ChatMapper
ChatMapper is a Windows desktop visual editor (by Urban Brain Studios, Inc., under Hyperspace) for authoring and simulating non-linear dialogue trees with Lua scripting, serving game writers, eLearning authors, and researchers with HTML5, XML, and JSON export.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersCerritos, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ChatMapper does
ChatMapper, operated by Urban Brain Studios, Inc. (a Delaware corporation branded under the Hyperspace parent entity), is a Windows desktop software product designed for authoring and testing non-linear dialogue and event storylines. The application provides a visual tree graph editor with root nodes and branching dialogue options, supports sub-trees and cross-conversation links, and includes a built-in Conversation Simulator that renders dialogue trees as playable experiences with audio, graphics, and Lua-script debugging. Conditional conversation flow is controlled via Lua scripting, enabling inventory-based dialogue availability and custom variable scoring, with screenplay generation, multi-language localization (English, Spanish, French), and text-to-speech via the third-party ResponsiveVoice integration.
The product surface extends beyond the desktop editor to include HTML5 online publishing via play.chatmapper.com, a Lua-to-JavaScript compiler for web deployment, and export modules to XML, JSON, RTF, and Excel — with documented interoperability into Unity 3D. Revenue is generated through one-time perpetual software licensing in three tiers: a free Hobbyist version for personal use, an Indie license restricted to companies with ≤10 employees and ≤$250K turnover, and an unrestricted Commercial license with command-line tools and packaging. Distribution is product-led via direct website download, with a claimed 91,000+ cumulative user base. Customers span education (Kaplan, USC, Toolwire), entertainment and gaming (THQ, Matsuko, Loreful), and applied research use cases including e-learning, emergency response training, healthcare diagnostics, sales training, and human-computer interaction studies.
ChatMapper firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ChatMapper
- Legal name
- Urban Brain Studios, Inc.
- Website
- https://chatmapper.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ChatMapper is a Windows desktop visual editor (by Urban Brain Studios, Inc., under Hyperspace) for authoring and simulating non-linear dialogue trees with Lua scripting, serving game writers, eLearning authors, and researchers with HTML5, XML, and JSON export.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ChatMapper industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dialogue Authoring Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conversational NLP & Dialogue Management (chatbots, agents) (HDAAADAF)
Keywords
Where ChatMapper is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cerritos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ChatMapper business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: ChatMapper generates revenue through software licensing with three tiers: Free/Hobbyist version (personal use only), Indie version (for independent developers with limited company size), and Commercial version (for any company or individual). The Indie version includes free updates for 12 months and one version cycle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Version - Free to try with personal use restrictions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Indie Version - For independent developers and small studios |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Commercial Version - For professional commercial use |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
ChatMapper product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ChatMapper is a Windows desktop visual editor for writing, testing, and managing non-linear dialogue and storylines. It uses a tree-graph visualization with built-in conversation simulation, supports Lua scripting for conditional dialogue flow, and exports projects to XML, JSON, HTML5, and screenplay formats. The software is offered in Free, Indie, and Commercial license tiers for game writers, e-learning authors, and researchers.
Product overview
ChatMapper is a single-product Windows desktop application with multiple export and publishing add-on modules. The core ChatMapper application provides visual dialogue tree editing and conversation simulation for nonlinear storylines. Associated services include HTML5 online publishing via play.chatmapper.com, multiple export formats (XML, JSON, RTF, Excel), and a built-in Lua scripting engine for conditional dialogue logic. The product is offered in three licensing tiers: Free (hobbyist), Indie (independent developers), and Commercial (enterprise). Target audiences include game writers, eLearning authors, and researchers working with interactive dialogue scenarios.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ChatMapper Desktop Application Windows desktop application providing visual tree-graph editing for non-linear dialogue and storylines, with built-in conversation simulation that includes audio and graphics, Lua scripting support for conditional dialogue flow, and export capabilities to XML, JSON, RTF, Excel, and screenplay formats for game writers, e-learning authors, and researchers.
- ChatMapper HTML5 Online Publishing (play.chatmapper.com) Web-based publishing platform at play.chatmapper.com for deploying interactive dialogue scenarios as responsive HTML5 content, supporting actor pictures, audio files, online Lua-to-JavaScript conversion, and multi-language ResponsiveVoice text-to-speech in English, Spanish, and French for English, Spanish, and French web dialogue experiences.
Companies that use ChatMapper
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ChatMapper technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
ChatMapper partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ChatMapper competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Twine: Twine is an open-source tool for authoring interactive, branching stories. It targets a similar indie game writer / interactive fiction creator persona as ChatMapper, although with a more lightweight, web-based authoring paradigm.
- Yarn Spinner: Yarn Spinner is an open-source dialogue scripting tool tightly integrated with Unity for narrative games. It competes with ChatMapper in the game writer tooling category and shares the same target persona of narrative designers.
- Adventure Game Studio: Adventure Game Studio (AGS) is a free toolset for creating point-and-click adventure games, including dialogue scripting. It is a peer in the broader indie game authoring tool category.
- Fungus: Fungus is a Unity asset for building branching stories and dialogues without code, used by game writers to author interactive narratives. It overlaps directly with ChatMapper's Unity-compatible dialogue authoring use case.
- ChoiceScript: ChoiceScript is a simple scripting language for authoring choice-based interactive fiction and games. It competes in the same non-linear dialogue authoring space as ChatMapper for game writers.
- Ink (by Inkle Studios): Ink is Inkle Studios' scripting language and toolset for branching interactive narrative, widely used for choice-driven games. It is a direct peer in non-linear dialogue authoring for game writers.
- Articy Software (articy:draft): Articy's articy:draft is a visual authoring tool for non-linear dialogues, storylines, and branching narratives targeting game writers and narrative designers — a direct functional overlap with ChatMapper's value proposition and customer base.
- Ren'Py: Ren'Py is a popular open-source visual novel engine with built-in branching dialogue and script authoring, used by game writers creating visual novels — overlapping with ChatMapper's game writer customer segment.
Emerging players
- BranchTrack: BranchTrack is a browser-based authoring tool for creating branching scenarios used in training and e-learning — overlapping with ChatMapper's eLearning Author customer segment and Kaplan/Toolwire-style use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Articulate Storyline: Articulate Storyline is a leading e-learning authoring suite with branching scenario capabilities. It is a broader incumbent overlapping ChatMapper's eLearning Author use case, but addresses a wider authoring scope beyond dialogue.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ChatMapper social profiles
Digital presenceChatMapper financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ChatMapper leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ChatMapper funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ChatMapper M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ChatMapper
What does ChatMapper do?
ChatMapper is a Windows desktop visual editor for writing, testing, and managing non-linear dialogue and storylines. It uses a tree-graph visualization with built-in conversation simulation, supports Lua scripting for conditional dialogue flow, and exports projects to XML, JSON, HTML5, and screenplay formats. The software is offered in Free, Indie, and Commercial license tiers for game writers, e-learning authors, and researchers.
Is ChatMapper a public or private company?
ChatMapper is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ChatMapper founded?
ChatMapper was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ChatMapper based?
ChatMapper is headquartered in Cerritos, United States, in the North America region.
How does ChatMapper make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Licenses.
Who are ChatMapper's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Twine, Yarn Spinner, Adventure Game Studio, Fungus, ChoiceScript, Ink (by Inkle Studios), Articy Software (articy:draft) and Ren'Py. BranchTrack is listed as an emerging player. Articulate Storyline is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ChatMapper have an API?
Yes. ChatMapper provides an Exporter API for programmatic access to its dialogue data. The support documentation mentions "Exporter API Error: Could not load file or assembly" indicating the API exists. Commercial license holders have access to command line tools for automation. XML export is available with options to split conversations and exclude empty fields. Developer documentation is at www.chatmapper.com/documentation.
What industry is ChatMapper in?
ChatMapper's product category is Dialogue Authoring Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAADAF, Conversational NLP & Dialogue Management (chatbots, agents). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.