# The Cellular Automaton Method for Cave Generation

DevFeed: [The Cellular Automaton Method for Cave Generation](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-cellular-automaton-method-for-cave-generation-40282.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.jeremykun.com/2012/07/29/the-cellular-automaton-method-for-cave-generation/>)

Published: 2012-07-29T20:01:18Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Jeremy Kun](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jeremy-kun.md>)

Topics: [Cellular automaton](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cellular-automaton.md>), [procedural flowers](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/procedural-flowers.md>), [Game Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/game-development.md>), [Simulation](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/simulation.md>), [Computing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/computing.md>)

Tags: [article](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/article.md>), [cellular-automata](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cellular-automata.md>), [computing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/computing.md>), [game-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/game-development.md>), [graphics](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/graphics.md>), [javascript](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/javascript.md>), [mathematica](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mathematica.md>), [procedural-generation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/procedural-generation.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [simulation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/simulation.md>), [video-games](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/video-games.md>)

## AI overview

This article examines a practical application of cellular automata: procedural generation of cave-like levels in video games. It explains how randomized level generation can reduce hand-crafted design effort and increase replay value, placing the technique in the broader history of procedural content generation.

## Source excerpt

Dear reader, this post has an interactive simulation! We encourage you to play with it as you read the article below. In our series of posts on cellular automata, we explored Conway's classic Game of Life and discovered some interesting patterns therein. And then in our primers on computing theory, we built up a theoretical foundation for similar kinds of machines, including a discussion of Turing machines and the various computational complexity classes surrounding them.