Not the greatest but this is kind of what I want for the map.

map_view.cpp

@@ -23,42 +23,37 @@ namespace gui {
 
   void MapViewUI::init(int x, int y, int w, int h) {
     $gui.position(x, y, w, h);
-    $gui.layout(
-        "[*%(100,900)map_grid]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]"
-        "[_              ]");
-    for(auto& [name, cell] : $gui.cells()) {
-      auto box = $gui.entity(name);
-      if(name == "status") {
-        $gui.set<guecs::Sprite>(box, {"paper_ui_background"});
-      } else if(name != "map_grid") {
-        $gui.set<guecs::Rectangle>(box, {});
-        $gui.set<guecs::Label>(box, {name});
-      }
-    }
+    $gui.layout("[map_grid]");
 
     auto grid = $gui.entity("map_grid");
-    $gui.set<guecs::WideText>(grid, {L"Loading...", 25, ColorValue::DARK_LIGHT, 20});
+    $gui.set<guecs::WideText>(grid, {L"Loading...", 45, ColorValue::DARK_LIGHT, 10});
     $gui.set<guecs::Sprite>(grid, {"paper_ui_background"});
 
     $gui.init();
-
   }
 
   void MapViewUI::render(sf::RenderWindow &window) {
     $tiles = $level.map->tiles();
     auto grid = $gui.entity("map_grid");
-    auto player_pos = $level.world->get<Position>($level.player);
+    auto player_pos = $level.world->get<Position>($level.player).location;
+
+    std::string map;
+
+    matrix::box it{$level.map->walls(), player_pos.x, player_pos.y, 7, 3};
+
+    while(it.next())
+    {
+      if(it.x == player_pos.x && it.y == player_pos.y) {
+        map += "@";
+      } else {
+        map += $tiles.at(it.x, it.y).display;
+      }
+
+      if(it.x == it.right - 1) map += "\n";
+    }
 
-    std::string map_out = $tiles.to_string(player_pos.location.x, player_pos.location.y);
     std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8_utf16<wchar_t>> converter;
-    std::wstring map_wstr = converter.from_bytes(map_out);
+    std::wstring map_wstr = converter.from_bytes(map);
 
     auto& map_text = $gui.get<guecs::WideText>(grid);
     map_text.update(map_wstr);