A massive random generator, one of the many things that you can randomly generate on Donjon is a world. There are a lot of things you can put into the generator, but ultimately you create something that looks a little like this.
This planet doesn’t have much in the way of water sources and so a lot of it consists of desert. The only green parts, with minor exceptions are on the water’s edge. Most likely that’s where the majority of the residents live, too. Or do they? Maybe water is bad for your characters or maybe they just need less of it. Maybe they need the sand or the heat and thus stay away from the water for most of the time.
Want a globe instead of a flat map? Donjon can do that, too. Just choose spherical and it will give you two sides of a globe allowing you to see the entire planet between the two images. This second planet I created has a lot more water on it than the first. It appears to have a very small amount of ice caps in the south. I wonder if people live there or if it is purely ice down there and no land. It is certainly far away from most of the land masses, with only a few small islands anywhere near it, so depending on the technology of the world, this ice cap area may not be known to anyone on the planet. Maybe your character will be the first to make that discovery.
There is a lot you can do with a randomly created map and it has the power to inspire you if you let it. And if it doesn’t? Well, another map is just a random generation away. It’s fun to play with this site, but make sure if you do find a design you like that you save it, because there does not appear to be anyway to get it back.
In addition to all sorts of potential water, ice, and land ratios there are also different types of maps that it can create including a rotating globe and views of the north and south poles of your world. What kind of world map would you design with this program?
