A 3D table for the TV, with nothing to buy or install
Arkenforge is the specialist for in-person play on a screen: 2D animated maps, a dedicated player display with fog of war, and a one-time price. TerrainTale takes the same seat at the table with a different idea of the map: a realistic 3D place with torchlight and height, running in a browser tab, free.
Side by side
| Topic | TerrainTale | Arkenforge |
|---|---|---|
| The map | 3D: walls with height, torches that cast shadows, cover and elevation | 2D animated, high-resolution maps with dynamic lighting |
| Building | Room tool, tile brush and shelf on a realistic CC0 library; AI-written scene recipes | A map editor with its own asset packs, sold in bundles |
| TV or projector | One screen: play mode, top-down view, big grid, scaled to one-inch minis | A dedicated player display separate from the DM screen |
| Fog of war | Not yet | Yes |
| Physical minis | Sit on the glass; nothing detects them | Touchscreen mini detection links minis to tokens |
| Remote play | Screen share; a shared player view is planned | Screen share; not built for online play |
| Measuring | Feet on the grid with a diagonal rule and height | A ruler on the map |
| Initiative and HP | Built in: tracker, HP, conditions, round counter | Built in |
| Price | Free, every feature included | One-time purchase: the toolkit from about $35, asset bundles from about $49 to $250 |
| Install | Browser, any OS including ChromeOS and Linux | Download via a launcher for Windows and macOS |
Arkenforge is a trademark of its owners and is not affiliated with TerrainTale. Feature and price notes describe the other product in general terms as we understand it at the time of writing; check its site for current details.
The same seat at the table
Both are built for the DM who runs the map on a screen the group looks at. TerrainTale's play mode hides the editor and leaves the map, Move and Measure, the grid, the top-down view and initiative. Zoom the top-down view until a square is one inch and painted minis go on the glass; the ruler and the pings still work. Any laptop, Chromebook or mini PC with a browser drives the screen.
What the third dimension changes
An Arkenforge map is a beautiful picture with light effects. A TerrainTale map is a place: the archer on the parapet is ten feet up and the ruler says so, the crate is cover because it has a height, and the torch in the corridor throws a real shadow. Between fights, tilt the camera and the players see the room they are standing in rather than its floor plan.
Where Arkenforge is still the better pick
A second, separate player screen with fog of war revealed as the party explores is the feature Arkenforge is built around, and TerrainTale does not have it yet; today the whole table sees the whole map. Touchscreen mini detection, offline operation with everything stored locally, and the depth of its purchasable map and audio packs are all real advantages. If fog of war on the TV is the point of your setup, Arkenforge is the tool. If you want a 3D table for free that works tonight on any machine, start here.
Questions
Can TerrainTale show a player view on a second screen?
Not as a separate display yet. The one table is shown on the TV and the DM runs it there. A shared player view is the next planned feature.
Does it have fog of war?
Not yet. This page will change when it does.
Does it work on a Chromebook or Linux box under the table?
Yes. It is a web page and runs on anything with a modern browser and WebGL 2.
Does it need the internet during a session?
It loads from the web and then runs in the tab; scenes are stored in the browser. Arkenforge is fully offline.
Can I import my Arkenforge maps?
Image maps are not a floor type yet. Any image works as a standee token, and .glb terrain imports directly.
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