Initial Condition for Life
A browser puzzle built on Conway’s Game of Life, with constrained build areas, obstacles, and a level editor.
Origin.
The idea arrived while reading The Grand Design. Conway’s Game of Life appeared as an example of complex behavior emerging from a few simple rules.
Give that system a goal, and the demonstration becomes a game.
How it works.
Choose the starting cells, run the simulation, and try to reach the target. Obstacles and protected areas limit what can be changed. Once the simulation starts, the rules take over.
An editor is included so players can create, save, and share their own puzzles.
Current state
Status / Released
Released.
Live in the browser, with a playable puzzle set and a player-facing level editor.
Build notes
From the work.
The rule that made it a puzzle
A target was not enough. Restricting the editable area and putting obstacles in the way stopped the obvious solutions and made the initial state matter.