diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 83fa945..add6cf1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ seed = [[0, 1, 0],
 new_game = Game(3, 3, seed)
 ```
 
+If no seed is provided, the game can either generate a seed of zeroes, or a random starter seed. use the `random=True` positional argument to generate a random seed.
+
+```python
+new_game = Game(12, 12, random=True)
+```
+
 Once the game board is populated, call the `start()` method. The game will start on a background thread and update the full game board as well as a number of informational instance variables:
 
 ```python
diff --git a/conway/game.py b/conway/game.py
index 6d2b56e..996c75e 100644
--- a/conway/game.py
+++ b/conway/game.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from copy import deepcopy
 from enum import Enum
 from threading import Thread
+from random import randint
 
 
 class InitError(Exception):
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@ class Game:
     Class for running a game of Conway's Game of Life on a virtual
     two-dimensional board of any size.
     """
-    def __init__(self, width: int = 6, height: int = 6, seed: list = None):
+    def __init__(self, width: int = 6, height: int = 6,
+                 seed: list = None, random: bool = False):
         """
         Intialize the game based on provided board size values and a seed.
 
@@ -28,7 +30,9 @@ class Game:
         width -- the width (in columns) of the game board
         height -- the height (in rows) of the game board
         seed -- A two-dimensional list with 1 and 0 values that
-                  should be set to the initial game state.
+                should be set to the initial game state.
+        random -- Boolean indicating whether a random seed should
+                  be created. Ignored if a seed is provided.
         """
         self.board_size = (width, height)
         self.live_cells = 0
@@ -36,7 +40,11 @@ class Game:
         self._thread_active = False
 
         if seed is None:
-            self.seed = self._create_zeros()
+            if random:
+                self.seed = self._create_random_seed()
+                self.live_cells = self._count_live_cells(self.seed)
+            else:
+                self.seed = self._create_zeros()
         else:
             if len(seed) != height or len(seed[0]) != width:
                 raise InitError("Please make sure that the seed matches \
@@ -67,8 +75,14 @@ class Game:
         provided board_size, returns a two-dimensional list of zeros.
         """
         cols, rows = self.board_size
-        dim_one = [0 for row in range(rows)]
-        return [dim_one[:] for col in range(cols)]
+        return [[0 for row in range(rows)] for col in range(cols)]
+
+    def _create_random_seed(self) -> list:
+        """
+        Initialize the board with random alive (1) and dead (0) cells.
+        """
+        cols, rows = self.board_size
+        return [[randint(0, 1) for row in range(rows)] for col in range(cols)]
 
     def _scan_seed(self, seed: list):
         """

Add the ability to generate a random beacon
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index 60bbf02..8b2dbdc 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -280,3 +280,8 @@ class TestConway():
 
         with pytest.raises(InitError):
             Game(4, 4, seed)
+
+    def test_generate_random_seed_generates_random_seed(self):
+        test_game = Game(12, 12, random=True)
+
+        assert test_game.live_cells > 0

pip install -e .[dev]
parse_log_pytest
requirements.txt
pytest>=4.4.0 pytest-cov pytest-ordering pytest-subtests pytest-timeout pytest
3.9
requirements-dev.txt
pytest --no-header -rA --tb=line --color=no -p no:cacheprovider -W ignore::DeprecationWarning
attrs==25.3.0
coverage==7.8.0
exceptiongroup==1.2.2
iniconfig==2.1.0
packaging==24.2
pluggy==1.5.0
-e git+https://github.com/bsatrom/py-conway.git@08584f08b7f6e97dfc6695efbf5eddc1a7187584#egg=py_conway
pytest==8.3.5
pytest-cov==6.0.0
pytest-ordering==0.6
pytest-subtests==0.14.1
pytest-timeout==2.3.1
tomli==2.2.1

name: py-conway
channels:
  - defaults
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
  - conda-forge
dependencies:
  - _libgcc_mutex=0.1=main
  - _openmp_mutex=5.1=1_gnu
  - ca-certificates=2025.2.25=h06a4308_0
  - ld_impl_linux-64=2.40=h12ee557_0
  - libffi=3.4.4=h6a678d5_1
  - libgcc-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libgomp=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libstdcxx-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - ncurses=6.4=h6a678d5_0
  - openssl=3.0.16=h5eee18b_0
  - pip=25.0=py39h06a4308_0
  - python=3.9.21=he870216_1
  - readline=8.2=h5eee18b_0
  - setuptools=75.8.0=py39h06a4308_0
  - sqlite=3.45.3=h5eee18b_0
  - tk=8.6.14=h39e8969_0
  - tzdata=2025a=h04d1e81_0
  - wheel=0.45.1=py39h06a4308_0
  - xz=5.6.4=h5eee18b_1
  - zlib=1.2.13=h5eee18b_1
  - pip:
      - attrs==25.3.0
      - coverage==7.8.0
      - exceptiongroup==1.2.2
      - iniconfig==2.1.0
      - packaging==24.2
      - pluggy==1.5.0
      - pytest==8.3.5
      - pytest-cov==6.0.0
      - pytest-ordering==0.6
      - pytest-subtests==0.14.1
      - pytest-timeout==2.3.1
      - tomli==2.2.1
prefix: /opt/conda/envs/py-conway

tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_generate_random_seed_generates_random_seed
tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_game_init tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_test_game_init_seed tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_test_game_init_defaults tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_test_game_init_board_default_seed tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_test_game_3_x_3_check_cell_with_one_neighbor tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_test_game_3_x_3_check_cell_with_two_neighbors tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_test_game_3_x_3_check_cell_with_three_neighbors tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_single_column_array tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_3_x_3_single_cell_single_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_3_x_3_three_neighbors_single_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_3_x_3_four_neighbors_single_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_4_x_3_three_neighbors_single_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_3_x_3_empty_seed_no_live_cells tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_3_x_3_seed_five_live_cells tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_increment_live_cells_after_update tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_update_generations_count_after_each_generation tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_3_x_3_four_neighbors_two_runs tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_default_game_state_ready tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_start_game_changes_state_to_running tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_empty_board_run_game_until_no_living_cells_left tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_ensure_that_width_height_and_seed_match tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_ensure_that_live_cells_count_is_accurate_before_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_no_seed_ensure_live_cells_count_is_accurate_before_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_still_life_game_will_continue_to_run tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_still_life_game_can_be_stopped tests/tests.py::TestConway::test_ensure_that_seed_includes_valid_data
README.md conway/game.py
README.md conway/game.py