# Map Making Advice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Game Development\ **Created:** [August 24, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/map-making-advice/11550 "2015-08-24T23:05:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Left4Bed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/left4bed/32/232425_2.png) [@Left4Bed](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Left4Bed)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/map-making-advice/11550/1 "2015-08-24T23:05:58Z")
So I’ve been toying around with the idea of adding a map to the game I’m working on, and I was wondering if there are any useful map making tools or programs someone could recommend? I’ve tried my hand at random generators, but aside from the fact that they can never get a shape _quite_ right, they feel very impersonal. I don’t have any artistic skill whatsoever, so something that won’t require more than a general outline to get started would be preferred and appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![BabbleYaggle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/babbleyaggle/32/4454_2.png) [@BabbleYaggle](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/BabbleYaggle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/map-making-advice/11550/2 "2015-08-25T00:21:18Z")
I don’t know much about map making, but I believe the most people use either [Dunjinni](http://www.dundjinni.com/) or Photoshop. There is also something called [Campaign Cartographer](https://secure.profantasy.com/products/cc3.asp), which is marketed to fantasy authors and RPG enthusiasts. And of course there is GIMP. Since you are utterly bereft of artistic skill whatsoever, you might not get far with Photoshop or GIMP. The other two programs are not free, but they have trial versions. I’ve heard of these because I used to crib fantasy maps from the [Cartographer’s Guild](http://www.cartographersguild.com/content.php), where you might find more useful advice on map making software and techniques. You can also go there to commission a map, if you want to. ---
**Author:** ![Theboywhocould](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/theboywhocould/32/118434_2.png) [@Theboywhocould](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Theboywhocould)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/map-making-advice/11550/3 "2015-08-25T03:59:00Z")
Also, picture your ideal map creating itself in your brain kind of like the how the house in the opening sequence of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends is like (youtube if you dont know what I’m talking about) Look at a lot of maps like Tolkien’s to get the feel of how fantasy maps should look like (I don’t know which genre you are planning to write) Then honestly just go for it. Try to hand draw it. That is what I did, I used that old people to increase my morale because that old style paper makes everything look better 😄 I showed it to a friend and then they redrew it Hope that helps ---
**Author:** ![Lordirish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/lordirish/32/238051_2.png) [@Lordirish](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Lordirish)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 8:28am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/map-making-advice/11550/4 "2015-08-25T08:28:56Z")
Autorealm is a nice program and free. ---
**Author:** ![Left4Bed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/left4bed/32/232425_2.png) [@Left4Bed](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Left4Bed)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/map-making-advice/11550/5 "2015-08-25T11:29:23Z")
Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ll try my hand at them and see if anything fits!