Conway's Game of Life - Online Cellular Automaton Simulator
Conway's Game of Life is a zero-player game invented by British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970. It is a two-dimensional cellular automaton that follows four simple rules yet produces remarkably complex and unpredictable emergent behavior.
The Four Rules
- Birth: A dead cell with exactly 3 live neighbors becomes alive
- Survival: A live cell with 2 or 3 live neighbors survives to the next generation
- Underpopulation: A live cell with fewer than 2 live neighbors dies
- Overpopulation: A live cell with more than 3 live neighbors dies
What is a Cellular Automaton?
A cellular automaton is a discrete model consisting of a grid of cells, where each cell's state updates synchronously based on its neighbors according to fixed rules. The Game of Life is Turing complete — it can simulate any computable process.
Classic Pattern Types
- Still Life: Patterns like Block and Beehive that remain stable
- Oscillator: Patterns like Blinker that cycle through states
- Spaceship: Patterns like Glider that move across the grid
- Glider Gun: A pattern that periodically produces new gliders
FAQ
What is Conway's Game of Life?
It's a cellular automaton devised by John Conway in 1970. Despite its name, it's not a game in the traditional sense but a mathematical model that simulates life-like evolutionary processes.
Why is it Turing complete?
The Game of Life can simulate logic gates (AND, OR, NOT) and memory, making it possible to construct a universal Turing machine within it.
How do I create patterns?
Click anywhere on the grid to toggle a cell's state (alive/dead). You can also load classic patterns from the Presets dropdown menu.
What is a Glider?
A Glider is the most famous moving pattern in the Game of Life. It consists of 5 live cells and moves diagonally one cell every 4 generations.