Try again next year.
What I did this year was my last year's idea (stored in my own backlog of ideas). And I'm also fascinated with GoL (and artificial life in general) so it's something that I would like to try out.
I'd start with something really simple. As AquaTsar said just traverse a level to reach an exit while avoiding living cells. I believe that adjusting your movements to the patterns is solid enough for a gameplay foundation.