# GoCAKs — Programming Battle Game

> Programming Battle Game (iPhone/iPad app by Hiroki Saito.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gocaks/id6462423363 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Hiroki Saito](https://appshunter.io/developer/1702968509)
- Category: Games, Education, Simulation, Strategy
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 16.1 · 36 MB
- Languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish and 4 more
- Released: 2023-08-18
- Data updated: 2026-06-22
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gocaks/id6462423363/reviews.md

## What is GoCAKs?

"GoCAKs" is a game where you create programs and battle.

In "GoCAKs," you create cellular automaton programs.
Cellular automata are like programmed life forms living in a 2D grid world.
Following the programs you give them, they move around, fight, help each other, and self-replicate.

Programming cellular automata requires no difficult prerequisite knowledge.
Simply arranging simple commands allows you to achieve advanced behaviors.

Furthermore, cellular automaton programming is simple yet deeply profound.
With only a carefully selected small set of commands and a simple execution model, it is designed to achieve complex behaviors—like multicellular organisms where individual cells cooperate.

"GoCAKs" has two game modes.

The first is a puzzle-like Time Attack mode where you clear stages within limited time and moves.
In Time Attack mode, as you work to clear stages, you naturally learn fundamental programming concepts such as loops, branches, and variables.

The second is a Creative mode where you freely create cellular automata and 2D grid worlds.
In Creative mode, you can pit the cellular automata you've created against each other in a survival competition.
You can also have your cellular automata interact and experiment to see what kinds of emergent phenomena arise.

Express your creativity to the world.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6 — 2026-06-15

This version includes the following new feature:

Added Realtime Battle to Network Battle mode. Invite a friend and battle live, right then and there.
Network Battle now offers two types: Realtime Battle and Non-Realtime Battle.

### 1.5 — 2026-03-22

This version includes the following new features and improvements:

Added background images to the top menu, library, and network battle mode menu screens.
Improved screen display in landscape mode.

### 1.4 — 2026-03-16

This version includes the following new features and improvements:

Added Network Battle Mode. Each player registers their initial PENTAN placement. The outcome is determined by deterministic simulation, so you need to strategically decide your initial placement.
Added PENTAN and Grid export/import functionality.
Added PENTAN and Grid showcases to the help pages.
Added support for more languages.
Improved generation calculation and rendering algorithms.

### 1.3 — 2023-09-02

In this version, we've made the following enhancements:

Added YouTube videos on "How to Play GoCAKs".
Introduced example programs to the Cell Library.

### 1.2 — 2023-08-31

In this version, we've implemented the following enhancements:

Introduced localizations for Chinese, Hindi, German, and French.
Optimized the view layout for landscape orientation.

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*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 2026-06-22.*