OCA Discovery of the Year

The OCA Discovery of the Year (OCADOTY) competition is held each year on the ConwayLife.com forums as a counterpart to Pattern of the Year dedicated to rules other than Conway's Game of Life. Users are invited to submit interesting and noteworthy patterns, rules, families of rules, or projects relating to other cellular automata, their own or others'; following discussion, a final list is then curated, and a public vote held. All entries must have been found during the year in question.

Results by year

2020

Entries

The 2020 OCA Discovery of the Year competition is currently taking place, and is being organized by Peter Naszvadi and bubblegum.

Final rank	Stars	Pattern/Discovery	Author(s)	Link(s)
Description
N/A	0	Small natural replicator simulating W110	iNoMed	[1]
Replicator that follows the computationally universal 1D rule W110
N/A	0	Various LeapLife discoveries	Hunting	[2]
B2n3/S23-q (LeapLife), a near-Life rule with a diverse array of natural oscillators, p22 and p24 tech, and a tiny knightship
N/A	0	LFoD O(t^(3/2)) growth construction	FWKnightship and Aidan F. Pierce	[3]
Constructed pattern in B2/S0 (Live Free or Die) that grows with a complexity of O(t^(3/2))
N/A	0	Various W110 unit cell constructions	Naszvadi, FWKnightship, Layz Boi and GUYTU6J	[4]
Various W110 unit cells, rakes and stripes (noncompact unit cells): -including every B3xx/Syy rule not supporting Life's glider and having a constructed gun like Day and Night, Morley, Logarithmic replicator rule, B368/S12578. Other examples are in Live Free or Die, stripes in Seeds and in Life without death -TC 4-state vN OT rule emulated by B2ae3anq/S demonstrating the power of INT rules in proofs -14-state hex OT rule with a 2×2 CGoL unit cell and 4-state hex rule directly simulating CGoL
N/A	0	Box-pushing spaceships	Saka	[5]
Various spaceships including boxes with smaller spaceships pushing them from the inside, right triangles and crosses
N/A	0	Day and Night knightships incl. a growing one	AforAmpere and Adam P. Goucher	[6]
Various knightships in B3678/S34678 (Day and Night), including a growing knightship
N/A	0	Speed orthonoids and geminoids	cvojan	[7]
304c/11272 Orthogonoid and (700,100)c/72300 Geminoid in B2c3aeij4krtyz5cij6-ak7/S2-ik3-aek4aeiknw5a6ikn7 (Tubular)
N/A	0	B378/S23 first glider gun	Matthias Merzenich, Naszvadi and Paul Tooke	[8]
Márta guns, the first guns in B378/S23
N/A	0	Binary counter-stretcher-lograke-ship	Naszvadi	[9]
Binary counter one-ended wavestretcher/logarithmically-growing spaceship
N/A	0	Spaceship discovery progress in life-like vonNeumann rules	Naszvadi and Aidan F. Pierce	[10]
Various spaceships and replicators in R1 OT B0 VN rules
N/A	0	First Unit Cell's visualisation rule	Naszvadi	[11]
Visualisation of CGoL patterns in the first ever constucted p5760 unit cell grid
N/A	0	B36/S245-alike logreplicator	AforAmpere	[12]
Replicator emulating the B36/S245 logarithmic replicator
N/A	0	Oblique (421,1)c/867 ship	AforAmpere	[13]
Spaceship moving at (421,1)c/867
N/A	0	Wire-like rule 1e2-a3-cij4kaijrtz5cnrq/2ce3aejnr4aj5y6a/3	silversmith	[14]
1e2-a3-cij4kaijrtz5cnrq/2ce3aejnr4aj5y6a/3 (A Wire-Like World), a universal Generations wiring rule with complex dynamic circuitry and construction capabilities
N/A	0	Various oscillators and spaceships in HROT rules	lemon41625, Saka, Chris Rowett and Hunting	[15]
Oscillators and spaceships in HROT rules: -Spaceships and oscillators constructed from two circular chequerboards fighting for territory, by lemon41625 and Saka -[16] Rocket rules in the cross neighbourhood, by Chris Rowett and Hunting
N/A	0	Crystal Chaos HROT rule	muzik	[17]
R2,C0,S4-7,9-11,B4,NB (Crystal Chaos), a dynamic HROT rule with a hidden crystal structure that allows for fragile explosions
N/A	0	HROT Almostlife discoveries and W110 constructions	lemon41625 and FWKnightship	[18]
R2,C2,S6-11,B9-11,NW0010003330130310333000100 (AlmostLife), a HROT rule very close to Life, resembling an INT rule, by lemon41625 -W110 unit cell in AlmostLife, the first such HROT cell, by FWKnightship
N/A	0	Tiny adjustable ships/oscillators	Arie Paap and Oscar Cunningham	[19]
Adjustable ships/oscillators: -Mobile ship tracks (diagonal ship bouncing between and slowing down two orthogonal ships), also the first relativistic adjustables, by Arie Paap -3-cell adjustable spaceships, proving that an infinite number of spaceship speeds can be achieved with the bare minimum of 3 cells, by Oscar Cunningham [20] -3-cell adjustable oscillators, a full set of 12 families, proving that every oscillator period can be reached with maximum 3 cells, by Oscar Cunningham [21]
N/A	0	Failed replicator in OT rule B378/S2458	LaundryPizza03	[22]
B378/S2458, a new gem of an OT rule with a failed 1D replicator
N/A	0	Various symbiosis discoveries and constructions	many	[23]
New developments in Symbiosis, including a vast array of oscillators and guns, lightspeed signal circuitry and a unique MSM breeder.

2019

Entries • Voting • Results

The OCA Discovery of the Year competition for 2019 was organized by testitemqlstudop and bubblegum.

Final rank	Stars	Pattern	Author	Link(s)
Description
=1	37	Dominoplex Orthogonoid	2718281828	[24]
Orthogonoid spaceship in rule B2cen3ek4ejkwz5-ein6an7e8/S12an3-eijq4enrty5e6k.
=1	37	Orthogonoid	AforAmpere	[25]
Speed orthogonoid spaceship in rule B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8.
3	33	Snowflakes' pseudo-Orthogonoid	Goldtiger997 et al. (2718281828, dani, toroidalet, BlinkerSpawn etc.)	[26]
A pseudo-orthogonoid, a self-constructing puffer.
4	26	RROs	2718281828 and AforAmpere	[27]
massive reflectorless rotating oscillators.
5	25	3S1CShip8 and its c/2^6911+6913 one-cell ship	fluffykitty	[28]
3S1CShip8 and its c/2^6911+6913 one-cell ship.
6	24	Non-explosive B1e rules	toroidalet, Saka, testitemqlstudop, wildmyron, A for awesome et al	[29]
Non-explosive B1e rules.
7	23	B2a/S circuitry	toroidalet	[30]
Signal logic circuitry with replicator streams
8	22	Additions to the 5S project	wildmyron et al	[31]
Additions to the 5S project, especially these ones: (176,1)c/440, 108c/37886 diagonal, (98,97)c/4312
9	21	GUYTU6J's OCA discoveries	GUYTU6J	[32] [33] [34] [35]
Triangular and ruler replicator + SMOS, 2D replicator with beautiful fractal, 2D replicator firing gliders and 10c/20s, Bizarre rake-plicator
10	20	Hactar's 2x2 p2 metacells	HactarCE	[36]
Hactar's 2x2 p2 metacells simulating outer-totalistic life-like rules.
11	18	Omosso's pair-interaction ships	77topaz et al	[37]
Omosso's pair-interaction ships with very high periods.
=12	17	Mahler-rep	Letters	[38]
Mahler-rep, a modification of Devore which allows for smaller replicators and computers.
=12	17	Rule X3VI	Rhombic, testitemqlstudop et al	[39]
The first INT rule to reach 1T objects in C1 on Catagolue.
14	16	W110 in Codd	Naszvadi	[40] [41]
Usual W110 Unit cell that proves Turing-completeness of a classic 8-state vN rule by E.F. Codd.
15	15	ZombieLife	77topaz, Moosey, dani, dvgrn et al	[42]
A rule with its enormous natural spaceships.

2018

Entries • Voting • Results

The nominations for the 2018 competition were organized by Rhombic, and the voting by 77topaz. Users were able to vote on as many entries as they wished, awarding up to three stars to each one.

Final rank	Stars	Pattern	Author	Link(s)
Description
1	38	Adjustable slope spaceships	AforAmpere	[43]
Spaceships which can be adjustable to travel at any integer slope.
2	24	bf esolang simulator	M.I. Wright	[44]
A cellular automaton simulating the bf programming language.
=3	23	ATPP	dani	[45]
A rule containing many spaceships based on failed replicators as well as several actual replicators based on it.
=3	23	Exponentially long-lasting methuselahs	toroidalet	[46]
Various fuse-based methuselahs, one of which has an estimated lifespan of 22^50 generations.
5	22	Smallest Oscillators Supporting Specific Periods	Oscar Cunningham	[47]
Examples of two-cell oscillators for every period up to 102.
6	21	8c/9 orthogonal spaceship	AforAmpere	[48]
The fastest known sub-lightspeed spaceship in an isotropic non-totalistic rule without B0.
7	20	Suns	Goldtiger997	[49]
A rule containing a high-period oscillator which can be hassled at various other periods.
8	18	JvN29 loop-based replicator	fluffykitty, Redstoneboi	[50]
A replicator in von Neumann's original cellular automaton.
=9	17	Omosso	Saka	[51]
A rule containing high-period spaceships, a natural RRO, and OMOSes of various periods, hence its name.
=9	17	Rule 110 unit cells in various rules	Peter Naszvadi, Luka Okanishi, LaundryPizza03	[52] [53] [54] [55]
Proofs of Turing-completeness for rules including but not limited to HighLife, DryLife, and LowDeath.
11	16	tlife puffer	dani, Luka Okanishi	[56] [57]
An 8c/282 orthogonal puffer, and a spaceship based on it.
=12	15	Hype	FlameandFury	[58]
A rule with a wide variety of high-period oscillators which has also been proven omniperiodic.
=12	15	Hive	dani	[59]
A rule with a failed replicator from which various high-period and unusual-speed spaceships have been constructed.
=14	14	Record-slowest spaceships	AforAmpere	[60]
A rule table supporting spaceships based on Knuth's up-arrow notation, allowing for unimaginably slow speeds.
=14	14	Emitters	dani	[61]
A rule with many high-period oscillators (similar to Hype) but also a small spacefiller, a replicator, and several guns.
16	13	Other adjustable spaceships	Luka Okanishi, muzik, Arie Paap, 2718281828, AforAmpere	[62]
17	11	Other RROs	2718281828, et al.	[63]
18	10	Arrow	77topaz	[64]
A rule with adjustable rakes and many known reactions based on them.

2017

Entries • Voting • Results

The 2017 competition was organized by Rhombic. Users were able to vote on as many entries as they wished, awarding up to three stars to each one.

Final rank	Stars	Pattern	Author	Link(s)
Description
1	25	Orthogonal adjustable spaceships	Aidan F. Pierce, Luka Okanishi	[65] [66]
Two rules allowing for the trivial construction of infinitely many odd and even-period spaceships respectively.
2	18	5s project	dani, et al.	[67]
A collection of the smallest known spaceships of every speed among the isotropic non-totalistic rulespace.
=3	15	SMOSMOS	Saka, et al.	[68]
The first known spaceships made of SMOSes, with various examples posted.
=3	15	Movostill 3	dani	[69]
A rule with various elementary spaceships and guns as well as construction potential.
=3	15	HighLife replicator spaceships	Luka Okanishi	[70] [71] [72]
Replicator-based spaceships traveling at speeds of c/18, c/12, and c/30 diagonal respectively.
=6	14	tDryLife pondlayer-based spaceship	Luka Okanishi	[73]
An engineered spaceship based on a high-period pond puffer.
=6	14	One-cell universal constructor	blah	[74]
A method of producing arbitrary complex patterns from a single cell using rule tables.
8	12	Snowflakes	Blinkerspawn, dani	[75]
A rule with construction potential despite its differences from Conway's Game of Life.
9	11	Rule 110 unit cells in various rules	Peter Naszvadi	[76] [77] [78] [79]
Proofs of Turing-completeness for certain Life-like rules including but not limited to Pedestrian Life, EightLife, and HoneyLife.
=10	9	Spaceship-bouncing-off-object adjustable spaceships	muzik	[80]
=10	9	Extremely slow spaceships	Blinkerspawn, et al.	[81]
The design of spaceships with excruciatingly slow speeds using different approaches
12	7	Slope 73 spaceship	AforAmpere	[82]
A (73,1)c/160 spaceship, at the time the oblique spaceship with the steepest known slope.
13	6	Larger than Life developments	Saka, muzik, et al.	[83] [84] [85]
A collective entry for various discoveries within the Larger than Life rulespace.