Canvas of Kings

Canvas of Kings is widely praised as an intuitive and enjoyable map-making tool, especially favored by tabletop RPG players for creating detailed fantasy and medieval-style maps. Users appreciate its ease of use, allowing even beginners to quickly produce quality maps that bring their gaming sessions to life. The hand-drawn aesthetic and atmospheric effects like birds, lighting, and rain enhance the visual appeal and immersion.

However, some players note limitations in asset variety, particularly with vegetation, reliefs, and maritime elements, which restrict map diversity. The tool excels in rural and medieval settings but is less suited for other themes. Performance issues arise with large maps or complex features, and some desire more customization options, such as scaling and smaller map sizes for battle maps. Despite these drawbacks, ongoing developer support and updates contribute to a positive overall experience, making it a recommended choice for creative map creation in TTRPG campaigns.

Highlights

Players highly value the tool's user-friendly interface and fast learning curve, enabling quick realization of creative ideas. The hand-drawn art style and environmental effects like lighting and rain add charm and atmosphere. The ability to create large, detailed maps is also praised, making it ideal for fantasy and medieval settings. The developer's commitment to constant updates and feedback incorporation is appreciated, enhancing the tool's reliability and future potential.

Many users find it perfect for supplementing other map generators and for detailed campaign world-building, highlighting its niche strength in TTRPG mapmaking.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the limited asset pool, especially regarding vegetation, terrain reliefs, and maritime customization, which reduce map variety. Some users find the maps become visually repetitive due to reused assets. The tool is mainly suited for rural or medieval themes, making other genres less feasible.

Performance issues occur with large bodies of water and dense forests, sometimes causing instability. Users also request more flexible scaling options and smaller map sizes to better accommodate battle maps. A few reports mention occasional crashes or loading failures, indicating room for technical improvements.