Info about Canvas of Kings:

Official game description:
  
Canvas of Kings is a minimalistic mapmaking tool that focuses on randomness and auto-generated elements on user-definable and interactive paths, plots and rooms.  
**Use flexible paths and plots**  
You can define your map with paths and plots that you can adjust at any time. The automatic object placement supports you. In this way, you can directly create a wall with towers or simply an entire forest.  
**Place lovingly hand-drawn objects**  
Instead of placing and adjusting individual objects, you can randomly vary the object properties directly and use object categories to create a varied map without extra effort. The objects can also be combined. For example, you can place crates on towers or walls and move them together.  
**Customise the lighting and weather**  
Use the built-in lighting and weather system to change the atmosphere of your map the way you like it. Configure different details or simply choose a template.  
**Export a definable area, with or without a grid**  
Create an export area and a square or hex grid how and where you want. You can export parts or the whole map for print or digital use. You can also save your settings as a template for future maps.  
**What you can't do with this tool (yet)**  
*   Create fully procedurally generated maps  
*   Paint the landscape in the classic way  
*   Caves and dungeons  
*   Insert texts or decorative elements  
*   Export to VTT format (except: png/jpg, with/without grid. Map is saved as .json)  
*   Create animations  
*   There are certainly other things... :)
**About the developer and this tool**  
I'm actually working on a trading simulation called Might of Merchants alongside my family and full-time job. For this I have developed some tools. I was asked if I could publish them. So I put in some work and created this software. It's not perfect and not finished yet, but I would be very happy if you use it and thus support my work.  
**Your feedback is very welcome!**  
You can find examples of maps built with Canvas of Kings in the Steam Workshop and on my Discord.  
An additional license for the commercial use of maps created with Canvas of Kings is not required.

Release date: 3 Aug, 2023

Categories: Map Editor, Sandbox Creation, Single-player, Custom Asset Support


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Easy & Fast Map Creation (weight 1): Players consistently praise the tool for its exceptional ease of use and speed in creating detailed maps, especially for TTRPGs like D&D. It significantly reduces the time and effort traditionally required for map-making, allowing users to generate high-quality maps quickly.
- Intuitive, Powerful & Promising (weight 0.83): The software is highly regarded for its intuitive interface, robust functionality, and overall positive user experience. Many users find it incredibly valuable, often stating it's worth more than its price and expressing excitement for its future development, even in early access.
- Aesthetic & Cohesive Visuals (weight 0.2): The tool's visual assets are consistently praised for their quality, cohesive hand-drawn style, and aesthetic appeal. The minimalistic interface further enhances the user experience, making map creation visually pleasing and efficient.
- Active & Responsive Developer (weight 0.11): The developer is highly active and responsive to community feedback, consistently releasing updates and implementing user suggestions. This dedication fosters a positive user experience and indicates ongoing improvement of the software.
- Custom Asset Support (weight 0.09): A standout feature is the ability to upload and edit custom assets, allowing users to create unique building shapes and overcome limitations in the existing asset library. This significantly enhances creative freedom and customization.

Common complaints:
- Limited Features and Assets (weight 0.63): Players consistently report that the software lacks a wide variety of essential features and assets, limiting creative possibilities. This includes a scarcity of terrain options, building types, environmental elements, and general objects, making it difficult to create diverse and detailed maps.
- Poor User Interface & Tutorials (weight 0.29): The user interface is frequently described as unintuitive, clunky, and difficult to navigate. Reviewers also note a lack of effective tutorials or walkthroughs, contributing to a steep learning curve for new users.
- Incomplete/Early Stage Software (weight 0.29): Many users feel the software is incomplete or still in an early development stage, lacking the polish and core functionalities expected for its price point. This sentiment is tied to the overall lack of features and stability issues.
- Frequent Crashes and Bugs (weight 0.21): Frequent crashes and various bugs are a major concern, often leading to loss of progress and frustration. Issues range from general instability to specific problems with map export, object rendering, and working with larger map sizes.
- Asset Management Difficulties (weight 0.1): Users report difficulties with asset management, including janky asset editors, poor randomized placement, and issues with selecting overlapping objects. The inability to search for assets also hinders workflow.

Gameplay feedback:
- Excellent for TTRPG maps (weight 0.11): The software is highly valued by users for creating various types of maps for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), including combat maps, city maps, and small world regions. It is particularly useful for D&D and Pathfinder campaigns.
- Intuitive and easy to use (weight 0.1): Users consistently praise the software for its intuitive tools and simple interface, making it easy to learn and use. Many found they could grasp the basics within 30 minutes through trial and error.
- Quick map generation (weight 0.09): The tool allows for quick map creation, enabling users to put together maps rapidly, sometimes in as little as 10 minutes. It also offers unique ways to achieve desired aesthetics and fine details, focusing on randomness and auto-generated elements.
- Limited asset variety (weight 0.08): While the included assets are sufficient for basic encounters, users desire more variety in wildlife, building options, and furniture. The current selection can lead to a lack of distinctiveness in larger towns.
- Still in early development (weight 0.08): The application is still in early access or beta, with ongoing development. This means some features are still missing, and the current feature set is largely driven by the developer's immediate needs.
- Extensive map editing and size (weight 0.07): The software offers extensive map editing options, with new features added regularly. Users can create very large maps, ranging from small campsites to full cities, and customize colors and weather effects for different moods.
- Effective map export options (weight 0.05): The map export functionality is highly effective, allowing users to easily export maps for both digital and print use. Options for grid sizing and pixel dimensions are well-implemented.
- Customizable path and environment tools (weight 0.05): The path tools are highly customizable, allowing for detailed creation of roads, walls, and tree lines. The software also excels at mapping various environments, including multi-floor structures and interiors.
- Robust custom asset support (weight 0.04): The recent addition of workshop support and an asset editor significantly enhances the software's capabilities. Users can now create, import, and customize new assets while maintaining the visual style, greatly expanding creation possibilities.
- Desire for advanced customization (weight 0.03): Users have expressed a desire for more advanced customization options, including additional grid styles (color, opacity, dotted/dashed lines) and more sophisticated lighting options for creating night maps with light sources.
- Room placement issues (weight 0.02): A specific usability issue noted is the difficulty in placing rooms consecutively, as they do not intuitively snap or connect with each other.
- Enjoyable user experience (weight 0.02): Despite some limitations, users generally find the software enjoyable and fun to use, appreciating the overall aesthetic and layout tools.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues and crashes (weight 0.04): Multiple users reported that the software experiences performance issues and crashes frequently. Additionally, the tool itself is described as being quite resource-intensive, which likely contributes to these problems.
- Fast map rendering (weight 0.03): Users praised the speed of map rendering within the software, noting that it performs significantly better than competing tools like Inkarnate. This indicates a strong point in its core functionality.
- Unclear AMD CPU support (weight 0.02): A user noted that the product page only lists Intel CPUs, which raises concerns about potential lack of support or optimization for AMD processors. This could be a significant barrier for AMD users.
- Driver and GPU dependency (weight 0.01): Players need to ensure they have the correct drivers and a compatible graphics card to run the game smoothly. This suggests that specific hardware and software configurations are crucial for a good experience.
- Reasonable PC requirements (weight 0.01): One user found the PC requirements to be reasonable, indicating that the game is accessible to a wide range of hardware setups. This is a positive point for potential players.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Tool (weight 0.27): Many players highly recommend the tool, praising its overall quality and value for money. They find it to be an excellent and worthwhile purchase, often giving it top ratings.
- Ideal for DMs and TTRPGs (weight 0.18): The tool is strongly recommended for Dungeon Masters (DMs) and TTRPG players for quick and effective map creation. It's seen as a valuable addition to a DM's toolkit, especially for fantasy settings.
- High Potential, Needs Development (weight 0.05): Players see significant potential for the tool to become a market leader with continued development. They suggest improvements like more assets, large-scale map support, and a more user-friendly interface.
- Try the Demo First (weight 0.02): Players recommend trying the demo to assess if the tool meets individual needs. They note that the full version offers substantially more features than the demo.
- Smooth Session Preparation (weight 0.01): The tool helps users prepare for game sessions calmly and without technical hitches, implying reliability and ease of use.
- Good for Plain Maps (weight 0.01): The software is particularly well-suited for users who prefer or enjoy maps with a plain or minimalist aesthetic.
- Helps Procrastinating DMs (weight 0.01): The program is highlighted as beneficial for Dungeon Masters who tend to procrastinate on map creation, implying its efficiency.
- Learn from Existing Maps (weight 0.01): A suggestion was made to download and examine existing large maps within the tool to understand their construction.
- Share with DM Friends (weight 0.01): A user plans to showcase the tool to their Dungeon Master friends, indicating a positive impression and desire to share.
- Glad for Early Access (weight 0.01): A user expressed satisfaction with acquiring the software during its early release phase, suggesting a positive early adopter experience.
- Future Enjoyment Expected (weight 0.01): A user anticipates enjoying the tool in the future, suggesting ongoing engagement and positive expectations.
- Not for Everyone (weight 0.01): One user explicitly stated that the tool was not suitable for their specific needs or preferences.

Other player notes:
- Expand content and assets (weight 0.43): Players consistently request more content, including diverse assets for various themes (fantasy, modern, urban, medieval, space), specific structures like temples and fountains, and environmental elements such as mountains, cliffs, caves, and dungeons. There's a strong desire for more variety in buildings, landmarks, and basic objects like furniture.
- High potential, ongoing development (weight 0.38): Users acknowledge the tool is in early access and has significant potential for growth. They are excited about future updates and the developer's commitment, eagerly anticipating new features and improvements as the software evolves.
- Improve features and QoL (weight 0.28): Players suggest various quality-of-life improvements and additional features. These include more precise selection, automation for landscape filling, color tweaking for objects, better UI, onboarding tutorials, undo/redo functionality, and enhanced export settings for videos.
- Easy to use and intuitive (weight 0.28): The tool is praised for its ease of use and simplicity, making it accessible even for beginners. Despite some initial overwhelming feelings, users find it intuitive for map creation, fulfilling its core purpose effectively.
- Implement Workshop/Mod support (weight 0.25): Many users express a strong desire for Steam Workshop integration or modding support. They believe this would significantly enhance the tool's capabilities by allowing users to create and share their own assets and extensions, addressing the current limitations in content variety.
- Great for TTRPGs and world-building (weight 0.06): The tool is highly valued by users for its utility in TTRPGs, particularly Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, and for world-building in general. It effectively serves as a map creation tool for these specific use cases.
- Add Portuguese language support (weight 0.04): There is a specific request for Portuguese language support, particularly Portuguese Brazil, indicating a desire for broader language options to make the tool more accessible to a global audience.
- Better for smaller maps (weight 0.02): Some users note that for very large or highly detailed maps, other more established and often more expensive programs might be preferred, suggesting the tool currently excels at smaller to medium-scale maps.
- Works well on Steam Deck (weight 0.02): A user expressed satisfaction with the purchase, even in early access, specifically mentioning its usability on Steam Deck, which indicates good compatibility for portable gaming devices.
- Beautiful art style and animations (weight 0.02): Reviewers appreciate the visual aesthetics of the tool, specifically mentioning the beautiful animations and charming art style, which contributes positively to the user experience.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.35): Players are highly satisfied with the tool's ease of use, speed, and overall quality for creating various types of maps, especially for D&D and TTRPGs. The continuous updates, useful features like custom textures and environmental controls, and the tool's effectiveness in producing visually appealing maps contribute significantly to this positive sentiment. Many users find it to be the best tool for their specific map-making needs, offering great value for money.
- Frustration (weight 0.09): Frustration stems primarily from technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and lost work due to unreliable save systems. Users also experience difficulties with clunky UI, inefficient asset editors, and limitations in features like camera movement, object rotation, and terrain generation. Performance issues, particularly with large or detailed maps, also contribute to this negative emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment arises from the perceived lack of essential features, limited asset variety, and unintuitive design choices. Users are let down by the absence of basic functionalities like autosave, text editors, and comprehensive color options. The current state of the tool, especially in relation to its price and advertised capabilities, often falls short of expectations, leading to a sense of unfulfilled potential.
- Hope (weight 0.07): Despite current limitations, players express hope for future improvements and the addition of new features. This optimism is fueled by the tool's early access status and the developer's responsiveness. Users anticipate enhancements in UI, more diverse assets (e.g., weather, elevation, modern themes), better export quality, and overall expansion of the tool's capabilities.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement is generated by the tool's high quality, ease of use, and significant potential for future development. New updates and the anticipation of upcoming features, especially workshop support and unique functionalities like video export, contribute to this positive emotion. Users are thrilled by the tool's efficiency and its ability to meet specific map-making needs effectively.
- Anticipation (weight 0.06): Anticipation is driven by the desire for more content, features, and overall polish. Users are looking forward to future updates that will introduce elements like a labeling system, object creator, and improved water features. The tool's potential for growth and its ability to become a top-tier map maker with added functionalities fuels this forward-looking emotion.
- Desire (weight 0.05): Players express a strong desire for specific missing features and greater customization options. This includes a need for more diverse assets (e.g., mountains, cliffs, specific D&D structures), a comprehensive color palette, autosave functionality, and a text editor. The potential for custom asset import and a robust workshop also represents a significant desire among users.
- Love (weight 0.03): Love for the software stems from its overall quality, intuitive design, and beautiful art style. Users appreciate the ease of use, extensive customization options, and the developer's responsiveness. The tool's ability to help them create desired maps and its current quality, despite any flaws, fosters a deep affection for the product.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy is experienced through the tool's ease of use, flexibility, and the creative possibilities it offers for map making. Users find the process enjoyable and relaxing, appreciating the simplicity and fun derived from creating detailed maps for storytelling. The cost-effectiveness and suitability for D&D campaigns also contribute to this positive feeling.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is evident in the quick map creation capabilities and the tool's overall promising nature. Users are highly positive about its efficiency, ease of use, effectiveness, and value for money. The suitability of the software for design tasks and its constant utility in campaigns further reinforces this strong positive sentiment.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is directed towards the solo developer's dedication and effort, as well as the high quality of the tool and its hand-drawn assets. Users are impressed by the program's style, flexibility, and the impressive scale of maps that can be created, recognizing the significant work put into its development.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation is shown for the developer's responsiveness, engagement, and consistent activity in addressing community feedback and feature requests. Users also value the tool's visual style, versatility, ease of learning, and its effectiveness in creating specific map types like town maps, recognizing its overall value for money.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Enjoyment comes from the unique and intuitive map-making experience, particularly for D&D and other RPGs. Users find the fun concepts and flexible tools contribute to a pleasant experience. The ease of use and the amazing potential of the software enhance the overall enjoyment derived from using it.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): Amazement is expressed regarding the high quality of the program, its updates, and the robustness and speed of its performance. Users are particularly impressed by the artistic style, the overall aesthetic of the maps, and the ease of use combined with the tool's quality, including high-resolution printing capabilities.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief is felt due to the tool's time-saving aspect and quick learning curve, especially when contrasted with more difficult or time-consuming previous map-making methods. The confirmation of commercial use rights also provides a sense of relief for users planning to utilize the maps professionally.
- Optimism (weight 0.01): Optimism is rooted in the tool's significant potential and its active development, particularly given its early access state. Users believe that with continued mastery and future features, the software will increasingly gain value and become an even more powerful tool.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is extended for the tool's overall quality, the developer's efforts, and the ability to recreate maps effectively. Users are thankful for personal growth experienced through using the tool and for the addition of previously missing features, such as interior mapping capabilities.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity is sparked by the desire to discover more features within the tool and to understand how to achieve specific visual effects, such as reducing the geometrical look of rivers. Users are also curious about the potential for new features like caves and dungeons, indicating an interest in future development.
- Contentment (weight 0.01): Contentment is derived from the tool's value for money, its ease of use, and the current satisfaction users experience with its capabilities. This emotion reflects a state of quiet satisfaction with the product as it stands.
- Acceptance (weight 0.01): Acceptance is shown towards the tool's shortcomings, minor bugs, and limitations, particularly due to its early access development stage. Users acknowledge that these issues are part of the ongoing development process and are willing to overlook them for the time being.}