articy:draft X
articy:draft X is a narrative design and game writing tool for creating and managing interactive stories.
What articy:draft X is
articy:draft X is a narrative design and game writing tool for creating and managing interactive stories. Its visual Flow Editor lets writers organize branching, non-linear narratives and nested flows. The Game Object Database brings project entities and assets together, while scripting with variables, conditions, and instructions can shape choices and game flow.
Localization tools manage project languages and translation status, with spreadsheet import and export. Dedicated Unity and Unreal integrations are available, along with JSON, Excel, Word, and XML exports. Multi-user licenses support simultaneous project access, version history, and SVN or Perforce; Perforce Stream depots are not supported. The free edition allows unlimited projects but locks a project if it grows beyond 700 objects until content is removed or the project is upgraded. It is available for Windows, macOS, self-hosted use, and API access. The free multi-user trial lasts 14 days and is requested through sales.
Good
- Flow Editor supports branching and nested story flows.
- Game Object Database organizes entities and assets.
- Localization tools track languages and translation status.
- Dedicated Unity and Unreal integrations are available.
- Free edition supports unlimited projects.
Watch out
- Free projects lock after exceeding 700 objects.
- Perforce Stream depots are unsupported.
- Multi-user trial lasts 14 days and requires a sales request.
Who it suits
articy:draft X suits game writers and narrative designers building branching stories, especially those working with Unity or Unreal. Teams needing shared project access can consider the multi-user options.
Verdict
articy:draft X brings story structure, project content, scripting, and localization into a single narrative workflow. The 700-object limit on the free edition and the trial's sales-request process are worth considering for larger or collaborative projects.
Plans and prices
From articy:draft X's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| articy:draft X FREE | Free | 700 objects per project · unlimited projects · use forever |
| articy:draft X Monthly subscription | €6.99 a month | unlimited objects · unlimited projects · per month |
| Single User Monthly subscription | €7.98 a month | Unlimited objects · unlimited projects · per month |
| Team bundles | €56 a month | multi-user collaboration · Basic, Professional and Premium bundles · starting at per month |
| articy:draft X Annual subscription | €69.99 a year | unlimited objects · unlimited projects · per year |
| Single User Annual subscription | €79.99 a year | Unlimited objects · unlimited projects · per year |
The facts
Each one read from articy:draft X's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI data use
- Articy says it does not collect, analyze, or use project data to train AI tools; AI and voice features connect to third-party services under their terms.checked 3 Oct 2026
- AI extensions
- AI extensions provide assisted preview images, dialogue and barks, and administrators can disable them in multi-user environments.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API
- The .NET API can connect to articy:server, open projects and read or write project data through external programs.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API capabilities
- API programs can query, create, modify, delete and export objects, automate builds, create reports and generate localization or voice-over data.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API distribution
- The API and Macro Development Kit are distributed as NuGet packages with automated project setup.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API documentation depth
- The programmer guide documents server login, project access, SQL-like queries, object creation, exports, logging, assemblies and sample C# programs across eight PDF pages.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Collaboration
- Multi-user editions support simultaneous access, integrated SVN, external SVN or Perforce, rollback history, centralized licensing, change comments and Active Directory or LDAP synchronization.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation and support
- The official tutorial library covers installation, UI, entities, flows, templates, scripting, localization, plugins, multi-user setup, Unity and Unreal importers.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Document view
- The document view is a word-like editor that can convert screenplay-formatted text into visual flow.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Exports and imports
- Supported transfers include JSON, XML, Excel, Word, XPS, Unity, Unreal, generic-engine export, Excel import and Final Draft import.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Flow editor
- The flow editor supports nonlinear stories, nested flows, drag-and-drop authoring, attachments and hyperlinks.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Game object database
- Projects can centrally manage connected characters, items, spells, weapons, skills and other game objects.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Hosted security
- For its optional hosting, Articy states that it uses certified EU data centers, SSL-secured client connections, per-client accounts, and daily external backups.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The product provides dedicated Unity and Unreal integrations, along with JSON, Excel, Word, and XML exports.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Licence model
- articy:draft X has subscription licensing and no perpetual licence; a licence can be active on one device at a time.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: Capterra learning curve
- That reviewer found the tutorials information-heavy and nesting confusing.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limits
- The free edition locks a project after it exceeds 700 objects until extra objects are removed or the project is upgraded.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Localization
- Localization includes project languages, state tracking, Excel import/export, voice-over workflows, reports and optional DeepL translation.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Location editor
- A vector-based 2D location editor provides layers, drawing tools, backgrounds, text and map spots.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Company headquarters
- Articy identifies its main office as Bochum in Germany’s Ruhr district.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- The maker is Articy Software GmbH & Co. KG, registered in Bochum, Germany, with Carsten Schröder listed as CEO.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Bochum, Germanychecked 28 Sep 2026
- Limit: Steam usability
- Steam complaints include clunky interface behavior, confusing large asset libraries, weak template customization and historically missing autosave.checked 15 Oct 2026
Money
- Limit: Steam performance and cost
- Reviewers reported lag on lower-spec laptops and described older editions as expensive or restrictive for average users.checked 15 Oct 2026
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