Mini-map

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The computer game Freeciv uses a minimap, it is the bottom left corner. On this minimap the white rectangle represents the area of the map currently visible on the main screen. The different colors represent land and ocean and the territories of the different players. The white dots are the position of cities and the blackness is the unexplored areas, the fog of war.

A mini-map is a miniature map, often placed in a corner of the screen in computer games to aid in reorientation. Mini-maps usually display traversable terrain, allies, enemies, and important locations or items.

Features

Usage of GPS

Often, the mini-map is aided by a GPS in order to dynamically update the current position of the player with respect to the surrounding environment, in which case the view would resemble that of a radar screen. Mini-maps have become almost standard-issue in RTS and MMORPG genres, as a notion of where the current screen lies within the scope of the game world is necessary.

Dynamic discovery

In most games, the mini-map begins as a solid field of black, and the map is automatically drawn as the player discovers new areas of the game world.

Layers

Similar to custom layers in Google Earth, some team-oriented multi-player games, such as Age of Empires II or Empire Earth, allow players to draw temporary lines, signals or markings on the mini-map for others to see. Things in a fog of war portion of a mini-map may not be updated until they are rediscovered.

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