You’ve outdone yourselves, again. Our third map-building contest turned out to be the most popular yet, with over 400 entries submitted! The competition has never been tougher, and once the dust settled after our studio members cast their votes, the results at the top were very close.
We’ve seen you tackle the badwater theme in many different ways. Whether it was about clever badtide preparations, splitting a map into contrasting halves, building badwater-filled volcanoes, or something entirely different - lots of fun (yet often deadly) challenges were made!
Below are the winning entries and honorable mentions in all three categories. In addition to eternal glory in the in-game credits and on our Discord, the winners receive 1000 EUR each, as well as a Timberborn T-shirt and mug of choice. The swag also goes to those honorably mentioned. Congratulations to you all, and a big thank you to all participants!
Small maps (128x128 and below)
Winner - Mixed Up (64x64) by Pshy
It's a diorama-esque map where you start out with very little land, so using it properly will be key to survival. After the initial challenge, you will need to do some careful thinking on how and where to redirect water and badwater to irrigate the land, which could be tricky considering the settlement is located below every liquid source on the map. Try not to get flooded!
Honorable mention - Surrounded! (128x128) by CkiCeluila
As the title suggests, your beavers start out surrounded - stranded on a small island in the middle of a badwater lake. The challenge is to escape, reach the additional water sources, and use the contaminated lake to your advantage. In a crafty beaver’s eye, it's free real estate, ready to become a reservoir of clean water that will sustain a large colony.
Honorable mention - Mixing Bowl (128x128) by totrider
The start might look fairly peaceful, but you will have to consider which barriers to break and where to dam up so that your settlement doesn’t become the titular mixing bowl itself. Multiple clean water sources are available, but reaching them to reap the benefits won't be easy. Separate the mixed liquids before you can make full use of the majority of the map.
Honorable mention - The Evil Twin (69x69) by Le_Vanda
You start tucked away in the corner with the only clean water source in the form of a waterfall. Past a small lake, the water drops into a river of badwater. You’ll need to figure out the best way to redirect the badwater and recover the land around you. Careful land management will be required due to limited space and big elevation differences.
Medium maps (129x129 through 255x255)
Winner - Heaven & Hell (200x240) by EnlaApa
This map’s name comes from a split between an area with clean waterfalls and its evil badwater half. While in the early game, you can enjoy the peaceful "heaven", getting any significant amounts of metal won’t be possible without venturing into "hell". While a similar concept was used in many maps across the contest, our team liked EnlaApa’s execution best.
Honorable mention - Hadean (196x196) by Flor3nce2456
There's a mega-project bound to happen in the form of a giant reservoir in the center. You will need to build around the crater while ridding the landscape of corruption. Similarly, while there were many examples of volcanoes and craters in the contest, none really matched this very detailed creation.
Honorable mention - Eddic Ashes (155x155) by GinFuyou
A mix of water and badwater flows from the pillar-esque landmark in the center, allowing for flexible redirection or optimising its flow according to your needs. Be wary, however, as some advanced water engineering will be required to avoid disastrous badtides
Honorable mention - Fetid Pools (128x196) by Whiskey267dm0ZaMCQ1K
Here, we have a bunch of plateaus, with the starting point being an oasis. With other safe spots looming in the distance, you will need to bridge your way to other clean water sources and push out the toxic liquid. Just remember that the floor is… badwater.
Large maps (256x256 and above)
Winner - Badwater Ridge (256x256) by jokimty
This map echoes our previous competition theme, and outside of badwater, it introduces large elevation shifts throughout. You begin with access to a large coastline and some flat ground, but access to clean water is limited. Clearing up the contamination will probably be the first thing on your list. However, you will also need to pay attention to a nasty surprise next to the starting area. Act quickly and destroy the barriers, or your beavers might start seeing red!
Honorable mention - Bad Ocean (256x256) by FustigateM
As the title suggests, your beaver settlers are in for a dangerous beach party. While at first, this may not seem like the perfect vacation spot, with enough tenacity, you could potentially clean it all up and return the ocean to its rightful blue colour. Before you reach the great red holes, though, take care of your immediate surroundings so that the badtides don’t ruin your fun.
Honorable mention - Canyon Depths (256x256) by Infinite_Grinch
Incredibly detailed - and filled with stumps and barriers that need to be cleared - Canyon Depths puts you in the center of a crater-like canyon surrounded by badwater. You will have to decide in which direction to expand, as there are various pockets of clean water available. Even the pretty oasis under a waterfall will stop being a safe haven when it starts reeking of contamination.
Honorable mention - Diatomic (256x256) by Skizz112
Diatomic drops your colony in the middle of a huge area where water and badwater rivers are in the near vicinity, with the two craters giving testament to hoomanity’s past actions. Use the flow to your advantage, just be careful not cross the streams. Thankfully, lots of redirect options are available, giving this large map a nice replayability boost.
How to play on these maps
To play on any of the maps above, you will simply need to download an archive off Mod.io and unpack it to your Maps folder. You can find a short guide on how to do this here.
And what if the above selection isn't enough to keep you busy? Well, you can find all 413 submissions - as well as hundreds of other maps AND many crazy mods for the game - on our Mod.io hub.
