Dungeon Torch Shadows | Interactive Dungeon Lighting Simulator
The architect of darkness.
Move the flame. Bend the shadows. Rewrite the dungeon.
FREE · NO ACCOUNT
Drag a flame. Swipe the tool strip for more tools.
Ready. Select Explain and click any point to investigate its light path.
Choose your darkness.
One flame. A different way through.
Reach T from S with the lowest mean illumination. Move one torch, then compare the shortest route with a darkness-weighted route. This is a reusable practice puzzle, not a daily server-generated level.
Understand the darkness.
How torch shadows work
A point light sends rays across the dungeon floor. An opaque wall or pillar interrupts those rays, leaving an unlit region behind it. Move the torch sideways: a nearby pillar can cast a long, rapidly changing shadow.
This laboratory traces rays toward obstacle corners and clips each radial light to the visible polygon. The warm falloff is an artistic distance model, not a physically calibrated lux measurement. Full-height obstacles block light in this 2D model.
Illumination is not line of sight
Illumination describes arriving light. Line of sight describes an unobstructed segment between the observer and a point. A wall may hide a brightly lit room; a dark corridor can still lie within geometric sight.
Concealment depends on contrast, movement and your game system. Shadow X-Ray displays blocking geometry; Observer sight shows visible cells from S independently of lighting. Soft penumbra and height-dependent 3D shadows are outside this version.
Design the encounter, not just the map.
Make darkness a choice
Place a torch near an intersection to reveal the main path while preserving a dark side passage. Add a pillar between the light and the treasure, then test whether the shadow route remains walkable. Compare both routes before deciding whether the encounter offers meaningful choices.
Build a light puzzle
Use the altar scene. Put one amber torch on the left and one violet light on the right. Explain a point behind the altar, then open the door to reveal a new light path. For a tabletop puzzle, define the exact target that must become bright or dark and let players test it.
Keep the last light.
Export the current 960 × 600 map with lighting as PNG, download scene geometry as JSON, or copy a link that stores the scene in its URL fragment. Browser saves stay on this device; shared links contain scene data and do not require an account.
Frequently asked questions.
Is Dungeon Torch Shadows free?
Yes. The lighting lab runs in your browser without an account. It is a planning and learning tool for map makers, game masters and puzzle designers.
Can I use this with D&D or another RPG?
Use the geometry to plan a scene, then apply your system’s visibility and stealth rules separately. Relative illumination is not a rules-engine result.
Why is an area dark?
Select Explain and click the map. The panel reports distance, whether the selected torch has a clear light path, and combined relative illumination. Other lights may illuminate an area behind the selected light’s obstacle.
How are the metrics measured?
Statistics sample walkable 40-pixel cells. A cell is illuminated above 15% relative light and dark below 8%. Sight is the fraction of sampled cells with a clear segment from S. Route exposure uses the route’s 20-pixel cells.
Does the site store personal information?
Scene saving uses browser local storage. This tool does not ask for personal data. Blogger and Google AdSense may use cookies and process usage data under their own policies. You can clear saved scenes through your browser’s site-data settings.
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