Inkarnate

Maps are a non-negotiable asset in my games. Sometimes, there are in-game areas in published adventures where there is a map or image lacking. What then? How am I, a very visual person who relies heavily on visuals to tell stories, going to run the game for my players? For many game masters (GMs), the first tool to dabble in the world of fantasy map-making is Inkarnate.

What is Inkarnate?

Inkarnate is a web-based map making tool that allows users to create a variety of maps ranging from world maps to detailed battle maps. With their simple and intuitive user interface (UI), users can create fantasy maps using high-quality map assets designed by passionate artists. They have over 31,300 assets, so you can make maps that contain elven and dwarven elements to it! There's a huge community online and creators share maps with each other.

What I Created

Below is a map of Beauves, a quiet riverside town with their own share of secrets. In a homebrew campaign I GM'ed, my players had a small delivery to make. In the big city of Caldisla, an old man at his death bed had a little request. It was his one regret to have never traveled back to his childhood home, and so he asked the players if they can deliver a letter to his childhood friend in Beauves. When they arrived in this town, it wasn't easy to find the recipient.

I believe this map was created using the paid assets. When I look at this, I don't like it. I can see a lots of areas to improve. For example, the wheat fields look kind of janky, the river outline is too dark, and the size of the assets aren't consistent.

I have some other maps, but they're incomplete and I'm too embarrassed to show them.

My Opinion

In short, I don't like Inkarnate.

Wait, I can explain myself.

1. I don't like subscription-based services. The free assets are highly limiting and I find it really hard to create a nice map with the limited resources.

2. I don't like web-based tools. I find web-based tools to be pretty slow and laggy, especially when there's a lot of people online using it.

With the paid version though, the tool is very nice. I just don't find my usage to justify the monthly rate. I create maybe 1 or 2 maps per campaign, and I find myself using other tools instead.

I admit that I haven't given the tool a fair chance. With the strong online community, I'm sure I can make the free version of Inkarnate work for my needs.