The Game of Life is not your typical computer game. It is a cellular automaton, and was invented by Cambridge mathematician John Conway.

This game became widely known when it was mentioned in an article published by Scientific American in 1970.

It consists of a grid of cells which, based on a few mathematical rules, can live, die or multiply. Depending on the initial conditions, the cells form various patterns throughout the course of the game.

The Rules of Life

Life

Death

Generation

1. Any live cell with two or three live neighbours survives.

2. Any dead cell with three live neighbours becomes a live cell.

3. All other live cells die in the next generation. Similarly, all other dead cells stay dead.