AC

Arcade of Life

A zero-dependency, no-build-step browser PWA: an arcade game collection powered by Conway's Game of Life and 50+ other cellular-automata rulesets. Features multiple game modes, a pluggable CPU/WebGL2 simulation backend with hashlife memoization, a 600+ pattern library, full level designer, and custom exotic engines. Play it now at aol.cognotik.com → — loads instantly, works offline, no account needed.
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Key Features

50+ Cellular Automata Rulesets

Conway's Game of Life plus 50+ other rulesets, including custom exotic engines: Teleological CA, Time-Integrated CA, and Fractional Lightcone CA.

  • 50+ standard and exotic CA rulesets
  • Teleological CA, Time-Integrated CA, Fractional Lightcone CA
  • Square, hex, and triangular grid topologies
  • LifeWiki-derived pattern library (600+ patterns)

Pluggable Simulation Backend

Tight CPU neighbor-counting or WebGL2 GPU for large grids, with hashlife memoization for exponential speedup on periodic patterns.

  • CPU and WebGL2 GPU backends
  • Hashlife memoization for periodic patterns
  • Adaptive VFX throttling
  • Procedural Web Audio SFX

Full Game & Editor Suite

Multiple game modes (Missile Defender, Space Invaders, Tower Defense, Fire Line), in-browser pattern editor, full level designer, and a console-hacking API.

  • Missile Defender, Space Invaders, Tower Defense, Fire Line
  • In-browser pattern editor
  • Full level designer
  • Console-hacking API for power users

Getting Started

No installation required — it's a browser PWA.

👉 Play now at aol.cognotik.com →

Add it to your home screen or desktop to play offline; the service worker caches everything after the first visit.

Quick Example

Game Modes — jump in and play →

  • Missile Defender — defend against CA-powered missiles
  • Space Invaders — classic arcade with CA aliens
  • Tower Defense — strategic CA-based tower defense
  • Fire Line — CA wildfire simulation game

Simulation Backends

  • CPU (tight neighbor-counting, all rulesets)
  • WebGL2 GPU (large grids, high performance)
  • Hashlife (exponential speedup for periodic patterns)

Pattern Library

  • 600+ patterns from LifeWiki
  • In-browser editor for custom patterns
  • Full level designer
  • Console API: CA.setRule('B3/S23'), CA.loadPattern('glider')

👉 Play at aol.cognotik.com · Source on GitHub · Also try Mathematical Explorations and Vocal Parkour

Technical Details

Technologies

JavaScriptES6 ModulesHTML5 CanvasWebGL2PWAWeb Audio APIService WorkersCellular Automata

Requirements

  • Modern web browser with JavaScript and WebGL2 support
  • No installation or account required
  • Offline-capable after first visit

Contribute to the Project

This is an open-source project. Contributions, bug reports, and feature requests are welcome from the community.

Contribute on GitHub