Vivarium

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.