Cyberpunk RED vs Shadowrun
Compare Cyberpunk RED and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cyberpunk RED | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Cyberpunk | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Combat-Heavy, Skill-Based, Gritty, Deadly, Corruption, Faction Play, Crunchy, Licensed IP | Crunchy, Tactical, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Stat + Skill + d10 against a Difficulty Value set by the GM (typically 13 for everyday tasks, scaling to 29 for legendary ones). Combat uses REF + weapon skill + d10 against a defender's active dodge or parry roll. Damage is rolled with d6s and reduced by armor at the hit location. Critical injuries are triggered when damage penetrates armor, rolled on a table with lasting mechanical effects. Humanity loss from cyberware installation tracks a character's slide toward cyberpsychosis. | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. |
| Dice | d10 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Proprietary | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | R. Talsorian Games | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2020 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups who want a streamlined cyberpunk experience with lethal combat, deep character roles, and a setting that bridges the classic Cyberpunk 2020 era to the world of Cyberpunk 2077. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. |
| Highlights | Ten roles each have a branching Role Ability that deepens as the character advances, not a one-time pick. Netrunning is rebuilt to resolve in real time alongside physical combat, so the netrunner acts on the same clock as everyone else. The Lifepath system generates backstory events, enemies, allies, and romances that hook a character into the Time of the Red. | The setting fuses megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races, so a single team mixes street samurai, mages, and deckers. Distinct subsystems model Matrix hacking, spellcasting, drone rigging, and astral space, each carrying its own rules depth. The Edge economy converts situational advantages into a spendable resource for rerolls, extra hits, or penalties on opponents. |
| Considerations | Hit location and armor tracking remain from Cyberpunk 2020, adding bookkeeping to combat. Night Market equipment tables use randomized availability that can frustrate players looking for specific gear. The Time of the Red setting deliberately limits high-end technology compared to the 2020 or 2077 eras. | Matrix hacking runs on its own timescale and can leave non-decker players idle during a run. Character creation spreads across attributes, skills, magic or resonance, gear, and lifestyle, making the first build long. Dice pools grow large at high skill, so counting hits on a fistful of d6s slows resolution. |