Worldbuilding Resources

 

This list gives you the best of what is available in terms of map-making softwares, fantasy name generators, youtube channels about worldbuilding but also worldbuilding books. To make it easier to navigate, they are split by category and you can also filter them by free, partially free or paid resources. If you know about something good to be added, do not hesitate to contact us via the contact page

 

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Worldbuilding Platforms

 

WorldSpinner Paid with Free Plan
It is a platform combining different worldbuilding tools such as a map generator, a fantasy name generator and others to help you build your world. It also allows you to order printed versions of your own maps

 

Character Story Planner 2 Paid with Free Plan
Another worldbuilding application on Android

 

YARPS Paid with Free Plan
Advanced platform for worldbuilding, story planning and managing D&D campaigns

 

Plot Factory Paid with Free Plan
Platform to keep track of your world

 

Kanka RPG Campaign management tool Paid with Free Plan
Kanka is a community driven worldbuilding and tabletop RPG campaign management tool perfect for worldbuilders and game masters alike

 

World Anvil Paid with Free Plan
World Anvil is an excellent platform to build your world

 

Legend Keeper Paid with Free Plan
New worldbuilding application

 

World Scribe Paid with Free Plan
Worldbuilding application on Android

 

Ikarus Free
Text-based desktop worldbuilding software

 

 

Name Generators

 

Fantasy Name Generators Free
Multitude of name generators to cover you for almost every scenario

 

Roll For Fantasy Free
Impressive amount of generators and guides to help you in your worldbuilding and DnD campaigns

 

 

Map Generators

 

Map Projections Free
Map projections of the Earth to download for free

 

Wonderdraft Paid
Advanced map generator with a natural feel to it

 

Other World Mapper Free
Advanced downloadable map maker with assets addon

 

World Map Generator Free
Procedural map generator to make pixel-art maps

 

Azgaar Fantasy Map Generator Free
Free advanced procedural map generator

 

Inkarnate Paid with Free Plan
Great software to paint your maps by hand and giving you access to many beautiful assets

 

Watabou Medieval City Generator Free
Great free city procedural map generator

 

Map Tailor Free
Helper tool to create zoomable, interactive maps out of already existing images (e.g. created by Wonderdraft) that can be displayed on a website

 

Polygon Map Generator Free
Not a lot of customization and small but a nice inspiration

 

 

Youtube Channels

 

CrashCourse Free
Crash Course on different topics. Supercharge your learning on interesting topics

 

Tyler Edlin's Youtube Channel Free
Great concept art and worldbuilding videos by Tyler Edlin

 

Isaac Arthur Free
Channel on advanced sci-fi worldbuilding considerations

 

Cogito Free
Learn about all kinds of different topics in history in a fun way

 

Hello Future Me Free
Good channels to give you some writing tips

 

Arttifexian Free
Channel on map making and other aspects of worldbuilding

 

Fenz Zhu Design School Free
Videos helping you learn about design through concrete exemples and in-depth explanations

 

Beyond The Screen Free
Beyond the Screen is a storytelling channel for anyone who loves roleplaying games and telling stories

 

The Infographics Show Free
Improve your knowledge with animated infographics

 

Spacedock Free
Learn about spaceships, how to make them interesting, the mistakes to avoid and refresh your knowledge on all major IPs

 

 

Other Tools

 

Lexicity Free
Build the language of your people with Lexicity

 

OurLore Free
Collaborative worldbuilding tool based on a shared document

 

Flag Designer Free
Design your own flag in an esay way even if you do not know how to draw

 

Artifact Generator Free
Generator for relics or artifacts

 

Rangen Free
Good writing articles and a very large selection of worldbuilding, writing and character generators

 

Folder Story Free
Very good smartphone application for authors to write on the go

 

Religion Creator Free
Spreadsheet to help you create a fictional religion

 

Scrivener Paid with Free Plan
Scrivener is more targeted towards general writing but may also be of interest to you

 

Donjon Free
Collection of random generators, including names,maps, calendars, demographics, and more

 

Eigengrau's generator Free
Very well done generators about descriptions of cities, NPCs and magical objects

 

 

Communities

 

Reddit Worldbuilding Community Free
Biggest worldbuilding community in the world, very active and a great place to discuss anything related to worldbuilding

 

 

Worldbuilding Knowledge

 

Planet Planet Free
Some good articles about building planet

 

Worldbuilding Guide Free
Good starting point for beginners with a template to follow

 

Atomic Rocket Free
Website full of articles to help you make a more realisitc hard sci-fi world

 

MythCreants Free
Articles on different aspects of worldbuilding

 

Behind The Name Free
Get inspired by list of names and their meaning to help you name your characters

 

The Worldbuilding Leviathan Free
Work on your world using more and more refined worksheets to develop it in an organic way

 

 

Books

 

The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction Paid
Science fiction and fantasy is one of the most challenging--and rewarding!--genres in the bookstore. But with New York Times bestselling author Philip Athans and fantasy giant R. A. Salvatore at your side, you’ll create worlds that draw your readers in--and keep them reading! Just as important, you’ll learn how to prepare your work for today’s market. Drawing on his years of experience as one of the most acclaimed professionals in publishing, Wizards of the Coast editor Athans explains how to set your novel apart

 

Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development Paid
Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters—but it just isn’t grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It’s time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write

 

The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch Paid
Worldbuilding is the ultimate act of creation for speculative fiction writers, but how exactly do you worldbuild? You ask 'what if' and use each answer as a springboard to more questions and answers about your fictional world

 

Creating Places (The Art of World Building Book 2) Paid
Learn the difference between types of monarchies, democracies, dictatorships and more for realistic variety and believable conflict. Understand how latitude, prevailing winds, and mountains affect climate, rainfall, and what types of forests and deserts will exist in each location. Consistently calculate how long it takes to travel by horse, wagon, sailing vessels, or even dragon over different terrain types and conditions

 

Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding Paid
Roleplaying games and fantasy fiction are filled with rich and fascinating worlds: the Forgotten Realms, Glorantha, Narnia, R'lyeh, Middle-Earth, Barsoom, and so many more. It took startling leaps of imagination as well as careful thought and planning to create places like these: places that readers and players want to come back to again and again. Now, eleven of adventure gaming's top designers come together to share their insights into building worlds that gamers will never forget. Learn the secrets of designing a pantheon, creating a setting that provokes conflict, determining which historical details are necessary, and so much more

 

How to Draw Fantasy Art and RPG Maps: Step by Step Cartography for Gamers and Fans Paid
Orcs prepare for battle against high Elves, Dwarves retreat to the mountains and men march to the sea to reclaim crumbling fortresses. Fortunes are decided. Kingdoms are lost. Entire worlds are created. This book will teach you to bring your fictional realm to life with simple step-by-step instructions on how to draw authentic fantasy maps. Set the stage for adventure by illustrating domains, castles and battle lines, mountains, forests and sea monsters! Learn to create completely unique and fully functional RPG maps time and time again on which your world can unfold

 

Fantasy World-Building: A Guide to Developing Mythic Worlds and Legendary Creatures Paid
When artists and designers explore or create a fictional setting, the milieu must be completely fleshed out, explained, and designed. In this book, comic and gaming art veteran Mark A. Nelson explores and demonstrates his methods for fashioning visually stunning, believable environments for fantasy creatures and characters. Scores of images and step-by-step examples illustrate how variation and experimentation lead to fresh, original designs for otherworldly beings, their environments, and their stories

 

Creating Life (The Art of World Building Book 1) Paid
Unlike other world building guides, the series discusses how to use your inventions in stories while balancing narrative flow with the need for explaining your world. Tailored examples illustrate this. Extensive, culled research on life forms is provided to classify and understand options without overwhelming world builders with extraneous details

 

On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume I Paid
Writing advice tends to be full of 'rules' and 'tips' which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire

 

The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building Paid
From master language creator David J. Peterson comes a creative guide to language construction for sci-fi and fantasy fans, writers, game creators, and language lovers. Peterson offers a captivating overview of language creation, covering its history from Tolkien’s creations and Klingon to today’s thriving global community of conlangers. He provides the essential tools necessary for inventing and evolving new languages, using examples from a variety of languages including his own creations, punctuated with references to everything from Star Wars to Michael Jackson

 

Cultures and Beyond (The Art of World Building Book 3) Paid
Invent interesting laws, crimes, and punishments that involve imaginary creatures or technologies, and learn how to leverage trial by ordeal and other judicial acts from Earth’s past. Determine how much education is available and what form it takes. Create currencies for different places while keeping them easy for your audience to fathom, plus learn how to determine the value to assign labor, materials, products, time, and more. Master the art of creating naming styles for different societies. Fashion new military groups in gritty detail. Dream up sensible rules for magic, its practitioners, the supernatural and what happens when things go wrong. Learn what kind of files you’ll need to create, how to organize them, and get jump started with a dozen free templates you’ll use again and again

 

Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction Paid
Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. It also exploits the visual nature of genre culture and employs bold, full-color drawings, maps, renderings, and visualizations to stimulate creative thinking. On top of all that, the book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler

 

 

Tutorials

 

Foundation Patreon Paid
Tutorials to teach you the fundamentals of art and design

 

Tyler Edlin's Tutorials Paid
Concept art tutorials created by Tyler Edlin

 

CTRL+Paint Free
Ctrl+Paint is a free learning resource dedicated to the basics of digital painting

 

 

Discord Servers

 

Worldbuilding Magazine Podcast Free
Discord server of the Worldbuilding Magazine Podcast

 

Reddit Worldbuilding Discord Server Free
Discord server of the r/worldbuilding subreddit

 

Worldbuilding Hub Free
Discord server about general worldbuilding

 

The Otherworldly Order Free
Discord server about worldbuilding and collaborative worldbuilding

 

 

Worldbuilding Blogs

 

Worldbuilding Pasta Free
The blog of a passionate worldbuilder

 

Worldbuilding Magazine Free
The magazine is all volunteer and community run, and is released quarterly with a range of articles, fiction, interviews, and QnA

 

 

Podcasts

 

Player One Ready Free
Podcast to build a world as community