diff --git a/exercises/practice/game-of-life/.meta/example.R b/exercises/practice/game-of-life/.meta/example.R
index 63596724..6a29e9e5 100644
--- a/exercises/practice/game-of-life/.meta/example.R
+++ b/exercises/practice/game-of-life/.meta/example.R
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 tick <- function(cells) {
   coords <- expand.grid(seq_len(nrow(cells)), seq_len(ncol(cells)))
-
+  
   matrix(apply(coords, 1, function(coord) {
     cell <- cells[coord[1], coord[2]]
-    neighbor_coords <- intersect(expand.grid(coord[1] + -1:1, coord[2] + -1:1), coords)
-    live_neighbors <- sum(apply(neighbor_coords, 1, \(neighbor_coord) cells[neighbor_coord[1], neighbor_coord[2]])) - cell
+    neighbor_coords <- dplyr::inner_join(
+      expand.grid(coord[1] + -1:1, coord[2] + -1:1),
+      coords
+    )
+    live_neighbors <- sum(
+      apply(neighbor_coords, 1, function (neighbor_coord) {
+        cells[neighbor_coord[1], neighbor_coord[2]]
+      })) - cell
     ifelse(live_neighbors == 3 ||
-      live_neighbors == 2 && cell == 1, 1, 0)
+             live_neighbors == 2 && cell == 1, 1, 0)
   }), nrow(cells))
 }
diff --git a/exercises/practice/game-of-life/test_game-of-life.R b/exercises/practice/game-of-life/test_game-of-life.R
index b2dae0cd..ec215a89 100644
--- a/exercises/practice/game-of-life/test_game-of-life.R
+++ b/exercises/practice/game-of-life/test_game-of-life.R
@@ -2,123 +2,109 @@ source("./game-of-life.R")
 library(testthat)
 
 test_that("live cells with zero live neighbors die", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(0, 0, 0,
-            0, 1, 0,
-            0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
         c(0, 0, 0,
-          0, 0, 0,
-          0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
-    )
+          0, 1, 0,
+          0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+    matrix(
+      c(0, 0, 0,
+        0, 0, 0,
+        0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
   )
 })
 
 test_that("live cells with only one live neighbor die", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(0, 0, 0,
-            0, 1, 0,
-            0, 1, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
         c(0, 0, 0,
-          0, 0, 0,
-          0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
-    )
+          0, 1, 0,
+          0, 1, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+    matrix(
+      c(0, 0, 0,
+        0, 0, 0,
+        0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
   )
 })
 
 test_that("live cells with two live neighbors stay alive", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(1, 0, 1,
-            1, 0, 1,
-            1, 0, 1), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
-        c(0, 0, 0,
+        c(1, 0, 1,
           1, 0, 1,
-          0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
+          1, 0, 1), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+    matrix(
+      c(0, 0, 0,
+        1, 0, 1,
+        0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
     )
-  )
 })
 
 test_that("live cells with three live neighbors stay alive", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(0, 1, 0, 
-            1, 0, 0, 
-            1, 1, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
-        c(0, 0, 0, 
+        c(0, 1, 0, 
           1, 0, 0, 
-          1, 1, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
-    )
+          1, 1, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+    matrix(
+      c(0, 0, 0, 
+        1, 0, 0, 
+        1, 1, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
   )
 })
 
 test_that("dead cells with three live neighbors become alive", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(1, 1, 0, 
-            0, 0, 0, 
-            1, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
-        c(0, 0, 0,
-          1, 1, 0,
-          0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
-    )
+        c(1, 1, 0, 
+          0, 0, 0, 
+          1, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+    matrix(
+      c(0, 0, 0,
+        1, 1, 0,
+        0, 0, 0), 3, byrow = TRUE)
   )
 })
 
 test_that("live cells with four or more neighbors die", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(1, 1, 1, 
-            1, 1, 1, 
-            1, 1, 1), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
-        c(1, 0, 1, 
-          0, 0, 0, 
-          1, 0, 1), 3, byrow = TRUE)
-    )
+        c(1, 1, 1, 
+          1, 1, 1, 
+          1, 1, 1), 3, byrow = TRUE)),
+    matrix(
+      c(1, 0, 1, 
+        0, 0, 0, 
+        1, 0, 1), 3, byrow = TRUE)
   )
 })
 
 test_that("bigger matrix", {
-  expect_true(
-    all.equal(
-      tick(
-        matrix(
-          c(1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 
-            1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 
-            1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 
-            0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 
-            1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 
-            1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 
-            0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 
-            1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1), 8)),
+  expect_equal(
+    tick(
       matrix(
         c(1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 
+          1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 
+          1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 
           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 
-          1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1,
-          1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 
-          1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 
-          1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1,
-          1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 
-          0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1), 8)
-    )
+          1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 
+          1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 
+          0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 
+          1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1), 8)),
+    matrix(
+      c(1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 
+        0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 
+        1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1,
+        1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 
+        1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 
+        1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1,
+        1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 
+        0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1), 8)
   )
 })