Tools & Platforms

Inkarnate is a powerful, web based cartography suite that allows users to create everything from sprawling world maps to highly detailed tactical battlemaps. Unlike software that requires a local installation, Inkarnate runs entirely in the browser, making it accessible from any computer with an internet connection. In December 2025, the platform launched its massive 2.0 Update, introducing a completely refined interface, advanced custom layering, and a marketplace for community assets, solidifying its position as the most versatile map making tool in the industry. Description Inkarnate is the "all in one" solution for fantasy cartography. It offers distinct styles—including Parchment, Watercolor, and High Fantasy—that allow GMs to match their maps to the tone of their campaign. While it was once seen primarily as a world and regional map tool, the 2.0 update dramatically improved its battlemap capabilities, bringing it into direct competition with specialized tools like Dungeondraft. It is a subscription based service, but the sheer volume of its asset library (over 30,000 stamps) makes it a favorite for GMs who want an endless variety of visual options. System Overview & Key Features Advanced Custom Layers (v2.0) The 2.0 update introduced a professional grade layering system. Users can now group assets, lock specific layers to prevent accidental movement, and apply transparency or blend modes to entire groups. This allows for complex "multi level" maps where you can toggle a roof or upper floor on and off during play. Brush Tool 2.0 and Layer Masks The painting system has been completely rebuilt to feel more like a traditional art program. Every layer can now have its own mask, allowing you to "paint" terrain or transparency with pixel accuracy. This is essential for creating organic transitions between biomes or hiding secret rooms behind "hidden" layers. Massive 30K+ Asset Library The paid tiers grant access to an enormous catalog of high definition stamps. From elven architecture and dwarven machinery to sci fi terminals and eldritch horrors, the library is updated weekly, ensuring that GMs always have new visuals to inspire their world building. 8K and 16K Exporting Inkarnate is famous for its high resolution output. The Creator tier allows for 8K exports, while the 2026 Studio tier supports beta 16K exporting. This level of detail is perfect for GMs who print their maps or use high resolution 4K monitors for their virtual tabletop sessions. The Inkarnate Marketplace New for 2026, the Marketplace allows professional cartographers and artists to sell custom asset packs and map templates directly within the platform. This has expanded the "Inkarnate Look" far beyond its original art style, offering community driven variety for niche genres like Cyberpunk or Steampunk. Interactive "Explore" Feed The platform features a social gallery where users can share their maps. Many of these are "Cloneable," meaning you can open another user's map in the editor, see how they built it, and modify it for your own campaign, making it an excellent learning tool for new cartographers. Additional links inkarnate.com - Official Inkarnate website and editor r/inkarnate - Official subreddit for map sharing and feedback

Merak is a map maker for worldbuilders. Five kinds of map live in one document: a political map of Earth, an editable Earth with real terrain, a blank world, a fantasy map and a city board, and factions, units, labels, cities and lore carry across all of them. Land can be raised, lowered, smoothed, flattened, roughened and worn down with droplet erosion; biomes paint on top; a thin river tool cuts channels without shattering the coast. The world generator builds plates, mountain chains and weathered coastlines from a single seed, and the Planet Advisor checks whether the result could exist at all, whether rivers have anywhere to drain, whether the biomes suit their latitude. An elevation probe reads back true metres and slope, and any map can be viewed in 3D or wrapped onto a shader globe. Custom empires are drawn freehand with a lasso, and a coast mode clips the outline to the actual shoreline so borders follow the water instead of cutting across it. The arsenal and battle system has faction tinting and stacking counts, alongside commanders carrying portraits, ranks, decorations and an order of battle. Operational arrows play out as scripted advances with per-province combat. On a battle map, Fight animates the whole clash: infantry and armour close to melee under a counter system, artillery bombards from range with splash damage, aircraft strike fast and hard, and badly wounded units break off to a field hospital, heal, and return to the line. The timeline holds the progress of the map over the years. Lore notes form a small in-map wiki placed anywhere or pinned to a city, unit or flag, and linked to one another. Raster paints layers with blend modes, pressure and grain; an Asset Studio for custom symbols; flag and insignia makers; a colour studio. Finished maps exported as PNG up to 16K.