DEVELOPER:Briganti
PUBLISHER:Briganti
Genre: Map Builder, Simulator
Price: $44.99
Where to buy: Here
Plenty of map makers have been produced over the years. Even down to the OG style with Grid paper we all remember or heard of from friends or family whom played their fair share of. Other apps such Grid Cartographer, is only meant to sync with your games or to chart out dungeons with all of the classics which never really had that option to see a map. Dungeon Alchemist suggests it is a easy to use, and create-a-dungeon maker, however, is it?
This program is more so aimed to help you create dungeons/areas for Dungeon & Dragons campaign maps. This allows players can have a nice thing to look at as the DM goes over a scenario. The tools offered are nice to use, with a drag and click auto generator for rooms. You can control pieces in the game. In first person mode. More or less allows you to imperatively explore your crafted area. Which is pretty cool, which if projected to other players the DM could show some creativity with this to create videos for the scenarios. Nothing insane, but pretty cool if needed.
With all of the cool assist items, walls, game pieces, one thing plagues my mind. Manual construction of locations. Sure after filling out the area you can remove any items or furniture from the room or area. However, how about a blank slot? Or allow me to snap in one wall piece at a time, if a curtain design comes to mind. A lot of fans from the Sims realms of things would love more freedom to express more depth with their own fingers, then the ease. For my self whom is 50/50 on the coin, I can lean a little to the concept of that option being there for those gamers whom want to snap together a location, without it automatically being slipped together. You can not please everyone if you are going with a clever, and easy to use program. Some of that extra depth could be missed early on.
In Closing:
Some bits to the software are overall pretty solid. I found myself enjoying I could create a game map within 15 minutes and crunch together a quick scenario. With those whom want more depth, being able to do manual crafting with walls, and doors, this games structure needs some more time to cook if you will, or at least if I have missed this feature’s tab may thunder strike my nose. Everything was east to follow introduction wise, a smooth and easy how-to came in front and center giving me quick example to follow. Otherwise it politely leaves you alone after that to get creating your work of art, or to goof around.
If you are a DM on a budget the price tag is not to bad, vs those digital or physical books you perhaps bought. If you own a mid to low end PC this app might chug a little bit. Dungeon Alchemist is worth the purchase to follow along with its progress, which includes a lot of assists, and tools to create your own fun, or spooky dungeon all together!
