Worldbuilding for authors and game masters

Simulate the planet.
Draw the atlas.
Write the story.

Build a simulated planet, shape its maps, and write in the same world.

Request an invite See the app

Delta is free and invite-only · How access works · New in Delta V12 · Your first hour · Quick video guides

  • macOS · Windows · Linux
  • No account
  • Local worlds
  • No generative AI

Ixrixenrond · Generated atlas plate · 4800 px

Delta V12 · 24 October 2026

A climate more like Earth's.

Rainforests fill the equatorial lowlands again, summer monsoons arrive, lakes evaporate and rift valleys hold chains of narrow lakes. Sculpt builds islands and walls, zooming in shows each town's plan at its true size, and Settlement Studio, Scene Studio and Travel put their map first.

WorldRainforests, monsoons, lakes.Equatorial lowlands are rainforest again, monsoons reach the edges of the subtropics and tropical highlands are no longer deserts. Lakes lose water as real lakes do, wet basins drain their giant lakes, and trenches are narrow troughs.See the new climate → SculptBuild islands, raise walls.Draw a built island behind its sea wall, or a great wall across land and sea, each named on every map. An edit in one corner no longer renames towns on the far side.Shape your world → Maps & importDown to the street.Zoom in and the view is re-simulated at finer detail, down to each town's plan at its true size. Imported and drawn maps get Candidates: choose from up to 12 versions of your world before it builds.Explore the map →

Your Delta code carries over. Updating a V11 world changes its climate, lakes and trenches, so some towns and names can move; the world as it was is kept. Read the V12 guide · Full release notes

Connected world

Same world. Every view.

Maps, places and chapters share one saved geography.

Ixrixenrond in Tolkien sepia, with inked coasts and profile mountains
01 / Ink & parchmentTolkien sepia
The same Ixrixenrond coastline in Swiss analytical relief, shaded to show its ranges
02 / The shape of the landSwiss analytical relief
Ixrixenrond's labelled publication plate, with the same continents and named places
03 / Ready for the readerLabelled atlas plate

Start here

Your first hour.

Follow nine written steps, or watch six short walkthroughs.

Watch quick guides →Follow your first hour

App tour

Explore. Map. Play. Write.

Real app screens, with one saved world.

CartoVox Atlas workspace with a named illustrated world sheet
02 / Publish

Make an atlas

Choose a style, adjust lettering and print your atlas.

See the atlas
CartoVox Campaign workspace showing a player-visible map and controls for handouts
03 / Play

Run a campaign

Reveal discoveries and export player maps, handouts and tokens.

See campaign tools

Screens captured from released Delta V9 (0.9.10), using a copied sample world. Explore the workspaces.

Who it's for

Choose your starting point.

What do you want to make?

For novelists

Write a novel

Keep places, dates and journeys beside your manuscript.

Open the writing desk → For worldbuilders

Build a world

Explore geology and climate. Add your names and lore.

Ask why a place exists → For game masters

Run a game

Plan travel, reveal maps and create settlement scenes.

Explore the campaign desk → For mapmakers

Draw a map

Choose atlas styles and export artwork or vector maps.

Make an illustrated atlas →

Community worlds

Made with CartoVox.

Maps and feedback shared by their creators.

Made by Just Call me Ed

Shaped with Draw and Sculpt.

Days of sculpting and drawing, beside an earlier Azgaar map.

Read Ed's feedback

The newest iteration of my world using CartoVox compared to the previous iteration using Azgaar's Map Generator. Considering I'm still very much learning how to use CartoVox I think there's a lot I can still improve, but even so I already think it's better than before

Maps and words by Just Call me Ed · Shared with permission.

See how to shape your own world →
Just Call me Ed's latest fantasy world in CartoVox, with sculpted mountain ranges, branching rivers, forested continents, islands and icy polar ground
CartoVox · Latest iteration. Open the full map ↗
Just Call me Ed's previous iteration in Azgaar's Map Generator, showing forested land, snowy mountains, an inland lake and offshore islands
Azgaar’s Map Generator · Previous iteration. Open the full map ↗

Einea · Made by Hope C.

Einea: exploring climate.

Hope C. tests mountain ranges and climate on a world with retrograde spin.

Read Hope's feedback

I'm messing around with CartoVox. this is Einea, and I've roughly applied the most important mountain ranges (and inverted it actually, because this world has a retrograde spin). what's surprising me is that for some reason I always had it in my head that the western part of the central continent should be more forested, and that the peninsula at the continent's far east should be much more arid. I guess I overexaggerated the strength of the rain shadow. maybe I'll mess with the settings, make the entire world a bit colder/drier and see if I like it

Map and words by Hope C. · World: Einea.

Explore climate experiments →
Hope C.'s world Einea in CartoVox, with colored climate regions across mountain-lined continents in an oval world projection
Einea · Work in progress. Open the full map ↗

Valestria · Made by Unshavendillon

Valestria: a campaign world.

Weeks of worldbuilding for a grimdark, eldritch TTRPG campaign.

Read Unshavendillon's feedback

At last. I can breathe. This is my world I've been working on in Cartovox non-stop for a few weeks for my grimdark eldritch TTRPG campaign I'm worldbuilding for. I'm just so glad I have something I'm finally happy with, and everything else can just build off of this one.

Maps and words by Unshavendillon · September 26, 2026.

Read the original message on Discord ↗
Unshavendillon's Valestria terrain map in CartoVox, with snowy mountain ranges, green lowlands, inland lakes and island chains
Terrain map. Open the full image ↗
Unshavendillon's illustrated map labelled Valestria - Year 3166, with mountain and forest symbols across three connected landmasses
Illustrated atlas · Year 3166. Open the full image ↗
An overhead 3D view of Unshavendillon's Valestria in CartoVox, showing raised snowy mountain ranges and blue seas
3D terrain · Overhead. Open the full image ↗
An angled 3D view across Unshavendillon's Valestria, with raised mountain chains and a visible terrain cross-section
3D terrain · Angled view. Open the full image ↗

Deep Time and naming

The plate drawing in Deep Time worked out great, and the language updates are awesome! I love being able to rename based on meaning!

Laxyak Loves LoZSeptember 29, 2026Read on Discord

Making a map your own

Considering I'm still very much learning how to use CartoVox I think there's a lot I can still improve, but even so I already think it's better than before

Just Call Me EdSeptember 26, 2026Read on Discord

A better ocean model

The ocean currents are way better than before 0.9 though, I can confirm!

gaypuppybunnySeptember 29, 2026Read on Discord

Original Discord messages are visible to invited testers. Join the community.

World search

Describe your world.

Write a brief. Compare seeds. See which requirements each candidate meets.

World thesis
Three continents share one temperate world, divided by a wide ocean that only the western peoples have learned to cross. The east is an old, dense heartland of river kingdoms; the west is a sparse frontier under towering young mountains. The map must show the one strait that joins them.
  • Three continents → target count: 3
  • Dense heartland → old world
  • River kingdoms → dominant rivers
  • Frontier → dangerous frontier

Review each suggested setting before choosing Apply.

Try the idea

Browser demo: six seeds, a target of three continents.

    Choose Search seeds to compare results.

    Illustrative demo. The app runs a full planetary simulation.

    Example worlds

    Four starting points.

    Generated worlds and imported maps, with measured continent counts.

    Illustrated world plate of Hanahara: four continents around a wide temperate ocean
    Hanahara seed 720464741 Imported heightfield 4 major continents · 190 M km² Count from imported map
    Illustrated world plate of Amamiya: a ringed archipelago beside a glaciated northern continent
    Amamiya seed 720464741 Imported coastline 6 major continents · 165 M km² Count from imported map
    Illustrated world plate of Amashima: one great supercontinent and a wide eastern ocean
    Amashima seed 720464741 Generated from a seed 1 major continent · 184 M km² brief asked 3 · measured 1
    Illustrated world plate of Ixrixenrond: scattered continents around a central gulf
    Ixrixenrond seed 943767500 Generated from a seed 8 major continents · 135 M km² brief asked 3 · measured 8

    These examples miss the three-continent target. Imported maps keep their own continent counts.

    Simulation

    How a planet takes shape.

    Plates shape terrain, climate and settlement. Select a stage to see its map.

    Tectonic plates map view of Ixrixenrond
    Collisions raise mountains; rifts open basins.
    1. Plates → mountains
    2. Mountains → rain shadows
    3. Water and soil → settlement

    Simulated on a sphere. Displayed as a map.

    Workspaces

    Create. World. Write.

    Three workspaces share your geography, names and lore.

    Start a world.

    • Generate — place key features, set limits and compare variations.
    • Import — review a coastline, place it and add guide layers.
    • Draw — keep recoverable drafts and guide natural relief.
    • Deep Time — shape continents across geological eras.

    Check time and storage estimates before building.

    The Delta V9 Create workspace: Story selected in the brief, with its description and reading beside it

    Settlement maps

    Build towns and encounter scenes.

    Town plans follow each settlement’s roads, water and terrain.

    The city plan of Zhargundbar: a walled town with streets in rings about the square, seven named quarters, quays on the river and fields beyond the walls
    Zhargundbar · Capital of the Old Kingdom of Gundzad.

    Shape each neighbourhood.

    Settlement Studio builds streets, plots and buildings around the saved site.

    • Eight layouts — villages, harbours, hilltops and more.
    • Distinct quarters — markets, temples, docks and housing.
    • Fitted buildings — roofs follow each footprint.
    • Water and farmland — rivers, bridges, ports and fields.
    • Linked scenes — open the Studio from any settlement.
    • Local edits — redraw a quarter without changing its neighbours.
    • Encounter maps — add hotspots, lighting and layers.

    Export SVG, PNG or tiles. Settlement Studio guide →

    Atlas tools

    Eight styles. One geography.

    Choose a style. Add names, export a clean base, or make a regional plate.

    Ink-on-parchment style: hand-drawn profile mountains and coast rings
    Parchment · Profile mountains and inked coasts.

    With names or without.

    Export labelled plates or clean artwork. Refresh lettering after renaming a place.

    The Amashima world plate without any names
    The Amashima world plate with its place names lettered
    Named No labels

    Make a regional map.

    Keep local names, pins and routes. The artwork follows your saved terrain.

    A regional plate of Orelan with hand-drawn ranges, forests and lettered rivers
    Orelan regional sheet, 4200 px

    Render Studio: edit colours, layers and lettering. Save and share recipes. Explore Render Studio →

    Writing tools

    Write beside your map.

    Link places with [[, pin scenes, and review dates, travel and weather. Continuity findings are suggestions.

    • Languages — create names that share a history.
    • Chronicle — play your timeline on the map.
    • Compendium — develop lore from measured questions.
    • Book exports — Word, Markdown, Scrivener, EPUB and HTML.
    The Manuscript editor: a chapter in progress beside the book's outline
    The Compendium, under its earlier name, the Codex: measured questions the world raises, each with Show on map and Write answer

    By the numbers

    At a glance.

    4800pxPublication plates
    25Mineral and gem types
    85Traded goods
    69Plant and animal species

    Requirements

    Time, storage and hardware.

    Runs on your computer. Preview the cost before building.

    Build time

    World only: Sketch ~35 sec, Quick ~55 sec, Full ~3 min.
    Full with every publication plate: ~15 min. V12 reference measurements →

    Disk space

    Without illustrated plates: Sketch 70–140 MiB, Quick 120–240 MiB, Full 310–590 MiB.
    Plates and exports add more; Create estimates your selection.

    Hardware

    macOS 14+ Apple Silicon · Windows 10/11 x64 · Linux x64, glibc 2.34+.
    8 GB RAM minimum; 16 GB recommended. Keyboard and pointer.

    Price

    Delta: free for invited testers.
    1.0 pricing and release date unannounced. Request access →

    Time references: starter brief, source run on an Apple M5 Pro MacBook Pro (18-core CPU, 48 GB RAM); world builds measured again on the Delta V12 release code on 24 October 2026 (Sketch 30 s, Quick 57 s, Full 193 s), the every-plate figure on 16 October. Packaged installers were not timed. Settings, hardware and available acceleration affect cost; Create learns from your own builds.

    Ownership

    Your work. Your rights.

    Use your worlds, maps and writing commercially. No royalties or required credit. Read the licence.

    Export books, images, vector maps, terrain and an Obsidian vault. See all formats →

    Delta access

    Get an invite.

    Free for invited testers. Join Discord for access codes, builds and feedback. One code unlocks up to three computers; first activation needs internet.

    Delta sends usage and error reports tied to your access code. Worlds, maps and writing stay local. What is sent · Licence.

    Request an invite

    Unsigned installers may trigger macOS or Windows warnings. Use the Discord builds and checksums.

    Current release: Delta V12 (0.9.13)

    Release notes and rebuild cautions →

    • macOSApple Silicon
      Cartovox-Delta-V12-macOS-arm64.dmg
    • WindowsWindows 10/11 x64
      Cartovox-Delta-V12-Windows-Setup.exe
    • Linuxx86-64, glibc 2.34+: Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 35, RHEL 9 or newer, or a current Arch. RHEL 8, Debian 11 and Ubuntu 20.04 are no longer supported.
      Debian 12+ / Ubuntu 22.04+: Cartovox-Delta-V12-Linux-x64.deb
      Other distributions, portable: Cartovox-Delta-V12-Linux-x64-glibc2.34-portable.tar.gz

    Manual updates

    Download new builds from Discord. The app does not check for updates.

    FAQ

    Common questions.

    Does CartoVox use generative AI?

    No. Simulation and a language-aware naming system create the world. The same seed, settings and simulation version reproduce its physical geography; rendered pixels can vary.

    Does it need an internet connection or an account?

    No account. First activation needs internet; usage reports send when connected. Your worlds and writing stay local. Privacy details →

    Can I start from a map I already have?

    Yes. Import an image or heightfield, draw your coastlines, or trace a reference. CartoVox simulates the world around them.

    Can I sell what I make with it?

    Yes. Your outputs are yours, with no royalties or required credit. The app itself may not be redistributed. Licence →

    Is the simulation scientifically accurate?

    Physically motivated, deliberately simplified. CartoVox is a worldbuilding model, not a forecasting tool. Known limits →

    How big is a world on disk, and how long does it take?

    Depends on your settings and computer. See measured time and storage ranges; the app estimates each build before starting.

    Is Delta free? When will 1.0 release?

    Delta is free for invited testers. The 1.0 date and future pricing are unannounced. Request access →

    What happens to my Delta access after 1.0?

    Post-Delta access terms are unannounced. Your saved worlds and exports remain on your computer.

    What makes CartoVox different?

    Simulation, maps and writing share one world. Inspect why a place exists, then use it in your atlas, campaign and manuscript.

    Where is the manual?

    Open Help in the app for the offline manual, or use the website guide. Release notes →

    How do I get in?

    Join the Discord server and request a Delta invite.