This is an implementation of Conway's Game of Life written as an exercise in learning Python, Pygame, and MVC. Written during Hacker School, Batch[4], Fall 2012.

The Rules

The universe is an infinite grid of square cells, each dead or alive. A cell dies or lives on to the next generation based on the states of its 8 neighbors. For every tick in time:

• any live cell with less than 2 live neighbors dies
• any live cell with exactly 2 or 3 live neighbors continues living
• any live cell with more than 3 live neighbors dies
• any dead cell with exactly 3 live neighbors becomes alive

Install Requirements

• Python 2.7.3
• Pygame
• a clone of this repo: git clone https://github.com/heyhuyen/pygame-of-life.git

Playing the Game

Run python life.py and behold, the universe!

Controls

1. Use the mouse to configure the universe's cells (the squares).
2. Hit the RETURN key to see them come to life.
3. Hit RETURN again to pause.
4. You can continue configuring cells while the universe is live or paused.

Cell Colors

• black = dead
• green = alive
• blue = your mouse position
• red = selected (configuring)

The Code

MVC + Event Manager structure modeled after this pygame tutorial.

event_manager.py : defines event classes and queues up event notifications to broadcast to registered listeners.

universe.py : the model. Game class maintains the game's state. Universe class represents the universe as 2-D list of 0s and 1s, where 0 is a dead cell and 1 is a live cell, and handles logic for evolution of cells from one generation to the next.

pygame_view.py : the view, which consists of a background with lines to depict a grid. Uses pygame sprites and sprite groups to render and update colored cells.

life.py : the controller. CPUSpinnerController class runs the game clock. InputController class handles mouse and keyboard input.

##Todo/Extension Ideas

• add a start/splash screen
• enable player to specify universe dimensions
• provide preconfigured patterns
• go backwards in time?!?!