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WorldCanvas – R/place, but with a real world map as the canvas

WorldCanvas – R/place, but with a real world map as the canvas

by recuerdame·Feb 23, 2026·3 points·1 comment
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AI Analysis

●●SolidCrowd PleaserEye Candy

r/place on actual map coordinates with WebGL zoom—clever technical execution, limited staying power.

Strengths
  • •WebGL renderer for persistent zoom-out viewport is genuinely clever and necessary for the concept.
  • •Real geographic coordinates give the shared canvas a tangible, explorable dimension that r/place lacked.
  • •Seeded pixel art and live SSE scoping show thoughtful launch UX.
Weaknesses
  • •r/place novelty is well-established; geographic binding adds concept depth but not retention mechanics.
  • •Requires login to paint; unclear moderation, griefing defense, or long-term engagement loop.
Category
Social
Target Audience

Casual internet creators, r/place nostalgia players

Similar To

r/place · Aggie.io

Post Description

I wanted to build a mipmap version of r/place — zoom out and you see the whole world, zoom in and you're placing individual pixels at real geographic coordinates.

The map is the canvas. Seoul, Tokyo, New York — pixels live at actual lat/lon positions and persist there. Watch others paint in real time as you explore.

A few things I focused on: - WebGL-only renderer (dropped Canvas2D after profiling showed it was the zoom-out bottleneck) - SSE updates scoped to your current viewport only - Seeded pixel art in cities around the world to make it feel alive from day one

Free to use. Still early — curious what people think.

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