🗺️ Tile Maps and Level Design
Build expansive game worlds with tile-based maps, efficient rendering, and level design techniques!
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Introduction to Tile Maps
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Tile maps let you build large, efficient 2D worlds from repeatable square (or hex) tiles. Instead of drawing every pixel, you compose levels using a grid of tile IDs that reference graphics in a tileset. **Why Tile Maps?** • Performance: Reuse textures, batch draw calls • Structure: Easy collision, pathing, and triggers by tile • Workflow: Level editors (e.g., Tiled) speed up iteration **Common Terms** • Tile: A single square image (e.g., 16×16 or 32×32 px) • Tileset: A sprite sheet containing many tiles • Tile Map: 2D array of tile IDs that index the tileset • Layer: A grid for background, terrain, objects, etc. **Basic Flow** 1) Store map data as a 2D array 2) For each layer, loop rows/cols and draw tiles 3) Convert tile row/col to screen x/y with tileSize Start with a tiny map and a single layer. Add more layers (background, terrain, decoration) once your loop and coordinate math feel solid.
Code Example:
// Minimal tile map rendering example
const tileSize = 32; // pixels
const tilesetImage = new Image();
tilesetImage.src = 'tileset.png'; // 8x8 tiles in a 256x256 image
// Example: 0 = empty, 1..n = tile IDs
const map = [
[0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
[0, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 0, 0],
[1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 1, 0],
[1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0],
[0, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 0, 0],
[0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
];
// Tileset layout: 8 columns x 8 rows of tiles (IDs 1..64)
const tilesetCols = 8;
function drawTile(ctx, tileId, x, y) {
if (tileId === 0) return; // skip empty
const index = tileId - 1; // IDs start at 1
const sx = (index % tilesetCols) * tileSize;
const sy = Math.floor(index / tilesetCols) * tileSize;
ctx.drawImage(tilesetImage, sx, sy, tileSize, tileSize, x, y, tileSize, tileSize);
}
function renderMap(ctx) {
for (let row = 0; row < map.length; row++) {
for (let col = 0; col < map[row].length; col++) {
const tileId = map[row][col];
const x = col * tileSize;
const y = row * tileSize;
drawTile(ctx, tileId, x, y);
}
}
}💡 Tip: Try this code in your browser console (F12 → Console).