List of digital organism simulators

This is a list of Artificial life/Digital organism simulators, organized by the method of creature definition.

Program-based

These contain organisms with a complex DNA language, usually Turing complete. This language is more often in the form of a computer program than actual biological DNA. Assembly derivatives are the most common languages used. Use of cellular automata is common but not required.

* Avida
* breve (actually a multi-purpose simulation environment)
* Darwinbots
* Evolve 4.0
* Framsticks
* Tierra
* Micropond

Module-based

Individual modules are added to a creature. These modules modify the creature's behaviors and characteristics either directly, by hard coding into the simulation (leg type A increases speed and metabolism), or indirectly, through the emergent interactions between a creature's modules (leg type A moves up and down with a frequency of X, which interacts with other legs to create motion). Generally these are simulators which emphasize user creation and accessibility over mutation and evolution.
* TechnoSphere

Parameter-based

Organisms are generally constructed with pre-defined and fixed behaviors that are controlled by various parameters that mutate. That is, each organism contains a collection of numbers or other "finite" parameters. Each parameter controls one or several aspects of an organism in a well-defined way.
* Kyresoo Plants

Neural net–based

These simulations have creatures that learn and grow using neural nets or a close derivative. Emphasis is often, although not always, more on learning than on natural selection.

* Creatures (a game)
* Noble Ape
* Polyworld