEFENSE     |
+-----------------+

Features & Technologies

Technologies

C programming language — for both client and server
POSIX sockets — TCP/IP networking
select() system call — event-driven I/O
Cross-platform — Linux, Windows, Android (via Termux)
Finite State Machine (FSM) for game phase control
Session tracking for each connected client
Separate adapted Windows client derived from the Linux version

Gameplay Features

Full support for "Podkidnoy Durak" rules: attack, defense, throw-in
Real-time interaction: whoever throws a card first wins the throw-in
Turn-based logic, respecting the rules of defending, beating, or taking cards
Hint system based on player role:
- Attacker — cards of matching rank
- Defender — suitable beating cards
- Thrower — cards matching any on the table
Game logic transparency — only defender sees current attack card; others see all
Supports multiple clients connected to the same server in real time
Automatic phase switching based on server logic without client-side decision delays

Building

On Linux (MacOS, FreeBSD, Android)

git clone https://git.scratko.xyz/durak
cd durak/linux_client
make
./client

Note: On Android, use a terminal like Termux, and install packages: clang, make, git.

On Windows

You can download a prebuilt Windows version with the server IP preset: Windows version: Download

Hosting Your Own Server

Build and run the server:
./server 1025 Choose a free port (≥1024).
Configure the client:
Open linux_client/client.c or windows_client/client.c:
- Line 14: set your server IP address (e.g., 127.0.0.1 for local)
- Line 15: set the same port used above
Build and run the client (no arguments required).

Questions? Contact: m@scratko.xyz