Workshop › Conway's Game of Life › Step 12 of 32

Count the generations

What we are doing

How old is the world? A counter generation starts at 0 with every new soup and grows by 1 with every step.

```js
let generation

function randomize() {
  grid = grid.map((row) => row.map(() => (Math.random() < 0.25 ? 1 : 0)))
  generation = 0
}

  grid = next
  generation += 1
}
```

What it means

• let generation declares the counter.
• randomize sets it to 0: a new world starts at generation 0.
• generation += 1 at the end of step adds one for each new generation.

Your turn

1. Under let grid ... write let generation.
2. At the end of randomize, write generation = 0.
3. At the end of step, under grid = next, write generation += 1.

Skills: Game states

← Next generation with N Show the generation →

All steps

1. The board
2. Measure the grid
3. One living cell
4. A function that draws
5. The world in memory
6. Draw every living cell
7. A random soup
8. Count the neighbours
9. Four rules
10. Draw again and again
11. Next generation with N
12. Count the generations
13. Show the generation
14. A world without edges
15. Count the living
16. A generation every few frames
17. Let it live
18. Running or not
19. One place for the buttons
20. Space to play, N to step
21. Clear and shuffle
22. Where is the pointer?
23. Which cell?
24. Click a cell
25. Paint or erase?
26. Drag to paint
27. Patterns from text
28. The glider gun
29. Fire the gun
30. Buttons on the screen
31. Tap the buttons
32. Build it yourself: a world at rest