# Game of Life (cellular automaton)

> Cellular automaton simulation based on John Horton Conway's Game of Life. (iPhone/iPad app by Thomas Lanz.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-of-life-cellular-automaton/id804048892 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Thomas Lanz](https://appshunter.io/developer/804048895)
- Category: Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.20/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 5 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 6.0 · 4 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-01-27
- Data updated: 2026-06-07
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-of-life-cellular-automaton/id804048892/reviews.md

## What is Game of Life (cellular automaton)?

FEATURES:

* variable grid size
* option to draw a grid at lower resolutions
* simulation display with zoom functionality
* set initial generation at random or draw your own initial generation
* special initial generation: glider gun (can be positioned on simulation display) and ticker (programmable text)
* option to fade out previous generations
* option to colorize the age of living cells
* choose between an infinite and a finite grid
* set simulation speed between 0x (next generation manual) and 100x and change the value during runtime

DESCRIPTION:

"The Game of Life [...] is a cellular automaton devised by the British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970.

[...]

The universe of the Game of Life is an infinite two-dimensional orthogonal grid of square cells, each of which is in one of two possible states, alive or dead. Every cell interacts with its eight neighbours, which are the cells that are horizontally, vertically, or diagonally adjacent. At each step in time, the following transitions occur:

* Any live cell with fewer than two live neighbours dies, as if caused by under-population.
* Any live cell with two or three live neighbours lives on to the next generation.
* Any live cell with more than three live neighbours dies, as if by overcrowding.
* Any dead cell with exactly three live neighbours becomes a live cell, as if by reproduction.

The initial pattern constitutes the seed of the system. The first generation is created by applying the above rules simultaneously to every cell in the seed—births and deaths occur simultaneously, and the discrete moment at which this happens is sometimes called a tick (in other words, each generation is a pure function of the preceding one). The rules continue to be applied repeatedly to create further generations."

Source of description: wikipedia.org

## Key features

- Variable grid size
- Customizable initial generation
- Simulation display with zoom
- Special patterns (glider gun, ticker)
- Fade out previous generations
- Colorize cell age
- Infinite or finite grid options

## Recent user reviews (5 of 5)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-of-life-cellular-automaton/id804048892/reviews.md

### 1/5 — It doesn’t work

*2022-02-17, version 1.1*

Once you hit play everything disappears.  The simulation seems to be running, but nothing is displayed on screen.

### 2/5 — There is nothing to see

*2021-06-27, version 1.1*

This game does not have any ENTERTAINMENT!!!!! Like srsly y?

### 1/5 — Nothing Happens

*2020-04-12, version 1.1*

There is nothing that appears, no grid, no blocks.

### 3/5 — Looks great but..

*2020-03-07*

Looks to be a great app but I can’t see any of the visualizations. Wonder if it might need an update for the latest os?

### 5/5 — Interesting App! Very well designed!

*2016-11-04, version 1.1*

Not a whole lot of people know about Game of Life. But once you know the rules it gets super interesting, especially implementing different algorithms to improve performance. 

Developer has done an excellent job designing the UI.

## Frequently asked questions about Game of Life (cellular automaton)

### What is Game of Life?

Game of Life is a cellular automaton simulation devised by John Horton Conway. It's a grid-based system where cells can be alive or dead, evolving based on simple rules applied to their neighbors.

### How does Game of Life work?

The simulation applies rules to each cell: live cells with fewer than two or more than three neighbors die, live cells with two or three neighbors survive, and dead cells with exactly three neighbors become alive.

### Can I customize the simulation in Game of Life?

Yes, you can adjust the grid size, draw your own initial patterns, use special patterns like glider guns, and control simulation speed from 0x to 100x.

### Does Game of Life have ads?

No, this application does not contain advertisements.

### What devices support Game of Life?

Game of Life is supported on iPhone and iPod devices.

### What is the age rating for Game of Life?

The app has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

### How often is Game of Life updated?

The app was last updated on May 2, 2014, with version 1.1. It was initially released on January 27, 2014.

### What are the user reviews like for Game of Life?

The app has an average rating of 2.2 stars based on 11 ratings, indicating mixed user sentiment.

## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 1.1 — 2014-05-02

* new app design
* improved algorithm to calculate new generations
* new initial generation "ticker" (inspired by "Golly ticker")
* added zoom functionality to simulation display
* new color options
* grid at lower resolutions

### 1.0 — 2014-01-27

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Game of Life (cellular automaton)

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Game of Life AI](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-of-life-ai/id6736946156) | — | $0.99 | Entertainment |
| [altDQ](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altdq/id6738352231) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Entertainment |
| [The Dinner App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-dinner-app/id6743175940) | — | Free | Entertainment |
| [Lucky Balls - Physics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lucky-balls-physics/id6476054606) | — | Free | Entertainment |
| [Keybok](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keybok/id1666502850) | — | Free | Entertainment |
| [WUYD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wuyd/id6445965320) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Entertainment |

## Related topics

[golly](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/golly)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-07.*