OpenFront Map Editor — How to Make Custom Maps

An OpenFront map editor is not part of the base client, but the game's map format is published as open source, and a community browser tool makes custom maps approachable. If you want to build your own terrain, define nation spawns or recreate a real-world region, this is the workflow to use. This page covers what exists, what the tool can do, and how to get a finished map into the game.

Is There an Official Map Editor?

Not in the client. OpenFront is open source, and the OpenFrontIO repository ships a map-generator package that defines how maps are built and exported. The community wiki lists maps in groups including a large set of official ones and a separate "unused maps" entry, which is a reminder that the public client only serves a curated pool. Anything custom therefore lives in private lobbies, local builds and community projects rather than public matchmaking.

The Community Custom Map Editor

The tool most players find is Custom Map Editor - OpenFront, a client-side web application hosted at a community demo address. It requires no server and no account, and its documented feature set covers the whole pipeline from blank canvas to export.

Feature	What it gives you
Visual brush painting	Paint land, water and nation spawn points directly on the canvas
Image import	Bring in an existing image at any size as a template to trace over
Elevation control	Set custom elevation levels for individual land tiles
Nation management	Define multiple nations with custom names and spawn locations
Live preview	A minimap updates instantly as you paint and zoom
Export	Produce a map in an OpenFront-compatible format as a bundle

• Runs in the browser with no server component, so the hosted demo is the simplest entry.
• Performance-minded: the project notes it handles large maps with smooth painting, zooming and panning.
• Open source: the repository is public and licensed under MIT, so the code can be inspected and forked.
• Format-compatible: it credits and follows the map generation format from the OpenFront Map Generator.

Exporting and Using a Custom Map

The export step bundles your project into the format the game's map generator expects, along with a manifest and a thumbnail. Once exported, you use the map the same way a developer would: load it locally or in a private setting rather than expecting it to appear in the public map list, because the official client only rotates its own curated pool. A practical checklist keeps the result usable.

Stage	What to check before moving on
Terrain	Every nation has reachable land and the water is painted where ports should be possible
Elevation	Elevation values are deliberate, because they decide how expensive each tile is to attack
Nations	Each spawn is named and placed so players are not boxed in with no expansion room
Preview	The minimap matches your intended shape before you export
Export	The bundle carries a manifest and thumbnail, and loads without errors

• Start from an imported real-world image if you want recognisable geography, then paint over it.
• Keep at least some flat terrain around every spawn, because plains are the cheapest ground to take.
• Leave coastal tiles open on any map where you want ports to matter.
• Test in a private lobby before sharing, since public rotation will not accept it.
• For local development, install Node.js 18 or newer and use the project's install and build scripts.