What map types and editing features does Tiled support?

Tiled supports orthogonal, isometric, and hexagonal maps, with tile layers, object layers, infinite maps, and multi-map worlds. It is a free and open source level editor for 2D games, and it exports to formats used by many game frameworks. If your project uses one of those three map projections and you need layered tile or object editing, Tiled is designed for that job.

Map types

Tiled's map projection determines how tile coordinates map onto the screen. The site lists three supported projections:

The choice is made per map, so a project can contain maps of different projections if needed.

Tile layer editing

Tile layers are the core of map building in Tiled:

• Multi-layer tile editing — stack several tile layers in one map, for example a ground layer, a decoration layer, and an overlay layer.
• Easy and fast terrain painting — paint terrain with tools that handle the surrounding tiles for you.
• Rule-based tile and object placement — Automapping places tiles automatically based on rules you define. The site's own example: "Wouldn't it be nice if the right tiles fell into place automatically? With Tiled's Automapping, they can!"

Automapping is the feature to look at if you are building large maps with repeating patterns and want to avoid placing every tile by hand.

Object layers

Object layers hold things that are not grid tiles:

• Annotate the level with rectangles, ellipses, or polygons.
• Place, resize, and rotate tiles freely, so tiles are not locked to the grid.
• Avoid repetition with object templates — define an object once and reuse it across the map.

Object layers are the usual place for spawn points, triggers, collision shapes, and other gameplay data that your game code reads from the exported map.

Large worlds and multiple maps

• Infinite maps grow as needed, so you are not limited to a fixed map size.
• Worlds let you organize multiple maps into one world and show them together.

This matters when a single level is too small and you want a continuous playable area split across several map files.

Workflow and extensibility

• Quickly switch between projects and jump to any file within a project.
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts.
• Extensible with JavaScript: add support for custom file formats, and write your own actions or tools to automate your workflow.

Export and engine support

Tiled is supported by many game development frameworks and exports to Image, JSON, Lua, GameMaker (1.4 and 2.3), Defold, tBIN, and more. Before committing to Tiled, check that your engine or framework can read one of these formats — that is the practical constraint that decides whether the editor fits your pipeline.

What to check before choosing Tiled

• Projection match — confirm your game uses orthogonal, isometric, or hexagonal maps.
• Export format — confirm your framework imports one of the listed formats.
• Scale of levels — if you need very large or open-ended maps, infinite maps and worlds are the relevant features.
• Automation needs — if you want rule-based placement or custom tools, Automapping and JavaScript extensibility are the features to evaluate.

Games made with Tiled include Shovel Knight (2014), Axiom Verge (2015), Brigador (2016), Carrion (2020), Coromon (2022), and Super Catboy (2023), which gives a sense of the range of 2D projects the editor has been used for.