Community Showcase: Custom Maps
Hello everyone!
Timberborn comes with 9 maps (with two more already on the Experimental Branch) but with the magic of Map Editor, there’s always more to get. Until we add Steam Workshop support, it requires a few additional clicks but getting the new map is as simple as downloading a file.
Right now, the go-to place for all Timberborn cartographers is this player-made collection of maps big and small (and medium). Other than that, you can check the Map section of the mod repository you already know, browse our forums, subreddit, and/or the dedicated channel on Timberborn Discord.
Download the map file from the repository of your choice and copy it to the Maps folder located in C:\Documents\Timberborn\Maps. Start a new game and pick the map normally – it will have a [Custom] prefix in its name. You can use both new (.timber) and old (.json) custom map files.
For this showcase, we chose 10+1 amazing maps. Each uses a very different layout and was designed around a specific experience. All maps we picked were created or adjusted after the release of Update 1 in December, which means they feature Undergrounds Ruins and are Mine-compatible.
[h2]Quest for the Ancient Aquifer (32x256) by Mulien [/h2]
Mulien’s creation tasks the player with reaching the source of life-giving water located at the end of a very narrow map. This challenge is not for the faint of heart: your starving colony has to beat several “stages” before getting there. “Quest…” is one of the coolest challenge maps we’ve seen created for Timberborn, and Mulien has recently modified it to add Update 1 content.
[h2]Jagged Islands (128x128) by Oombalol[/h2]
Creating this map took Oombalol a lot of time – not just because of all the small details but also due to the carefully planned out water flow. Here, it changes direction back and forth over the course of the game, so account for it as you make plans for a drought. By the way, if you enjoy the intricate map design like this, check the author’s pre-Update 1 creation, Pinewood Hills.
[h2]Trapeze Gorge (40x80) by billyocracy[/h2]
At a first glance, surviving on this map may seem like an impossible task – your beavers begin trapped in a small area cut off by high walls. Can you get them out before the resources run out? And once you do, will it even get easier? The margin for error is small in the beginning but once your beavers put their paws on the upper level, you’ll find some relief… for a moment.
[h2]The Valley of the Breeze (250x250) by SweetButter[/h2]
Timberborn’s water physics is put to a good test here as the map was designed to mimic how real-life ecosystems form. Water sources are located at higher elevations, surrounded by thick forests, and the cascading waters spread out, “eroding” the terrain to create a large riverbed in the map’s centre. Just be careful – the metal sources are scarce in the wilderness like this!
[h2]Horseshoe Bend (256x256) by exvalidus[/h2]
This is just one of the many maps our players have crafted based on real-life locations - in this case, a famous canyon on the Colorado River. For dramatization purposes, we took the screenshot during drought but when the river is there, the large flat areas make for well-irrigated future fields where early power management is easier thanks to strong water currents.
[h2]Chess Board Artificial River Trainer (256x256) by delirium[/h2]
We love all these wacky, unpredictable maps… but why not create an in-game chessboard that serves as a training tool? This flat creation allows you to experiment with the concept of artificial rivers that can keep the drought at bay even in Hard Mode. When this unique setup is properly adapted, you get a bidirectional river that continuously powers up water wheels and even makes the water management semi-automatic. Now, that’s the clever use of game mechanics.
[h2]Wonderlust (128x128) by heyitshatty[/h2]
Wonderlust’s author calls it a beginner-friendly map, and having several water sources right behind the hill helps indeed. The challenge is still there, however, as you need to be careful about where you put your first fields and water wheels. The starting area’s elevation results in tighter green areas and limits the access to the riverbank, at least until Stairs™ are discovered.
[h2]Apollo Island (256x256) by sukunabikona[/h2]
Can you tell which rather popular game served as a base for this map? By the way, it was really difficult to pick a creation from sukunabikona to feature. This author’s other amazing maps include areas from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, renditions of real-life areas such as Hiroshima City and Taipei Basin, or even a “reversed” version of the basic Plains map. Respect!
[h2]Rising Tides (196x196) by dpqxo[/h2]
Beavers who land on this walled-off map sit on a ticking time bomb – except that bomb is actually the ever-increasing water level. This leads to a great twist – you are actually looking forward to the upcoming droughts as they give you some breathing room. Just don’t even think of blowing up a hole in the outer wall to escape. We’re not in a certain critically acclaimed Jim Carrey movie.
[h2]Paradise Lost (256x256) by dpqxo[/h2]
The paradise in question is waiting at the hill looming above the town - and if you get your beavers up there, the reward will be grand. We love the simple premise behind this map – and even though the goal is clear, each player may come up with a different approach.
[h2]Bonus: The Mad King (196x196) by TempMud[/h2]
The final creation is more of a save-map hybrid because the area has some structures prebuilt. Your beavers (Folktails only!) begin stranded in a dry wasteland where the only water sources belong to the titular mad King Ludwig. While he’s chilling there in his mud bath behind the ruin-filled moat, your colony desperately searches the desert for leftover resources and abandoned workshops. If you’re quick enough, you’ll build bridges over the moat to put an end to Ludwig’s tyrannical reign.
As you can see, there’s a lot our players can do with the map editor and Timberborn’s mechanics – and there are so many maps deserving a spotlight. After you go through the entire repository, let us know about the best maps you’ve found… or made!
PS Don't miss out on the previous Community Showcase where we focused on player-made mods for the game!
Until next time!
~Team Timberborn
Timberborn comes with 9 maps (with two more already on the Experimental Branch) but with the magic of Map Editor, there’s always more to get. Until we add Steam Workshop support, it requires a few additional clicks but getting the new map is as simple as downloading a file.
Right now, the go-to place for all Timberborn cartographers is this player-made collection of maps big and small (and medium). Other than that, you can check the Map section of the mod repository you already know, browse our forums, subreddit, and/or the dedicated channel on Timberborn Discord.
How to use custom maps?
Download the map file from the repository of your choice and copy it to the Maps folder located in C:\Documents\Timberborn\Maps. Start a new game and pick the map normally – it will have a [Custom] prefix in its name. You can use both new (.timber) and old (.json) custom map files.
Beaver new world
For this showcase, we chose 10+1 amazing maps. Each uses a very different layout and was designed around a specific experience. All maps we picked were created or adjusted after the release of Update 1 in December, which means they feature Undergrounds Ruins and are Mine-compatible.
[h2]Quest for the Ancient Aquifer (32x256) by Mulien [/h2]
Mulien’s creation tasks the player with reaching the source of life-giving water located at the end of a very narrow map. This challenge is not for the faint of heart: your starving colony has to beat several “stages” before getting there. “Quest…” is one of the coolest challenge maps we’ve seen created for Timberborn, and Mulien has recently modified it to add Update 1 content.
[h2]Jagged Islands (128x128) by Oombalol[/h2]
Creating this map took Oombalol a lot of time – not just because of all the small details but also due to the carefully planned out water flow. Here, it changes direction back and forth over the course of the game, so account for it as you make plans for a drought. By the way, if you enjoy the intricate map design like this, check the author’s pre-Update 1 creation, Pinewood Hills.
[h2]Trapeze Gorge (40x80) by billyocracy[/h2]
At a first glance, surviving on this map may seem like an impossible task – your beavers begin trapped in a small area cut off by high walls. Can you get them out before the resources run out? And once you do, will it even get easier? The margin for error is small in the beginning but once your beavers put their paws on the upper level, you’ll find some relief… for a moment.
[h2]The Valley of the Breeze (250x250) by SweetButter[/h2]
Timberborn’s water physics is put to a good test here as the map was designed to mimic how real-life ecosystems form. Water sources are located at higher elevations, surrounded by thick forests, and the cascading waters spread out, “eroding” the terrain to create a large riverbed in the map’s centre. Just be careful – the metal sources are scarce in the wilderness like this!
[h2]Horseshoe Bend (256x256) by exvalidus[/h2]
This is just one of the many maps our players have crafted based on real-life locations - in this case, a famous canyon on the Colorado River. For dramatization purposes, we took the screenshot during drought but when the river is there, the large flat areas make for well-irrigated future fields where early power management is easier thanks to strong water currents.
[h2]Chess Board Artificial River Trainer (256x256) by delirium[/h2]
We love all these wacky, unpredictable maps… but why not create an in-game chessboard that serves as a training tool? This flat creation allows you to experiment with the concept of artificial rivers that can keep the drought at bay even in Hard Mode. When this unique setup is properly adapted, you get a bidirectional river that continuously powers up water wheels and even makes the water management semi-automatic. Now, that’s the clever use of game mechanics.
[h2]Wonderlust (128x128) by heyitshatty[/h2]
Wonderlust’s author calls it a beginner-friendly map, and having several water sources right behind the hill helps indeed. The challenge is still there, however, as you need to be careful about where you put your first fields and water wheels. The starting area’s elevation results in tighter green areas and limits the access to the riverbank, at least until Stairs™ are discovered.
[h2]Apollo Island (256x256) by sukunabikona[/h2]
Can you tell which rather popular game served as a base for this map? By the way, it was really difficult to pick a creation from sukunabikona to feature. This author’s other amazing maps include areas from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, renditions of real-life areas such as Hiroshima City and Taipei Basin, or even a “reversed” version of the basic Plains map. Respect!
[h2]Rising Tides (196x196) by dpqxo[/h2]
Beavers who land on this walled-off map sit on a ticking time bomb – except that bomb is actually the ever-increasing water level. This leads to a great twist – you are actually looking forward to the upcoming droughts as they give you some breathing room. Just don’t even think of blowing up a hole in the outer wall to escape. We’re not in a certain critically acclaimed Jim Carrey movie.
[h2]Paradise Lost (256x256) by dpqxo[/h2]
The paradise in question is waiting at the hill looming above the town - and if you get your beavers up there, the reward will be grand. We love the simple premise behind this map – and even though the goal is clear, each player may come up with a different approach.
[h2]Bonus: The Mad King (196x196) by TempMud[/h2]
The final creation is more of a save-map hybrid because the area has some structures prebuilt. Your beavers (Folktails only!) begin stranded in a dry wasteland where the only water sources belong to the titular mad King Ludwig. While he’s chilling there in his mud bath behind the ruin-filled moat, your colony desperately searches the desert for leftover resources and abandoned workshops. If you’re quick enough, you’ll build bridges over the moat to put an end to Ludwig’s tyrannical reign.
As you can see, there’s a lot our players can do with the map editor and Timberborn’s mechanics – and there are so many maps deserving a spotlight. After you go through the entire repository, let us know about the best maps you’ve found… or made!
PS Don't miss out on the previous Community Showcase where we focused on player-made mods for the game!
Until next time!
~Team Timberborn
