D I C E L I U M

DICELIUM

a digital ecosystem — an artistic exploration in creative coding

a real ecosystem, just digital

A mycelium network in nature grows through soil, competes with its neighbours, feeds things that eat it, and leaves behind matter that feeds the next generation — all without anyone directing it. Dicelium runs the same loop in code. The only difference is that this one is digital.

emergence

in naturepatterns aren't designed — they emerge from simple growth rules meeting real terrain.

in diceliumcolony shapes aren't drawn — they emerge from simple rules meeting a grid.

interdependence

in naturefungi trade nutrients with roots and compete with neighbouring networks for space.

in diceliumcolonies compete for grid space; spores and eaters connect every part of the world.

energy flow

in naturenutrients move through the network and return to the soil as it decays.

in diceliumcolour lineage moves through spores; eaters turn cells into scars and dust that seed new growth.

self-regulation

in naturegrowth is checked by predation and finite resources, not an outside hand.

in diceliumcolonies can't grow forever — eaters keep them in check, and need colonies to survive.

succession

in natureecosystems move through stages — pioneer growth, density, disturbance, renewal.

in diceliumsparse → dense → eaten back → dust → regrowth. Same arc, on a grid.

biome differentiation

in naturea mycelium in a desert behaves nothing like one in a rainforest.

in diceliumfive biomes, five rule sets — same organism, different world.

These rules are aesthetic, not biologically literal — a creative choice, not a flaw.

world rules

Everything you see and hear follows a fixed set of rules. Nothing is random decoration.

🌱 growth

Colonies grow one cell at a time, jumping 1–4 grid slots depending on biome.
A colony must reach its bloom threshold (45–100 cells) before it turns colourful.
Two colonies can never share a grid slot — growth stops where space is claimed.

🎨 colour & DNA

Every colony starts with two random seed colours from its biome — its genetic identity.
After bloom, each new cell blends the two current colours with a small drift, so the palette evolves generation to generation.
Eaters absorb the colours of what they eat, shifting as they move between colonies.

✨ spores

Every colony periodically ejects a spore that drifts until it lands and starts a new colony.
Two spores that collide mid-air merge into a new colony at their midpoint.
Landing near dust often produces more genetically diverse offspring.

🐛 eaters

Eaters appear once enough colonies have bloomed, grazing edge cells within a claimed zone.
They grow through four stages — worm → colour worm → thick worm → frog — each faster than the last.
Eaten cells leave scars that block regrowth for a while before clearing.

💨 dust

Sections cut off from a colony turn to dust and slowly fade.
A spore landing near dust before it fades gives rise to a new colony from the remains.

🔊 sound

Volume and density rise with total cell count — an empty world is nearly silent.
The drone's chord shifts to match the world's dominant colour hue.
Each colour an eater consumes triggers its own nature sound — water, crickets, birds, wind.

🌍 biomes

Earthy, Aquatic, Weather, Volcanic, Arctic — five environments, five rule sets.
Different growth rates, step sizes, eater limits, and drone registers per biome.
Not visual skins — genuinely different emergent behaviour each time.

about the creator

Hi, I'm Sebastian, the creator of these digital ecosystems. Dicelium started as an experiment. I was curious about how digital worlds grow into beauty and surprises you could never picture while writing the code.

I hope you enjoy this project, and that the sounds and imaging it generates help you stay focused in a world built on distraction.

If any of this sparks something for you, reach out. I'm always open to building and dreaming with people who see the same possibilities.

open source

This project is open source. The full codebase — simulation, audio engine, renderer, biome system — is available on GitHub. Build your own world.