Conway's Game of Life implementation in Python

import random import time import os

def clear_screen(): # Clear screen command based on OS os.system('cls' if os.name == 'nt' else 'clear')

def create_grid(width, height): """Create a random initial grid""" return [[random.choice([0, 1]) for _ in range(width)] for _ in range(height)]

def print_grid(grid): """Print the current state of the grid""" for row in grid: print(''.join(['■' if cell else '□' for cell in row]))

def count_neighbors(grid, x, y): """Count the number of live neighbors for a cell""" height, width = len(grid), len(grid[0]) count = 0

# Check all 8 neighboring cells
for i in range(-1, 2):
    for j in range(-1, 2):
        if i == 0 and j == 0:  # Skip the cell itself
            continue
        # Use modulo to wrap around the grid (toroidal)
        neighbor_x, neighbor_y = (x + i) % width, (y + j) % height
        count += grid[neighbor_y][neighbor_x]
        
return count

def next_generation(grid): """Calculate the next generation based on Conway's Game of Life rules""" height, width = len(grid), len(grid[0]) new_grid = [[0 for _ in range(width)] for _ in range(height)]

for y in range(height):
    for x in range(width):
        neighbors = count_neighbors(grid, x, y)
        # Apply the rules of Conway's Game of Life
        if grid[y][x] == 1:  # Cell is alive
            if neighbors < 2 or neighbors > 3:
                new_grid[y][x] = 0  # Dies from underpopulation or overpopulation
            else:
                new_grid[y][x] = 1  # Survives
        else:  # Cell is dead
            if neighbors == 3:
                new_grid[y][x] = 1  # Becomes alive from reproduction
                
return new_grid

Main simulation

width, height = 20, 10 grid = create_grid(width, height)

Run 5 generations

for generation in range(5): clear_screen() print(f"Generation {generation + 1}") print_grid(grid) grid = next_generation(grid) time.sleep(1) # Pause to see each generation