Hello everyone!
We announced our first map-building contest to launch the Timberborn hub on Mod.io with a bang. And it worked! The 300 entries we received exceeded all our expectations!
Picking the three winners - one per each map size category - was a tough nut to crack. After the preliminary back and forth with our game designer Adrian, we narrowed the list to 36 submissions. After that, the entire team voted to help us choose the maps we believed were the most original, visually appealing, and valuable gameplay-wise.
It was a tough race, with each team member having personal favorites, but after the dust settled, we selected three winners who would each get 1000 EUR and be added to the game's credits. The competition was so fierce we also felt obligated to mention several other maps that scored high.
"Build-a-Map" contest winners
Maps 128x128 and below
Winner (1000 EUR prize): Sinker (128x128) by Flor3nce2456
Using a clever map editor trick with water sources set to negative strength, this challenge map puts your colony at the bottom of a hole that’s about to be flooded… or is it?
Adrian’s comment: This map gives you plenty of green room to manage the early game. However, to build larger water reservoirs for later or harder scenarios or effectively use water flows to generate the power, you will need to use some beaver ingenuity and construct your own contraptions. At the same time, you must ensure you don’t accidentally drown your colony stuck at the bottom of the sinkhole.
Honorable mention: Hidden Valley (60x60) by Aniqua88
It’s hard to do a lot of verticality on a Diorama-sized map, all while maintaining a good level of detail and having a gimmick significant to the gameplay. Hidden Valley stood out here!
Honorable mention: Thousand Needles (96x160) by Walliie
There may be no Great Lift here but we really like the idea behind a map composed of high cliffs and tall rocky columns, with water spiraling down below. You have two main ways to go: you can send beavers down after constructing a big staircase, or you can try to stay above by bridging the pillars.
Honorable mention: Gentle Canyon (128x128) by jwbjerk
We like the author’s take on the built-in map. Here, the straightforward design was twisted by adding an additional water reservoir high up the hills and a narrow spring, ruins sprinkled around, and a conveniently placed deeper pond that helps during initial droughts.
Maps 129x129 through 255x255
Winner (1000 EUR prize): Green Peak Valley (192x192) by Oombalol
We were very impressed with the great amount of detail found on Oombalol’s map, down to the single tiles positioned to keep select areas green after water withdraws during a drought.
Adrian’s comment: You start in a relatively limited space, but if you look around you can see some prime expansion locations to give you short-term goals to work towards. This map already gives you a pretty-looking frame to work with, now it’s a matter of filling in the blank spaces.
Honorable mention: High Coast (150x150) by KnatteAnka
This map uses height differences to great effect, with the jagged, rocky coastline facing a not-so-distant, metal-rich island separated by ocean depths. The simple idea is well executed, resulting in naturally looking scenery.
Honorable mention: Utopia (256x128) by ValentineEverlight
You won’t miss out on water on this rectangular map, with large chunks of the land flooded or on the brink of flooding - thanks to elevated springs constantly pouring out water. When the drought hits, the terrain normally hidden below the ground appears, so you can use that time to reclaim the land for tree cultivation.
Honorable mention: Tatalia (200x200) by GinFuyou
This is one of several submissions that used the map editor to create an image of ruin-like, post-hooman (?) structures using terrain. Here, it was paired with a mostly flat but intricate design we really enjoyed.
Maps 256x256 and above
Winner (1000 EUR prize): Chip Island (256x256) by JumperFK
Compared by its author to a crushed cookie, the island in question was carefully designed to allow for expansion in different directions, all the while scaling nearby walls.
Adrian’s comment: Many mapmakers in this category struggled to use the available space fully. There were a lot of maps that had a decent amount of detail and effort put into the direct starting area, with the rest of the map left in a much simpler state. We found that Chip Island has maintained a consistent level of detail and offers an interesting and good-looking layout, all while allowing for creative expansion across the map.
Honorable mention: Nuclear Spring (256x256) by Kaynaki
Definitely one of the most visually stunning maps in the contest (thanks to an abundance of Slopes), it makes beginnings truly a challenge - but we wouldn’t expect anything less from a nuclear test site.
Honorable mention: Dry River (256x256) by RAVEN_AON
Making good use of the map’s size, Dry River gives the player plenty of opportunities to build settlements, play with elevation and water physics, and expand the colony to your heart’s content.
Honorable mention: Lost Atlantis (324x322) by Helianthemum
Zoomed out, this vast map looks like real-life landscape, with a river cutting into the landmass and the once-submerged city looming in the distance. It makes for a perfect travel destination - if you can get there, that is.
Closing thoughts
We can safely say that the submissions we received were excellent. Carefully designed, featuring cleverly implemented ideas, often tested and improved to perfection, they made it really difficult to pick the winners. If you didn’t win, don’t worry - another competition is a matter of time! And if you did win, congratulations from everyone on the team! Expect to hear from us shortly.
The custom maps you see above are just a taste of what our community creates. You can find all custom maps (as well as many crazy mods for the game) on Timberborn's hub on Mod.io.
New Wiki home
Speaking of community creations, we have recently moved our Wiki to a new home. It's an ongoing work-in-progress but thanks to the contributions of our players, you can already find plenty of in-depth information about Timberborn there! And with the help of the amazing community admin Karmaworks, the front page has a brand new layout. Check it out!
Beaver Builder Bundle
Finally, we have partnered with fellow Polish indie devs Eremite Games to launch a limited-time bundle with Against the Storm! It is is a very well received city builder with a roguelike flair. Among the playable races, there are beavers, so picking it up should be a no-brainer for Timberborn players!
The Beaver Builder Bundle is available until April 9 - with a 10% discount no less. Get it below!
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/30766/Beaver_Builder_Bundle/