This talk explores the powerful capabilities and practical challenges of working with Godot’s tilemap system, drawing from real-world experience building an open world game. From optimization techniques that keep large worlds running smoothly to the underutilized Scene Tiles feature, you’ll learn how to leverage tilemaps beyond basic level design. The session covers procedural generation using noise and resources for testing, serialization strategies that make saving and loading efficient, and the evolution of terrain systems from Godot 3.5 to modern approaches. Whether you’re building an expansive open world or a compact puzzle game, understanding when tilemaps make development easy and when they present obstacles is crucial. This presentation examines the transition from the classic tilemap to the new tilemap layer architecture, explores how different tile types (terrains, scene tiles, and normal tiles) might work with separate tilesets in the future, and demonstrates practical applications in unexpected project types. You’ll leave with a comprehensive understanding of tilemap workflows and the tools to make informed decisions for your own games. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ about this event: https://pretalx.godotfest.com/godotfest-25/talk/BTWRCJ/