Is Video Life on Steam?

No. Video Life is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Video Life on?

Video Life is available on Atari 2600.

When did Video Life release?

Video Life was first released on June 1, 1981.

Video Life

Jun 1, 1981PuzzleAtari 2600

Video Life — frequently asked questions

Is Video Life on Steam?: No. Video Life is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Video Life on?: Video Life is available on Atari 2600.
When did Video Life release?: Video Life was first released on June 1, 1981.

About Video Life

Video Life is a rare video game for the Atari 2600. It is a version of the zero-player cellular automaton known as Conway's Game of Life. Video Life was only available through a special mail order offer to owners of CommaVid's Magicard, which itself is considered to be one of the rarest Atari 2600 cartridges ever released. According to original CommaVid co-owner Irwin Gaines, only 20 cartridges or less of Video Life were ever made. Editors of AtariAge estimate approximately 500 cartridges were produced. A report in the Chicago Reader by Jeffrey Felshman estimates that cartridges would sell for as much $3000 at the time.

Summary via IGDB.

Video Life on Wikipedia

CommaVid was a game developer and publisher for the Atari 2600 that released six games between 1981 and 1983, plus a programming tool for the console. The company was founded by Dr. Irwin Gaines, Dr. John Bronstein, and Dr. Joseph Biel under the name Computer Magic Video, which was shortened to Com Ma Vid, or CommaVid. It was based in Aurora, Illinois. In addition to developing its own titles, CommaVid ported the arcade game Venture to the 2600 for Coleco which was released in 1982.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Themes: Educational

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$140

Complete

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Sealed

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Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America CommaVid	Standard	CM002	Unbelievably Rare

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA
Released: 1984
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Med

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereMedium counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A rarity-10 CommaVid mail-order cartridge from co-founder John Bronstein, with almost nothing else on the record.

Dr. John Bronstein, one of CommaVid's three founders, developed Video Life, sold by mail order in 1984. Little is documented about the game itself. AtariAge rates it 10.

What the press said at the time

“this one is particularly appealing because of the interaction of the computer as it uses the rules of VIDEO LIFE to change what you've drawn. This is not a video game in the usual sense, but it's immensely entertaining nevertheless.”
— Computer Entertainer, June 1984

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 2 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Before you buy

Medium risk. No fakes are documented, but the rarity makes it worth care. Compare the label and shell against AtariAge's scans and ask for a board photo through the dust door.