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Nash AI·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

IntermediatePrefer not to say
May 2026Remote

Summary

Nash AI gave me a coding round that was basically 'build a real game from scratch.' One question, but it had enough moving parts to keep me busy for a while.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Implement a Minesweeper game class that takes board dimensions and mine count, randomly places mines on initialization, and supports a click operation that reveals cells, triggers a loss on mines, and recursively reveals connected empty regions. Include a console-based display so the game is actually playable.

Algorithms & Data StructuresSystem Design
Author's notes

This one took me a minute to even figure out where to start.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying requirements and edge cases, then outline the class design with clear responsibilities. Implement the core logic using a 2D grid and recursive flood fill for revealing empty regions, and finally add a simple console display and input loop to make it playable.

Pro tip: Mention that you'll separate game logic from display to improve testability and maintainability, and discuss how you'd handle edge cases like first-click safety or large boards to show production-level thinking.

1. Clarify requirements and constraints

Ask about board size limits, mine placement rules (e.g., first-click safety), and expected behavior for invalid inputs. Confirm whether recursion depth is a concern and if iterative flood fill is preferred.

2. Design the class and data structures

Define a Cell class or use parallel arrays to track mine status, revealed state, and adjacent mine counts. Outline public methods: constructor, click(row, col), and display.

3. Implement mine placement and neighbor counting

Randomly place mines using a set to avoid duplicates, then compute adjacent mine counts for each cell. Ensure O(1) neighbor checks with boundary validation.

4. Implement click logic with recursive reveal

Handle mine click (game over), reveal cell, and if adjacent count is zero, recursively reveal neighbors. Use a visited set or mark cells to avoid infinite recursion.

5. Add console display and game loop

Print the board with hidden/revealed cells and flags, and implement a simple input loop for clicks. Optionally add win condition detection.

Key Points to Mention

  • Use a 2D array or list of lists to represent the board, with separate structures for mines and revealed state.
  • Implement flood fill using recursion or an explicit stack/queue to avoid stack overflow on large boards.
  • Ensure random mine placement is uniform and avoids duplicates, e.g., using a set or shuffling.
  • Handle edge cases: clicking a mine, clicking an already revealed cell, out-of-bounds clicks, and winning condition.
  • Separate game logic from display for testability; consider a Cell class or enum for state.
  • Discuss time and space complexity: O(R*C) for initialization and worst-case reveal, O(R*C) space.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.