The Digital Playroom

 In every game we give the dots new rules, which become increasingly complex as the games progress.

Foraging
See the entire run [video, 259K]
Game #1 -- Foraging

Watch independent dots -- or agents -- "swarm" when following simple rules.

Rules:

  1. Look around to locate food (yellow areas);
  2. Get enough food to meet your needs;
  3. Don't step on anyone else's square;
  4. Agents who don't meet their food needs die.
Each agent starts in a random spot, with random levels of vision and food requirements. Consumed food grows back slowly.

What's going on?
Each agent, following the rules independently, heads for the food -- two concentrations in the north and one in the south. A swarm pattern emerges, much like among ants at a picnic.

Note that some of the agents hang out at the periphery. Some don't have good enough vision and can't see food from afar. They eventually die. Others have low food needs, and can continue to survive on the edges eating very little.





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