Cyberpunk RED vs Shadowrun: which TTRPG fits your group?
Cyberpunk RED and Shadowrun side by side: dice, rules weight, prep, playstyle and what each game is about. Still split? Put both to a group vote.
| Cyberpunk RED | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | R. Talsorian Games | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Dice | d10 | d6 pool |
| Players | 3–6 | 3–6 |
| Complexity | ||
| Prep | ~15 min | ~25 min |
| Foundry VTT | Community | Community |
| Free version | No | Yes |
| Playstyle | Combat Narrative Exploration | Tactical Combat Narrative |
| Setting | Cyberpunk | Cyberpunk Fantasy |
Send both games to your players as one vote: everyone votes from their own phone, no signup.
What Cyberpunk RED is
Cyberpunk RED is a cyberpunk tabletop RPG from R. Talsorian Games (2020), the fourth edition of the Cyberpunk line. Set in 2045, after the 4th Corporate War — Night City's sky is red from nuclear fallout, and players are edgerunners surviving between corporations and the streets. d10 system with Lifepath character creation and the brutal Friday Night Firefight combat subsystem.
- you want classic Night City cyberpunk: corporations, cyberware and style
- your players enjoy rolling up a backstory on Lifepath tables
- you want gunfights where armor is fragile and one shot can kill
- your group wants heroes who shrug off gunfire
- you want rules-light play with near-zero prep — CY_BORG is leaner
- your players want to stack cyberware with no cost to their Humanity
- Interlock System (d10)
- Friday Night Firefight
- Lifepath
- Cyberware
What Shadowrun is
Shadowrun is a tabletop RPG from Catalyst Game Labs (6th Edition, 2019), a unique hybrid of cyberpunk and fantasy. Set in 2080 (the Sixth World) — magic has returned to Earth, metahumans (elves, orks, trolls, dwarves) coexist with cyberware and the Matrix. d6 pool system: roll Attribute + Skill, count hits on 5s and 6s. Shadowrunners are deniable assets who take illegal jobs from corporations.
- you want cyberpunk heists mixed with magic, elves and dragons
- your group enjoys crunchy subsystems for hacking, magic and rigging
- you want deniable runners taking shady corporate jobs
- you want a light system you can learn in one evening
- your group dislikes juggling a separate subsystem for each character type
- d6 Pool
- Edge
- Four Layers
- Metahumans
Send both games to your players as one vote: everyone votes from their own phone, no signup.
- Dungeons & Dragons 5e vs Pathfinder 2e
- Dungeons & Dragons 5e vs Daggerheart
- Dungeons & Dragons 5e vs Tales of the Valiant
- Shadowdark vs Old-School Essentials
- MÖRK BORG vs Shadowdark
- Knave vs Cairn
- Call of Cthulhu vs Delta Green
- Mothership vs ALIEN RPG
- Blades in the Dark vs Scum and Villainy
- Shadow of the Demon Lord vs Shadow of the Weird Wizard