If I play out a few steps of Conway's game of life by hand on a go board, is that little universe any more real for my moving the stones around? I think the on

If I play out a few steps of Conway's game of life by hand on a go board, is that little universe any more real for my moving the stones around? I think the only thing running the simulation does is let me, an outside observer, see it. If sentiant gliders show up at some time step, they are there thinking their pre-determined thoughts whether I get to that point or not. They exist in the rules and initial conditions, not in the stones and grid lines. So if we could be living in a simulation, I don't see the need for a computer, the program is all you need.