Triangle Grids
Original: Triangle Grids (2022)
Key topics
The geometry of triangle grids is sparking a lively discussion, with commenters weighing in on the pros and cons of using triangular structures in game development and beyond. Some are exploring the potential of irregular triangles, aperiodic grids, and hyperbolic surfaces to create more complex and interesting environments. A notable thread divergence occurs when o11c suggests using triangles in pairs to form diamonds, which can create a more manageable grid, while others point to existing examples of non-traditional grid systems, such as Townscaper and a roguelike game on a hyperbolic surface. As commenters share their own experiments and inspirations, a fascinating picture emerges of the creative possibilities and challenges presented by non-traditional grid systems.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Active discussionFirst comment
4d
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12
84-96h
Avg / period
4.7
Based on 14 loaded comments
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Aug 30, 2025 at 4:46 AM EDT
4 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Sep 2, 2025 at 5:30 PM EDT
4d after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
12 comments in 84-96h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Sep 3, 2025 at 10:33 PM EDT
4 months ago
Step 04
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https://andersource.dev/2020/11/06/organic-grid.html
I basically took a square grid and then just randomly displaced each of the vertices a bit to disguise the fact that there is a grid at all. I just wasn't really clever enough to come up with any other way to do deterministic procedural generation.
5 large strips (with 4 macro-triangles each) can form an icosahedron in a fairly sane way.
But IMO the biggest mistake people make is trying to make everything fit on a single square; multi-tile objects are very useful. And at that point, why not make everything take several tiles?
Abandoning tiles entirely in favor of node adjacency can cut memory a lot but requires more thought.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32045779
I'd love to see board games use irregular grids, in the way they describe: different cell sizes/shapes suit different kinds of buildings/units.