Abstract: Objectives: As maps become increasingly embedded in processes of social construction, narrative cartography has emerged as a vital and foundational mode of expressive practice. However, existing scholarship has primarily focused on print-based map forms and lacks a systematic theoretical framework for understanding intelligent digital narrative maps (IDNM). To address this gap, it is urgent to uncover the distinctive concepts and mechanisms that set IDNM apart from print-based narrative maps. Methods: Through a comprehensive survey and synthesis of emerging practices, an inductive approach is adopted to generalize the essential characteristics of IDNM. On this basis, conceptual abstraction and systematic categorization are employed to construct a typological framework, while further examination is directed toward their narrative structures and mechanisms of meaning-making. Results: The conceptual connotation of IDNM is defined, outlining their essential characteristics distinct from printbased forms. A typological cube model is developed across three dimensions—interactive perspective, assembly hierarchy, and plot generation—to categorize different types of IDNM. Their narrative structures are further examined through the dual dimensions of story and discourse, highlighting ruptures and reconstructions in narrative logic. To elucidate meaning-making, three processes are identified: the reconstruction of spatiotemporal perception, the immersive integration of emotion and cognition, and constraint mechanisms shaped by algorithmic logic and procedural rules. These findings demonstrate that IDNM reorganize spatiotemporal perception, foster embodied affective engagement, and embed computational regulation into narrative construction, thereby reshaping narrative cartography and expanding its expressive and interpretive capacities. Conclusions: By addressing fundamental theoretical questions, the research contributes to shifting the paradigm of narrative cartography toward data-driven and computationally mediated frameworks. The work also identifies critical issues for future exploration, pointing to the necessity of refining theoretical, methodological, and technical approaches in the study of IDNM.