About Tilemap Data Generator

Generate 2D tilemap arrays for grid-based games from a visual text grid. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Game Dev collection.

Use Cases

• Level designers prototyping 2D game levels from text grids
• Indie developers generating tilemap arrays for simple game engines
• Game jam participants quickly creating level data from sketches
• Educators teaching 2D game development with grid-based maps

Tips

• Define tile types with single characters for easy grid editing
• Export as 2D arrays for direct use in game engine tile systems
• Add collision layer data alongside visual tile IDs

Fun Facts

• Tile-based games date back to 1979's Ultima by Richard Garriott, which used character tiles on Apple II — the concept became the foundation of JRPGs and strategy games.
• The original Legend of Zelda (1986) used only 256 unique 8x8 pixel tiles to build the entire overworld — the same tiles were reused with different palettes for variety.
• Tiled, the open-source map editor created by Thorsten Gunkel in 2008, became the de facto standard for 2D tilemaps with its TMX format supported by most game engines.

FAQ

What's the input format?

A visual grid (text with symbols mapped to tile types) — a 2D ASCII representation. Example: '#' for wall, '.' for floor, 'P' for player.

What's the output?

2D int array in the requested format (C# 2D array, JS nested array, JSON, Tiled TMX). Plus metadata for each tile type.

How big can the map be?

Limited only by browser memory. Practical: 200x200 is fine. Larger (1000x1000+) generates slowly; for big maps use a dedicated editor (Tiled).

Can I have layers?

Multiple symbol sets per tile — represent background/foreground/collision as separate characters. The tool generates a layer per symbol type.