Extract text from Worms map files (XAN)
To convert XAN maps to another format, you need Worms or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Level Map File" file type, you need software like Worms or a similar tool.
The .XAN file is a proprietary custom level map used in the Worms video game series developed by Team17 Software. These files are designed to store pixel-based destructible terrain, spawn coordinates, weapon drop data, and physical rules for multiplayer matches.
You cannot open a .XAN file with standard operating system tools. It requires the original game engine or specific community-built map editors to render the level geometry correctly.
The main disadvantage of the .XAN format is its closed, proprietary nature. It is compiled into a binary asset that modern web browsers and standard image viewers cannot read. Users often want to convert these files into standard raster images like PNG or JPG to share level layouts online. However, they run into a wall because the format relies on undocumented compression and game-specific physics data.
If you want to view the map outside the game, converting to a flat PNG is the best target format. Be aware that you will lose all interactive game data, such as destructible layers and physics properties during this conversion.
This file format is exceptionally difficult to open or convert. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data, and standard online converters fail to process it. Even if full graphical conversion fails, our platform can inspect the file, expose the raw hex data, and reveal hidden text strings. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or partial conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XAN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert XAN file to , you can use Worms or similar software from the "Game Map Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to XAN, try Worms or another comparable tool in the "Game Map Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our XAN converter.