Map generator that aims to create realistic and nice-looking landscapes for the game, focused on river networks. It is based on algorithms modelling water flow and river erosion at a broad scale, similar to some used by researchers in Earth Sciences (the algorithm here is inspired from Fastscape).
It generates a more or less mountainous terrain with a consistent river network. Rivers always go downhill and combine together to form wider ones, until they reach the sea. Lakes of various sizes can happen, in which rivers may flow and outflow. The whole topography is sculpted by rivers, giving it an even more realistic appearance.
At the beginning it was using a Python script to pre-generate the map, which was then read by Lua, but this time is over. It now works in full Lua and is usable out-of-the-box. The remaining Python files are used for displaying the full map if you want, but they are in no way required for proper usage of the mod.
Starting from version 1.1.0 (February 2026), it is now using mapgen environment, which makes mapgen more efficient and lag less noticeable.
Requirements 🔗
No required dependency, but biomegen highly recommended (provides biome system). Using LuaJIT is also recommended for speed (official builds should include it, but it's worth checking if you compile Luanti yourself).
Usage 🔗
It is recommended to use it only in new worlds, with singlenode mapgen. On first start, it runs pre-generation to produce a grid, from which the map will be generated. This usually takes a few seconds, but depending on custom settings this can grow considerably longer.
By default, it only generates a 15k x 15k map, centered around the origin. To obtain a bigger map, you can increase grid size and/or block size in settings, but this can be more ressource-intensive (as the map has to be loaded in full at pre-generation).
Map displaying 🔗
The Python script view_map.py can be used for displaying the full map. You need to have Python 3 installed, as well as the libraries numpy, matplotlib, and optionally colorcet. For conda users, an environment.yml file is provided.
It can be run from command line by passing the world folder. Example:
./view_map.py ~/.minetest/worlds/test_mg_rivers
Really cool and realistic
This mapgen is very nicely done and fun to explore, however it would be nice not to spawn in solid rock a mile below the surface of the earth ;) The land, though it is very realistic and mountainous, could also use some lowering, since the clouds are only about fifty metres above sea level. Otherwise I highly recommend this mapgen!
A new side of the game
This mod is great, realistic, and that's what I particularly like in the game. Thanks to these more than magnificent landscapes, we have access to new opportunities to build, with mountains sometimes very close to the sea which are beautiful to see, and delightful to use. Thanks for this fantastic mod.
I noticed a problem which is that along lakes or seas there is water under continents, islands, even trees.
Great mapgen
Great mod! The rivers and the way they get bigger when they join together and the lakes above sea level all make for a much more interesting exploration experiance in a fresh world.
I very strongly recommend that you, the server admin or single player, also get the biomegen mod to add biomes other than bare green grass and bare snowy mountain. It's pretty much required for a playable world (you need it to have things like trees).
Realistic
Amazing, realistic terrain. Easily my favorite worldgen mod.
The only downside is that it doesnt support caves out of the box, but running it together with a cave mod like the dwarf fortress style caverns works like a charm.
The biomegen dependency is also pretty much mandatory. Yes, the mod technically functions without it, but then youd have to play in windows xp wallpaper land.
It's beautiful.
I have been fascinated with what this mod is capable of doing with mathematical calculations and little weight to improve terrain generation and even improving the experience in general.
But it is not very intuitive for survival with mining.
———————————No caves?——————————— ⠀⣞⢽⢪⢣⢣⢣⢫⡺⡵⣝⡮⣗⢷⢽⢽⢽⣮⡷⡽⣜⣜⢮⢺⣜⢷⢽⢝⡽⣝ ⠸⡸⠜⠕⠕⠁⢁⢇⢏⢽⢺⣪⡳⡝⣎⣏⢯⢞⡿⣟⣷⣳⢯⡷⣽⢽⢯⣳⣫⠇ ⠀⠀⢀⢀⢄⢬⢪⡪⡎⣆⡈⠚⠜⠕⠇⠗⠝⢕⢯⢫⣞⣯⣿⣻⡽⣏⢗⣗⠏⠀ ⠀⠪⡪⡪⣪⢪⢺⢸⢢⢓⢆⢤⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢊⢞⡾⣿⡯⣏⢮⠷⠁⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠈⠊⠆⡃⠕⢕⢇⢇⢇⢇⢇⢏⢎⢎⢆⢄⠀⢑⣽⣿⢝⠲⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡿⠂⠠⠀⡇⢇⠕⢈⣀⠀⠁⠡⠣⡣⡫⣂⣿⠯⢪⠰⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⡦⡙⡂⢀⢤⢣⠣⡈⣾⡃⠠⠄⠀⡄⢱⣌⣶⢏⢊⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢝⡲⣜⡮⡏⢎⢌⢂⠙⠢⠐⢀⢘⢵⣽⣿⡿⠁⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠨⣺⡺⡕⡕⡱⡑⡆⡕⡅⡕⡜⡼⢽⡻⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣳⣫⣾⣵⣗⡵⡱⡡⢣⢑⢕⢜⢕⡝⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⣴⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⡿⡽⡑⢌⠪⡢⡣⣣⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⡟⡾⣿⢿⢿⢵⣽⣾⣼⣘⢸⢸⣞⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠇⠡⠩⡫⢿⣝⡻⡮⣒⢽⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ —————————————————————————————
awesome job
this mod is very realistic, the Rivers flow very well and the lakes above y coord 0 look good. great job.