Online Tool Store
Game of Life Simulator
Click cells to set a starting pattern (or load a preset like the glider) and step through Conway's Game of Life generation by generation.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
Conway's Game of Life
Click cells to toggle them, or load the glider preset below.
Generation 0 · Live cells 0
Glider preset loaded — press Play to watch it move across the grid.
How Game of Life Simulator works
- Click cells on the 20×20 grid to toggle them alive or dead, or press Load glider for a ready-made moving pattern.
- Press Play to run the simulation continuously, or Step to advance exactly one generation at a time.
- Each generation, every cell is re-evaluated at once from its 8 neighbours and the whole grid updates together.
- Use Randomize for a fresh chaotic starting grid, or Clear to start from a blank canvas.
The formula
Conway's Game of Life is a zero-player cellular automaton. Every cell's next state depends only on how many of its 8 neighbours are alive right now:
next(alive) = neighbours ∈ {2, 3} · next(dead) = neighbours = 3
This is written B3/S23 (birth on 3, survival on 2 or 3). Applied to the whole grid simultaneously each tick, this handful of rules produces gliders, oscillators, and stable "still life" shapes from almost any starting pattern.
FAQ
What rules does this simulator use?
The standard Conway rule set, B3/S23: a dead cell with exactly 3 live neighbours is born, a live cell with 2 or 3 live neighbours survives, and every other cell dies from under- or overpopulation on the next generation.
Why does the glider move diagonally?
The glider is a 5-cell pattern that, under B3/S23, reproduces its own shape shifted one cell diagonally every 4 generations — it is the smallest naturally "moving" pattern in the game, discovered in 1970.
Does this simulator send my grid anywhere?
No. The grid, the generation loop, and every cell you click are computed and drawn locally on the canvas in your browser — nothing about your pattern is uploaded.
Can I design my own starting pattern?
Yes — click Clear, then click individual cells to toggle them alive, and press Play or Step to see how your pattern evolves under the rules.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | Doing it manually | A generic online tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| No file upload — runs in your browser | ✓ | N/A | ✗ |
| No sign-up required | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free, no watermark | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Compared with writing your own simulation loop in a spreadsheet macro or a command-line script, this widget gives you an interactive, click-to-edit grid with Play/Step/Randomize controls and a ready-made glider preset — no code to write or run locally.