Roger Crawfis

As both a professor of computer science and a founder of a game-focused start-up, Roger bridges academia and industry—mentoring the next generation of developers while continuing to innovate in production. His blend of technical mastery in C# and Unity3D, deep understanding of design patterns, and decades of creative problem-solving make him a rare figure in the field: someone who has not only witnessed the evolution of games but has actively driven it.

https://crawfis.com/

GDEX 2025 Session: Wave Function Collapse (WFC) for Procedural Content Generation (PCG) |

This presentation delves into the intricacies of the Wave Function Collapse (WFC) algorithm, a sophisticated method for procedural content generation that draws inspiration from quantum mechanics. When and why to use it as well as how to implement it for your use case.

The WFC algorithm operates by treating game environments as a set of cells, each capable of existing in multiple states. The process of "collapsing" a cell into a specific state triggers a ripple effect, influencing the states of neighboring cells and ensuring that constraints are met. This presentation will explore the motivation behind WFC, the algorithm's design choices, and its implementation in game development.

Key topics include:

• The concept of cell choices and its application in ensuring valid cell states.

• The role of constraints in the WFC algorithm and how they guide the collapse process.

• The significance of entropy in determining an order of cell collapse and maintaining the algorithm's efficiency.

• Practical examples of WFC in action, including Wang Tiling and various use cases in game development.

Attendees will gain insights into the algorithm's architecture, including the use of interfaces and abstract classes to manage constraints and possibilities. The presentation will also cover the challenges and solutions associated with implementing WFC in real-world game development scenarios.

By the end of this session, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of how the WFC algorithm can be leveraged to create procedurally generated game content, enhancing both the creativity and efficiency of game development processes.