Tiled Map Editor Tutorial: How to Create Your First Game Map

raaj kumar
3 days ago
3 min read

Tiled Map Editor Guide: Crafting Your Initial Game Map

Designing your own game world doesn’t have to be complicated or resource-heavy. With the Tiled Map Editor, you can build maps quickly—even on a low-spec computer—and export them straight into engines like Godot, Unity, or GDevelop.

Tiled is a free, open-source tile map maker used by indie developers and hobbyists around the world. Whether you’re making a 2D platformer, an RPG town, or even a 2.5D isometric world that looks almost 3D, Tiled gives you the tools to bring your ideas to life.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have your first playable game map ready. What is Tiled Map Editor?

Tiled is a lightweight yet powerful level editor built for 2D games. Instead of drawing every asset by hand, you use tilesets—image sheets of reusable graphics like grass, walls, water, and objects—to “paint” your world.

Why developers use Tiled:

Works with a wide variety of game types (RPGs, platformers, strategy).
Runs smoothly on low-end computers.
Supports orthogonal maps for classic 2D layouts and isometric maps for 2.5D perspectives.
Exports to formats compatible with major game engines.
Download & Install Tiled

Head over to Tiled Download or check the Tiled GitHub to grab the latest version.

Choose your OS (Windows, macOS or Linux).
Run the installer (the setup is quick and painless).
Open Tiled—you’ll see a clean workspace ready to go.

Bonus: Tiled is lightweight, so even older laptops or low-spec PCs can run it without issues.

Getting Started with Tiled

Step 1: Create a New Map

Go to File → New → New Map.
For classic 2D maps, select Orthogonal.
For a 2.5D look, choose Isometric (an angled grid that feels 3D).
Set your map size (e.g., 20x15 tiles).
Set your tile size (commonly 16x16 or 32x32 pixels).

⚠️ Important: Always match the tile size with your tileset. If they don’t match exactly, you’ll get tile bleeding (ugly lines between tiles).

“Next step: download some free tilesets for Tiled from sites like itch.io or OpenGameArt and start building more maps.” Designed for use with Yar's Isometric 64x64 Outside Tileset. The outdoor image was made with both tilesets. Houses inspired by Clint Bellanger's Medieval Building Tiles.

File(s):

iso-64x64-building.png 26.3 Kb [12629 download(s)]

Step 2: Add a Tileset

Go to Map → New Tileset.
Select your image file.
Enter the exact tile width/height (e.g., 32x32).
Now your tiles appear in the palette, ready for use.

Building Your First Map

Now the fun part—painting!

Select a tile in the palette.
Use the Stamp Brush to place it on the grid.
Fill the ground first, then add decorations like trees, houses, or water.

Layers help you stay organized:

Ground Layer: Terrain (grass, stone, sand).
Objects Layer: Trees, walls, buildings.
Collision Layer: Invisible tiles that block movement.

This layered workflow is what makes Tiled such a powerful tile map maker—you can adjust one aspect of your world without touching the rest.

5. Exporting & Using Your Map in a Game Engine

When your map is ready, it’s time to move it into your game.

Go to File → Export As.
Choose a format:
- JSON → works with Godot, Phaser.
- CSV → lightweight, easy to parse.
- TMX → Tiled’s native format, widely supported.

Examples:

Godot: Import JSON into a TileMap node.
Unity: Use a Tiled importer package to load TMX/JSON.
GDevelop: Built-in support for Tiled maps.

For advanced tips and plugins, check the Tiled GitHub—it’s full of community-made tools.

Tiled Map Editor on Android (Bonus)

Yes, Tiled even runs on mobile! The Tiled map editor Android app lets you edit maps from your phone or tablet. It’s not as feature-rich as the desktop version, but it’s great for quick tweaks or testing ideas on the go.