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The meander algorithm is a combination of using mazes to allow a meandering with bresenhams line. Below you can see the actual algorithm in simplicity. Obviously you could use noise maps to created heighted terrain based on the river to make it look pretty. Choose a starting map edge and ending map edge, acquire the terminal points based on those edges. Usually this would be a random point on those edges. Maybe you’d want to weight it so it’s predominately in the center, or you could restrict it to a certain part. Create Bresenhams line between the terminal points. This is called the pathing vector. Break up the pathing vector into chunks of 9x9 where the pathing vector crosses the center. There may be left-over of the pathing vector. For each chunk, perform a recursive maze generation algorithm on the chunk. Repeat this step until there is a path from the start of the pathing vector within the chunk to the end of the pathing vector in the chunk. A* pathing algorithm can be used for the pathing. Merely use Bresenhams line to wrap up the extraneous pathing vector not covered by chunks, alternatively break up the remaining path into the largest odd number and chunk and process it similarly to the previous part of the algorithm to make it more consistent. Left overs in this optional way would still be filled in with bresenhams line. Recursive Maze Generation: ...
I recently did some work in generating rivers in a 2d game. Revisiting this work to create an exhumed river channel, I decided it might be fun to revisit how to generate it to make the channel look more realistic. Instead of using a drunken walker, this is a more expensive but interesting map generator: Start by generating 2d simplex noise where less <0.6 is floor rest is walls Generate terminal lines at each map exit (north, south, east, west). Shuffle those lines and randomly choose a start and end location for the river based on two of those lines. Later you can add another line with terminal point to allow a split river channel ...