Transport

Movement direction

Chains average their members’ original directions. The heading stays fixed until membership changes. Compasses continue turning in the background. Blocked chains retain their directions.

Rebirth at original location

A cell dying away from home attempts one return after movement. Occupied homes and competing returns fail. Unique returns replace ordinary birth proposals and start fresh chain tenure.

Birth threshold4

Empty sites are born with 4 or more original living neighbors.

Minimum contacts2

Recursively remove cells with fewer than 2 remaining neighbors.

Maximum chain size20

Above 20 members, remove oldest chain-entry cohorts until within capacity. Every cell tied at the cutoff dies together; then recheck support.

Compass turn interval1

Turn after 1 private Steps, after voting.

Compass turn amount1

Advance 1 × 45° in each cell’s permanent rotation sense.

Births read the starting board and wait until next Step to join a chain. Unsupported strands peel completely. A size cap below the contact minimum plus one allows no survivors.

028GOL

Drifting Chains

Supported chains shed their oldest members as they grow. Travel by rotating compasses or fixed initial directions, and return dead travelers to their original locations.

Explore the collection Rules & reproducibility

Current composition

01Empty sites birth at 4+ original neighbors.
02Peel unsupported life until every remaining cell has 2+ remaining contacts.
03Above 20 members, shed oldest chain-entry cohorts, including all ties. Recheck support and split surviving pieces.
04Average original fixed directions. Move each surviving chain every turn when every destination is available.
05Newborns block movement and join chain analysis next Step. Compasses turn after voting. Exact ties and competing claims rest. Deaths away from home attempt rebirth at their original location after movement.

Try Loops and branches to compare a supported loop, a collapsing strand and an oversized tied cohort. Pruning and size decisions inspect whole connected groups.

Selected cell

Position: (80, 80) · Alive
Original neighbors: 1 / 8
Recursive support: Pruned in round 1
Chain size: 0 / 20 maximum before shedding · includes self
Chain seniority: No chain tenure yet
Capacity decision: No qualified chain
Original location: (80, 80)
Initial direction: N · used for this vote
Home return: Died at home
Private compass: N · counterclockwise · clock 0 / 1
Chain votes: No retained chain
Resultant: None
Source fate: Pruned
Destination claims: No valid target
Next site: Empty
Previous home arrival: No home arrival at this site
Previous source action: No previous Step evidence

Experiment index028 / 100

Game of Life: Drifting Chains

Paused · Toroidal

160 × 160 · generation 0

SurvivorNewbornArrivalBlockedHome rebirth

Chains shed their oldest members as they grow. Violet cells have returned to their original locations.

Paint to change cells, or enable Inspect cell. Arrow keys select; Enter paints; P plays/pauses; S steps.