TRADITIONAL RELEASES
Not each cyberpunk providing got here by way of crowdfunding. The established publishers went the standard route with their initiatives, providing them by way of FLGS and on-line. Let’s begin with the unique cyberpunk tabletop RPG writer, R. Talsorian Video games Inc.
The Cyberpunk 2077 online game from CD Challenge RED dropped in late 2020. Whereas evaluations have been impacted by the online game’s bugs, Cyberpunk 2077 acquired a second life when Netflix launched the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The present scored extremely for Netflix, and reinvigorated curiosity within the online game. In flip, Cyberpunk RED (the core rulebook and the Jumpstart Package are Adamantine best-sellers on DriveThruRPG) benefited from that very same elevated curiosity. RED’s core rulebook has been in print because the drop of 2077, and 2022 noticed R. Talsorian’s continued dedication to the model by way of their fan outreach. R. Talsorian did an enormous piece of that outreach with Cyberpunk RED Simple Mode as part of Free RPG Day 2022. In in the future, that booklet put the core guidelines, a state of affairs, pre-generated characters, and maps into the palms of many followers. R Talsorian has since made the identical ebook obtainable as a free PDF by way of DriveThruRPG. Past that freebie, R. Talsorian gives a catalog of free DLC content material meant that will help you to personalised your experiences in Night time Metropolis. If Cyberpunk RED pursuits you, Rob Wieland did a overview of the game and a few of the early dietary supplements to offer you an thought of whether or not this RPG is the cyberpunk your desk wants.
Past free content material, R. Talsorian’s main RED launch in 2022 is the journey assortment, Tales of the RED: Avenue Tales (Platinum best-seller on DriveThruRPG). It is a effectively laid out ebook, a strong set of adventures, and a very good useful resource filled with NPCs and different helpful objects. As with the opposite books, Rob took a take a look at Tales of the RED so you’ll be able to resolve how a lot you want these tales.
No dialogue of tabletop RPG cyberpunk on EN World is full with out Shadowrun. EN World’s Darryl Mott is a longtime fan of the system and mentioned a few of the choices from 2022 right here and right here, amongst different articles. Whereas many books and Roll20 help got here alongside, Shadowrun, Sixth World Core Rulebook: Metropolis Version: Seattle, the revised core guidelines for Shadowrun sixth Version, from Catalyst Sport Labs dropped final 12 months on September 15, 2021 as a PDF (Mithral best-seller on DriveThruRPG). The print model of the ebook launched in late ‘21 and early ‘22, so Charles Dunwoody was in a position to discuss in regards to the ebook briefly in his weekly roundup. Between these books and Shadowrun charity bundles created from previous and current editions, Shadowrun’s mixture of cyberpunk and fantasy continues to be a significant participant within the style’s discipline.
Catalyst Sport Labs launched a number of items of Shadowrun prose fiction in 2022. The final of them is Bryan Younger’s Shadowrun: Mercy Avenue (A Shadowrun Novella). Launched on December twenty ninth, this ebook continues to inform the story of the Sixth World, increasing the RPG past tabletop.
From Inexperienced Ronin Publishing comes Cyberpunk Slice: Close to Futures & Hackable Selves for Trendy AGE (Electrum best-seller on DriveThruRPG). This sourcebook provides to Inexperienced Ronin’s Trendy AGE ruleset augmenting the cyberpunk choices. Whereas they’ve touched on cyberpunk for Trendy AGE with the Trendy AGE Companion and supplied a particular sci-fi/cyberpunk world with Greg Rucka’s World of Lazarus, this toolkit offers you the whole lot cyberpunk they hadn’t already supplied. You’ll discover the whole lot it’s worthwhile to combat the corps, save for an inventory of these corps. When you’re fascinated by extra particulars, I did an interview with Malcolm Sheppard and Troy Hewitt about this sourcebook.
But it surely’s not all giant and mid-tier publishers that bypass crowdfunding to go together with a standard launch mannequin. Many publishers self-fund their work to take to market. Jonathan Hicks’ Farsight Video games launched Cyber Streets – Guidelines Mild Future Noir Roleplaying (Copper best-seller on DriveThruRPG) into the wild of 2022. This RPG makes use of the FIRETEAM – Guidelines Mild Army Science Fiction Roleplaying (Electrum best-seller on DriveThruRPG) guidelines system and is ideal for followers of rules-light cyberpunk. The core rulebook has the whole lot you’ll have to run these Cyber Streets with out getting slowed down in huge rulesets.
Micro RPG has a line titled Neon Highway. The primary providing within the line, Neon Highway: AN 80s STYLE SOLO GAME, is a Platinum best-seller on DriveThruRPG, which is excellent for an RPG that debuted in 2022 and forsook crowdfunding. As a solo cyberpunk roleplay, this recreation exists in a distinct segment house. Add to this, Micro RPG’s mission assertion is the stuff that superior is made from!
I’ve talked about my adoration for CBR+PNK: Increaseed from The Cupboard of Curiosities, which brings me to my very own little piece of cyberpunk, HUMAN… ALMOST: A Put up-Cyberpunk Police Procedural Roleplaying Pamphlet – PLAYTEST VERSION from Egg Embry Publishing. Impressed by CBR+PNK plus post-cyberpunk police procedurals like Virtually Human, that is my try at a Solid within the Darkish pamphlet/brochure RPG. I’ve written in regards to the manufacturing of the sport and its affect whereas merchandising at conventions, and with optimistic evaluations from Andrew Peregrine at EN World and Andrew Girdwood of Geek Native matched to its free worth level, there’s quite a bit to supply with none threat for the client.
BUT WHAT OF THE CORPOS’ PLIGHT?
Within the conclusion to this collection, I’ll speak about a few of the cyberpunk RPG information from 2022. These are the tales that contact on a number of of the extra notable tabletop bulletins together with new initiatives, new publishing gamers, and a few non-tabletop information.
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