Dungeon Alchemist is an AI-powered map creator for tabletop games that offers vibrant level creation in seconds, and it absolutely delivers on that promise. If you were just looking to create a basic set of rooms for your next campaign, Dungeon Alchemist could do it in minutes. If you were hoping to get a bit more in-depth – maybe build a town or a sprawling palace, with customised colours and elements – you can do that too.
To get started, all you have to do is draw your room on the grid. The algorithm will instantly populate that space (along with some very satisfying animation) with theme appropriate walls, furniture and decoration. If you’re not happy with what the AI’s made, you can quickly reshuffle it, or dive in for more intense customisation on an item-by-item level.
There’s almost so much to Dungeon Alchemist it’s overwhelming, and they’re still adding content on a regular basis. You may be looking at that £31.99 price tag with some skepticism, but I have no doubt the kind of people that would benefit from owning it would not sniff at it. I demo’ed it for a DM friend who more or less went and bought it immediately. As you can see from some of the pictures, it’s an incredibly versatile tool.
The great thing about it is you can put as much or as little work in as you like. If you’re really just looking to generate a few easy maps, you can do it time and time again without getting the same result. If you want to tweak absolutely everything, you can do that too with very few limitations. If you want to make a dungeon and fill it with giant roast chickens and croissants, you can do that – and then immediately give me an email, because we should be friends.
We’ve been very taken with Dungeon Alchemist, but it is still an Early Access title and there are some features missing that you may be looking for. For one, you can’t currently import your own objects – you just have to work with the admittedly plentiful offerings it comes with. You can also only export your maps as jpegs, but this is something they’re going to address soon. The top review on Steam at the moment seems to count these as massive negatives, but I don’t think that’s the case at all.
I think what Dungeon Alchemist users are going to have to be wary of is content moving forward – that is, when the game moves out of Early Access. At £31.99 it’s already quite dear, and we have to wonder what price range the inevitable expansions are going to hit. There is plenty to work with already, but if they decide to release different themes or object packs that cost could easily triple. Of course, if they add the ability to import your own objects as promised, this won’t be as much of a concern.
Dungeon Alchemist Early Access – is it worth it?
The important thing to bear in mind with Dungeon Alchemist is that it is purely a map builder. You aren’t going to be able to simulate your favourite tabletop game with it, but you will be able to supplement it with some absolutely beautiful maps. It absolutely delivers on its promises, and would be a welcome tool in any DM’s kit. You can create incredible levels in seconds with absolutely no graph paper or technical knowledge required. Whether you’re looking to add great maps to your paper or digital campaign, Dungeon Alchemist is everything it says it is on the tin.
Dungeon Alchemist is available now on Steam via the Early Access program. Check out more reviews here.
