ANAmap: a free RPG Map Editor

ANA Map will no longer be updated

This version won’t be updated anymore. You can switch to the new RPG Map 2 which gets rid of Flash and implements many features requested by users. The source code of the original ANA Map is available on GitHub.

About the old Flash version

IMPORTANT : you need a Flash Player for this version to work. So far it has been tested on Firefox 59 and Chrome. For Chrome, you may need to click this link for it to work and choose “Allow” when asked to run flash. If nothing shows, there might be an issue with the Flash player: you should check if it’s enabled and not blocked by any third party extension.

For the last 20 years, I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs with friends on a very regular basis. I’ve spent a huge amount of time writing scenarii and missions. I did it with traditional pen & papers at first, and with Google Docs afterwards.

Problem is: it’s ok to write missions with Google Docs, until it comes to drawing the map of, say, a dungeon in Dungeon & Dragons, or a haunted house in Call of Cthulhu. Most of the dedicated tools are either:

  • Old: like with a Win95 interface with almost zero attention to ergonomic
  • Bloated: the tools allows EVERY single thing related to drawing a map, and therefore, is too complicated for my simple needs.
  • Ugly: the tool uses lots of terrible textures where I just want to draw walls and doors.

For some times now, I’ve been using Photoshop to paint my maps. But let’s face it. It’s a great tool, but it has not been designed for that purpose. And it’s not free.

So I’ve decided to work on my own tool, with the sacred KiSS principle in mind (Keep it Short & Simple).

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  1. Jay:

    This is a great, simple tool to use for making maps! Thank you very much for taking the time to create this interface. As far as some of the other suggestions of "what about tiles for *this* and *this* and *this*…" I wouldn't worry so much about it. What you have is simple, very useful, and time saving! Other tiles may end up making this nice little tool cumbersome. The stuff that is missing (different symbols for things like locked, trapped, secret, etc, traps, blah blah) are EASILY rectified by either hand or by an image editor. I really don't think you should clog it up with too many features. Again, I really appreciate this tool.

    December 11, 2015 at 00:17
  2. Laurent:

    Hi! I absolutely love your world creator. As I have just got into DMing i made my first few dungeons with it.
    I just have the issue, that other than by ctrl+z, i cant seem to delete items. By rightclicking, as the information box says, i just open a flash-player options box. Do you have any fix or work-around for that?

    Also I would also greatly appreciate the option to add water (either for a river or riverside or pond in a map)
    Otherwise great work!

    December 7, 2015 at 14:11
  3. Liam:

    Hey! I found this tool in my tireless search for a decent map maker and it's simplicity is a godsend. It's not showy, or flashy, doesn't make maps look like half-built messes and it's quick and easy to use.

    I think you've done a great job!

    December 5, 2015 at 02:42
  4. Fonypan:

    Would there be any way for multiple users to collaborate on a single map? Making huge maps more manageable.

    December 3, 2015 at 02:46
  5. Tylor Vannarath:

    A beautifully simple tool and exactly what i was looking for as a Dungeon Master

    December 1, 2015 at 00:05
  6. Ironxxx:

    I love this tool but I'd love it even more with more tile options, for water, lava, curved walls etc. Wou8ld be also cool if I could alter its resolution/grid size and allow for a transparent background.
    Other than that its great, thank you.

    November 19, 2015 at 19:50
  7. Tobias Lundgren:

    I love it! it is a great tool and you are a hero for taking upon your self to do it.
    If I could give one suggestion it would be that you could choose the starting tiles so they could be blank in the beginning so if you are drawing only for example a building you don´t have to erase all the tiles not in use, just adding the walls.
    Thanks again for a great tool!

    November 16, 2015 at 09:51
  8. tomelbar:

    ah oui juste un petit rajout, l'eau…

    pour l'instant je me sers du small dirt pour simuler l'eau, une vrai brosse eau serait bien.. ;)

    November 12, 2015 at 20:51
  9. tomelbar:

    Super boulot !!!!
    simple à utiliser, agréable, tout pour pouvoir faire un travail honnête sur des plans de donjons et autres…..

    merci :)

    November 12, 2015 at 20:50
  10. SkePtic:

    This is the greatest map tool I've ever used. I'm no artist, so I love these "pixel-art" style things. It ensures I can make things symmetrical. Thanks so much for this amazing, simple tool. I found it a couple months back, and now I'm drawing quality new maps each week thanks to you.

    November 3, 2015 at 08:02
  11. Lanaris:

    How did I not know about this before? This is perfect!

    I wouldn't change a thing. Very well done.

    October 23, 2015 at 05:19
  12. Riken:

    the posibility of drawing romms/walls by square would be welcome

    October 22, 2015 at 03:39
  13. Jriggs:

    I would love to be able to zoom out, but other than that this is a wonderful tool.

    October 19, 2015 at 22:56
  14. Jirne:

    Hello,

    Thanks for the map maker. I was wondering if there is anyway to get a transparent floor in the png export to use our own one ?

    October 16, 2015 at 19:05
  15. jaydubs:

    I love this map maker, but I've noticed that if I scroll to expand my dungeon and add any changes, walls and paths that were off screen disappear. Is there a way to fix this?

    October 13, 2015 at 00:41
  16. ELDAN:

    :( NO HAVE A MATCH TINGS IN IT IS REALY HARD

    BUT I LIKE THE EXAMPLES IS REALY COOL TING TO DO

    AND LIKE THE GAMES IS OP:)

    September 28, 2015 at 12:51
  17. Sign:

    I like the app but I agree with the posters below that it could be greatly improved by a few more tiles, most particularly a water tile. Also, the menu should be movable or simply moved outside the border of the map so when it's exported there isn't a blank space. That being said, thanks for all your work and allowing us to freely benefit off it, much appreciated. If perhaps you are to busy, might you allow someone else to edit it to make a few more tiles and move the menu?

    September 23, 2015 at 22:02
  18. richard kauth:

    hey man i love the aesthetics here and it is very easy and simple to use, however if i were to ask for one improvement here i would ask for a water texture so i could make rivers and bridges

    September 21, 2015 at 17:44
  19. John:

    Well done little app here. I recently ran across it and am quite taken with it. I prefer the old school mapping and theater of the mind type of play and this will do wonders for my games. Well done.

    September 20, 2015 at 23:36
  20. Darren:

    This is just so awesome! Exactly what I was looking for, thanks so much!!

    September 8, 2015 at 03:19

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