Territory Map Builder

Free Tool · No download required

What Is a Territory Map?

Territory maps are the backbone of area-control board games. From the classic world-domination map of Risk to the tightly contested regions in modern designs like Inis and Root, a territory map divides a playing area into named regions with defined borders, adjacency relationships, and group affiliations.

Chitmunk's territory map builder lets you draw custom maps with polygon-based territories, assign them to color-coded groups, define connections and sea routes, and render the result as a polished game graphic. The builder handles the visual complexity: borders, labels, depth effects, textures, and compass roses so you can focus on the geography and game balance.

Drawing and Splitting Territories

The map editor provides a drawing canvas where you define territories as polygons. Click to place vertices, close the shape to finish a territory, and label it. Existing territories can be split into two regions by drawing a dividing line across them, a fast way to subdivide a continent into smaller provinces.

Every territory stores its polygon points, a label, a color, and a group assignment. The editor auto-calculates centroids for label placement, and you can drag labels to custom positions when the automatic placement does not look right.

Groups and Colors

Territories belong to groups (continents, factions, biomes, or any logical division your game needs). Each group has a name and a color. Territories inherit their fill color from their group, so recoloring an entire continent is a single change.

Groups also serve as the basis for area-control bonuses. In many games, controlling all territories in a group grants a bonus. The visual grouping on the map makes these bonus regions immediately clear to players.

Connections and Sea Routes

Adjacency in a territory map is not always geographic. The builder lets you explicitly define connections between territories, including sea routes that cross ocean gaps. These connections render as dashed lines between territory pairs, showing players which regions are considered adjacent for movement and combat even when they do not share a physical border.

This is essential for island-based maps and any design where geographic proximity does not equal game adjacency.

Map Presets

The builder includes presets to help you get started quickly:

• World — a full-globe layout with multiple continents and ocean crossings.
• Continent — a single landmass divided into provinces, suitable for regional conflict games.
• Archipelago — scattered island groups connected by sea routes, perfect for naval and exploration themes.
• Grid — a regular grid of rectangular territories for abstract area-control games.
• Island — a single island divided into territories, great for survival or exploration games.

Every preset is a starting point. Modify territory shapes, add or remove regions, reassign groups, and adjust connections to fit your game's geography.

Four Output Modes

The territory map generator supports four rendering modes, each designed for a different use case:

• Full Board — renders the complete map at full size, suitable for a game board component. All territories, labels, connections, and decorative elements are included.
• Territory Card — renders a single highlighted territory for use on cards. Bind the highlight to a CSV column and the generator produces one card per territory, each showing that territory's location on the map.
• Group Card — highlights all territories belonging to a single group. Useful for continent bonus cards or faction reference cards.
• Data Badge — overlays numeric values on each territory, driven by CSV data. Use this for game state reference cards showing troop counts, resource values, or victory points per territory.

CSV Integration

Territory maps integrate with Chitmunk's CSV data binding system. Load a spreadsheet with territory names in one column and game data (troop counts, resource types, ownership) in other columns. Bind the highlight territory field to the name column, and the generator automatically produces one card per territory with that region visually highlighted on the map.

This makes it trivial to produce a complete set of 30+ territory cards from a single map definition and a spreadsheet. Change the map or the data and every card updates.

Use Cases

Area Control and War Games

The defining use case. Draw a map, divide it into contested regions, assign continent bonuses, and export the board. Pair it with territory cards for each region, generated automatically from your CSV data.

Political and Diplomacy Games

Games where players control nations, negotiate borders, and forge alliances need maps that clearly communicate which regions belong to which players. The group color system and labeled territories make ownership visible at a glance.

Exploration Games

Build an island or wilderness map where territories are discovered over time. Start with the full board hidden and reveal territories during gameplay. The map builder defines the geography; your game rules control the reveal mechanic.

Campaign and Legacy Maps

Legacy games that change the map between sessions can use the territory map builder to create the base geography. Print the map and let players mark, sticker, or write on it as the campaign evolves.

How It Works in the Editor

Open the editor, click Generators in the toolbar, and select Territory Map from the generator palette. The map editor opens with a blank canvas (or a preset if you choose one). Draw territories, assign groups, define connections, and configure visual settings like border width, label font, and fill mode.

Click Apply and the map renders on your card or board canvas. Switch output modes to produce full boards, territory cards, or group cards from the same map definition. Combined with CSV binding, a single map becomes the source for an entire deck of territory-specific cards.