# Golly

> Open source cellular automata explorer for Conway's Game of Life and more. (iPhone/iPad app by Andrew Trevorrow.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golly/id553184760 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Andrew Trevorrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/553184763)
- Category: Games, Simulation
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 45 App Store ratings · 29 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 14 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-08-28
- Data updated: 2026-06-11
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golly/id553184760/reviews.md

## What is Golly?

Golly is an open source, cross-platform application for exploring Conway's Game of Life and many other types of cellular automata.

Key features:
Supports bounded and unbounded universes, with cells of up to 256 states.
Supports multiple algorithms, including Bill Gosper's super fast hashlife algorithm.
Many different types of CA are included: John von Neumann's 29-state CA, Wolfram's 1D rules, WireWorld, Generations, Langton's Loops, Larger than Life, etc.
Reads RLE, macrocell, Life 1.05/1.06, dblife, and MCell files.
Can extract patterns and rules from zip files.
Can download patterns and rules from online archives.
Includes a state-of-the-art pattern collection.
Unlimited undo/redo.
Extensive help, with an integrated Life Lexicon.

## Key features

- Supports bounded and unbounded universes
- Multiple algorithms including hashlife
- Variety of cellular automata types included
- Reads multiple file formats (RLE, macrocell, etc.)
- Extracts patterns and rules from zip files
- Downloads patterns and rules from online archives
- Unlimited undo/redo

## Recent user reviews (10 of 29)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golly/id553184760/reviews.md

### 5/5 — A masterpiece

*2025-05-30, version 1.5*

Einfach nur geil…

### 5/5 — BRING BACK DARK MODE

*2024-09-20, version 1.5*

My eyes 😭

### 3/5 — its ok but tiamat is better

*2024-08-22, version 1.3*

i like how theres different engines & how u can run it super fast but pookies ima be honest im not using it bc it doesnt support continuous automata (like Lenia for example) and it also doesnt support multi layer automata like Widelife which is my ruleset and the whole reason i got this... i get that continuous automata is rlly hard to run but like multi layer is not so it would be nice to have that yk... til then ill use tiamat for most stuff but i like how the universe is gigantic yet u can do millions of cycles per second

### 5/5 — +++++

*2021-01-15, version 1.3*

Very good app or game :)

### 5/5 — Best Game of Life for iPad

*2020-04-16, version 1.2*

I looked at every Conway’s Game of Life app, and this is by far the best. Not only does it allow a huge field that’s very easy to zoom in to draw, but you can switch between Draw and Move modes so you don’t accidentally draw while you’re trying to zoom in or out.  Of course it comes with all the other features you’d expect but a lot of GOL don’t have.

A pretty large library of patterns comes with it, and as a bonus there’s documentation on each pattern.

And best of all, you can even change the ruleset to explore other interesting universes.

### 5/5 — Danke!

*2020-03-05, version 1.2*

Tolle App um Game of Life zu spielen.
Funktioniert problemlos.

### 5/5 — this is e🅱️ic

*2019-05-23, version 1.2*

lit 👌💯🗿

### 5/5 — iPhone support?

*2018-01-30, version 1.2*

This would be complete if made Universal.

### 5/5 — I know it’s a lot of work.

*2017-10-11, version 1.2*

pls add support for weighted life

### 5/5 — The one to get

*2017-03-10, version 1.1*

If you are wondering which version of Conway's Game of Life to download look no further. This is the definitive cellular automaton app. Faster than the competition (hence the name), with multiple rules available, as well as access to the main online libraries and the ability to save.

## Frequently asked questions about Golly

### What is Golly?

Golly is an open-source application designed for exploring Conway's Game of Life and a wide range of other cellular automata. It allows users to create, simulate, and analyze complex patterns and rules within these computational systems.

### What are the key features of Golly?

Key features include support for bounded and unbounded universes with up to 256 states, multiple algorithms like hashlife, various cellular automata types (e.g., von Neumann's CA, Wolfram's 1D rules), and the ability to read and extract patterns from multiple file formats. It also offers unlimited undo/redo and an integrated Life Lexicon.

### Is Golly free to use?

Yes, Golly is an open-source application and is completely free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements associated with its use.

### What kind of patterns can I explore with Golly?

Golly supports a vast array of patterns and rules for cellular automata. This includes standard Conway's Game of Life patterns, John von Neumann's 29-state CA, Wolfram's 1D rules, WireWorld, Generations, Langton's Loops, and Larger than Life, among many others.

### Can I import my own patterns into Golly?

Yes, Golly supports importing patterns from various file formats, including RLE, macrocell, Life 1.05/1.06, dblife, and MCell files. You can also extract patterns and rules directly from zip files.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5 — 2024-09-17

Fixed a number of bugs that caused the app to freeze.
Rule files are displayed alphabetically.
Auto-correction when editing text has been disabled.
The app always runs in Light mode.

### 1.4 — 2024-09-05

Folders and files in the Open tab are now sorted alphabetically.
Added support for accessing patterns and rules in the Files app.
Increased the maximum hash memory to 500 MB.
Fixed the version number in the initial status message.
Fixed a bug that could prevent pasting into a bounded grid.
Fixed various cosmetic problems.
Auto correction is turned off when editing rule/pattern text.
Added more supplied patterns.

### 1.3 — 2020-12-22

Includes a new Super algorithm. 
The Larger than Life algorithm now supports HROT format rules,
B0 emulation and many new neighborhoods including weighted
and custom neighborhoods.

### 1.2 — 2017-10-06

Supports the Larger than Life family of rules.
Supports non-totalistic rules.
Major update to the Life Lexicon.
Various bug fixes.

### 1.1 — 2013-06-03

- This version introduces a new rule format.  A file in the new format has a .rule extension and contains all the information about the rule: its name, description, table/tree data, and any color/icon information.

- The RuleTable and RuleTree algorithms have been replaced by a new algorithm called RuleLoader.

- If the Paste button sees pasteboard text starting with "@RULE rulename" then it will save the text as Documents/Rules/rulename.rule and switch to that rule.

- When the Rule dialog is switched to the RuleLoader algorithm it will display links to all the .rule files in Documents/Rules/ and to the supplied .rule files.

- Icons can be displayed at scales 1:8, 1:16 and 1:32 by turning on the "Show icons" option in either the Settings tab or the Pattern tab's state picker window.

- Fixed a bug that could cause the Undo/Redo buttons to be incorrectly enabled/disabled after tapping STOP.

- The Open tab has READ and EDIT links that let you display or change the contents of pattern files.  Only files stored in the Documents folder can be edited.

- After tapping on a DELETE link you now get a warning dialog asking if you really want to delete the corresponding file.

- The size of text in the Help tab has been increased.

- Added support for iTunes file sharing.

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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 2026-06-11.*