How to make a map

What your kid makes

Your kid ends with a hand-drawn world map with five named places, paths, and blockers: the plan for a five-level game. Each place can become a level in Game Studio, and the same world can come back later as the setting for a movie or a comic.

The 4 lessons

1. 

   Lesson 1. Pick your world

   A world starts with one big feeling.

   1. Pick a feeling: cozy, wild, or silly
   2. Pick a place: an island, a city, a forest, or space
   3. Write the world's name at the top of your paper

   Where: Paper

   Watch it free above

2. Lesson 2. Big shapes first

   Draw land and water before the small stuff.

   1. Draw the edge of the land
   2. Add water: a sea, a river, or a lake
   3. Add one big landmark everyone can see, like a mountain

   Where: Paper

   In the app

3. Lesson 3. Places with names

   A good name tells the player what happens there.

   1. Draw five places around your map
   2. Give each one a name
   3. Draw one small picture in each place

   Where: Paper

   In the app

4. Lesson 4. Paths and blockers

   Paths connect places, and blockers make the trip fun. Then each place can become a level.

   1. Draw a path from the start to the last place
   2. Put something in the way, like a river or a gate
   3. Mark the way past it, like a log or a key

   Where: Paper

   In the app

Lesson 1 transcript: Pick your world

1. 0:00

   Every game needs a world. Today, you draw a whole world on paper!

2. 0:06

   A map shows your whole game at once. Where you start, where you go, and what's in the way.

3. 0:13

   A world starts with one big feeling. Is it cozy? Wild? Silly?

4. 0:20

   Then pick a place. An island? A city? A forest? Outer space?

5. 0:27

   Here's mine. A wild island! I'll call it Wobble Island.

6. 0:33

   Write the name big, at the top of your paper. Now your world has a name!

7. 0:39

   Your turn. Pick a feeling. Pick a place. Write your world's name at the top. Then press Next.