Rustys Game of Life

Features

• Simulation in Rust: Write modular and fast core game logic in Rust.
• CML Integration: Allow parts to be done in command line for debugging and non web-app usage.
• Web Integration: Use react to fully integrate Rust using WebAssembly. Create games and rules with graphical interface.
• Multiple Gametypes: Expand to produce alternate simulations such as elementals, water, etc.

Technologies Used

• Rust: Core simulation logic.
• Web Assembly: Compile Rust for Web Use.
• React: Interactivity display.
• Cargo: Rust Package and Build Manager.

Goals

Going into this project, I had a few goals. I wanted to learn rust as fast and effectively as possible, and provide myself with a strong challenge for doing so. Rusts high flexibility in web-development and embedded systems and its highly effective memory management system made me excited to build and learn with it.

A major goal was to create strong development habits and practices. I wanted to practice a test driven development, with many test cases written before any code was written. I wanted to define an MVP, and write out explicitly defined features I wanted to create. I finally wanted to practice version control, with all parts of this project developed strongly with github.

I finally wanted to continue practicing web technologies, and specifically combine a non-javascript code with frontend React to produce results.

Usage

Setup

1. Install Cargo

Features

MVP Features:

• Core Simulation for Conways game of life.
• Command line display for moving snapshots of game.
• Configurable initial setup (tile placements and game config)
• Pausable, forward game movement.
• Basic elements that use interactions similar to conways (air, stone, dirt, water).

Feature List

Core Features

• Simulate 2D Cells Game Grid
• Impliment Conways Rules
• Allow forward iteration

Command Line Integration

• Show grid in terminal
• Allow file initial configurations to be set
• Pause, resume, step through states

Web App Integration

• Provide app view of grid
• Allow forward and backward, playback speed control for browser
• Draw on board with clicks and interation
• Set the board state and edit anytime during simulation

Advanced Features

• Elements Simulation
• Alternate Gamemodes
• Store users past games on a home page