Cyberpunk 2020 vs The Sprawl
Compare Cyberpunk 2020 and The Sprawl side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cyberpunk 2020 | The Sprawl | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Cyberpunk | Cyberpunk, Scifi |
| Tags | Combat-Heavy, Skill-Based, Deadly, Lore-Heavy, Career-Based, Corruption, Faction Play, Crunchy, Grimdark | Mission-Based, Espionage, Heist, Noir, Gritty, Faction Play, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Player-Only Rolls, One-Shot Friendly |
| Core Mechanic | Stat + Skill + d10 against a difficulty value set by the GM (typically 15 for average tasks, scaling up to 30 for nearly impossible ones). Combat uses the same formula: REF + weapon skill + d10 against a target number modified by range. Hit location is rolled on a d10 table, and armor on each location absorbs damage separately. Cyberpsychosis tracks Humanity loss from cyberware installation, with characters losing Empathy as they augment. | When an action matches a move's fictional trigger, roll 2d6 plus Cool, Edge, Meat, Mind, Style, or Synth. A 10+ is a strong hit, 7-9 is a weak hit, and a 6 or less lets the MC make a move. |
| Dice | d10 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | No verified route found |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | R. Talsorian Games | Ardens Ludere |
| Year | 1993 | 2016 |
| Languages | English, Italian, Polish | English, French |
| Best For | Groups who want a gritty, lethal cyberpunk setting with deep character roles, detailed cybernetics and gear, and a world where style matters as much as firepower. | Groups who want structured heist-style missions with a hacking minigame and a growing web of corporate rivals across a campaign. It suits players who enjoy risky planning and personal ties that complicate the crew's loyalties. |
| Highlights | Nine character roles each grant a unique Special Ability, so a Solo, Netrunner, or Rockerboy plays mechanically distinct from the rest. The Lifepath system rolls out backstory, allies, enemies, and romances, tying a character into the world before play begins. Installing cyberware costs Humanity, trading raw capability for a measured slide toward cyberpsychosis. | Countdown Clocks track legwork noise, mission alertness, and corporate attention on separate tracks, giving missions a visible pressure gauge instead of a single doom clock. Cyberdeck ratings and tiered ICE turn hacking into its own tactical minigame layered on the standard moves. The Legwork and Action phase structure lets intel and gear earned through investigation convert directly into narrated advantages during the mission itself. |
| Considerations | Netrunning runs on its own timescale and can sideline the rest of the table during a hack. Hit-location rolls and per-location armor add bookkeeping to every combat exchange. Lethality is high, so focused fire can drop a fully built character in a single exchange. | Combat and infiltration rely on fictional positioning and MC judgment as much as dice modifiers, so groups who want tightly defined tactical rules may find some outcomes settled by table discussion. Running an ongoing campaign means the MC tracks separate Countdown Clocks for every corporation, threat, and mission in play at once. Choosing how a character paid for their starting cyberware can permanently tie that character to being owned or hunted by a specific corporation. |