level2image: A Utility for Making 2D Tile-Based Level Images with Overlays

Abstract

2D tile-based levels are a common format for video game research, particularly in procedural content generation. Often, tiles are represented as text characters. Here, we describe level2image, a utility that provides a flexible means for converting such levels into a variety of image formats. It can use text tiles or substitute image tiles or backgrounds. There is support for various geometry overlays, such as paths through the level, areas of interest, or boundaries. The utility is a Python script, intended to reduce duplicated work creating such converters within the game research community.