
Free
About
Vivarium transforms Conway's Game of Life into a living microscope slide.
Watch as cells evolve, merge, and form complex organisms — all rendered in real-time with AAA-quality graphics powered by Apple's Metal GPU framework.
STUNNING VISUALS
• Per-pixel metaball rendering creates smooth, organic shapes — no blocky grids
• 3D lighting with dual specular highlights and Fresnel rim effects
• Subsurface scattering simulates light passing through cell membranes
• Bloom, chromatic aberration, and film grain for an authentic microscope feel
• Six handcrafted visual themes: Vivarium, Deep Ocean, Ember, Aurora, Neon Pulse, Monochrome
INTERACTIVE SIMULATION
• Pinch to zoom into the cellular world
• Draw cells with your finger — smart draw/erase detects your intent
• Place classic patterns: Glider, Pulsar, Gosper Glider Gun, and more
• Adjustable simulation speed from 1 to 60 generations per second
• Four grid sizes from 64×64 to 512×512
CLASSIC PATTERNS INCLUDED
• Glider — the iconic traveler
• Lightweight Spaceship — fast-moving vessel
• Pulsar — mesmerizing period-3 oscillator
• Gosper Glider Gun — infinite glider factory
• R-Pentomino — chaos from five cells
• And more: Acorn, Diehard, Pentadecathlon
BUILT FOR APPLE
• Native Metal compute shaders for buttery-smooth 60fps
• Resolution-independent rendering — pixel-perfect on iPhone SE to iPad Pro
• Supports all orientations and screen sizes
• iOS 26 Liquid Glass interface design
• Zero data collection, zero ads, zero tracking
Vivarium is completely free. No in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no compromise.
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What's New in Vivarium
0.3
March 17, 2026
some bugfixes