What is Conway's Game of Life?

Conway's Game of Life is a cellular automaton devised by mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970. It is a zero-player game where an initial pattern evolves over time according to simple rules, producing complex and often unpredictable behaviour on a two-dimensional grid.

What are the rules of the Game of Life?

The Game of Life has four simple rules: a live cell with fewer than two live neighbours dies (underpopulation), a live cell with two or three live neighbours survives, a live cell with more than three live neighbours dies (overpopulation), and a dead cell with exactly three live neighbours becomes alive (reproduction).

Is the Game of Life Turing complete?

Yes, Conway's Game of Life is Turing complete, meaning it can simulate any computation that a standard computer can perform. Structures like glider guns and logic gates can be constructed within the game to carry out arbitrary computations.

What are common patterns in the Game of Life?

Common patterns include still lifes (stable configurations like Block and Beehive), oscillators (repeating patterns like Blinker and Pulsar), and spaceships (patterns that move across the grid like the Glider). The Glider Gun, discovered by Bill Gosper in 1970, periodically generates new gliders.

Home▸Chaos & Dynamics▸Conway's Game of Life - Cellular Automaton, Emergence and Turing Completeness

🧪 Conway's Game of Life - Cellular Automaton, Emergence and Turing Completeness

Interactive Conway's Game of Life with zoom, pan, draw, and speed controls. Discover gliders, oscillators, still lifes, and Turing-complete patterns. A classic introduction to emergence and computer science theory.

Chaos & Dynamics2DModerate60 FPS

⚙ Under the hood

This simulation demonstrates the rules of Conway's Game of Life, a cellular automaton that exhibits emergent behavior and is considered Turing complete. Users can manipulate the initial state of the grid to observe how patterns evolve and interact, illustrating concepts like self-replication and complex systems.

Game of LifeCellular AutomatonTuring Completeness

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install