[EricMausler]

I'm just a wannabe game designer, but what comes to mind for me would be to apply an entire board Conway update every X (4?) turns.

I think it would be a bit easier to mentally manage than having every piece on its own count

Might give an edge to whoever goes second, because they will have more control on creating overpopulation conditions right before an update, which would offset first move advantage

[inkcapmushroom]

Make it happen every 3 or 5 turns then, so that it flips back and forth.