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CyberPunk 2020 Role-Playing Game
Cyberpunk - The Roleplaying Game Of The Dark Future - 2020 - The Second Edition
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First published January 1, 1988
35 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
Mike Pondsmith
46 books90 followersMichael Alyn Pondsmith is an American roleplaying, board, and video game designer. He founded the publisher R. Talsorian Games in 1982, where he developed a majority of the company's role-playing game lines. Pondsmith is the author of several RPG lines, including Mekton (1984), Cyberpunk (1988) and Castle Falkenstein (1994). He also contributed to the Forgotten Realms and Oriental Adventures lines of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, worked in various capacities on video games, and authored or co-created several board games. Pondsmith also worked as an instructor at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 19, 2019
Read this as prep for Cyberpunk 2077, a game I just can’t wait to play the bejesus out of. Blown away by Pondsmith’s visionary take on the future. Simply masterful!
October 7, 2019
Reading this is like reading a time capsule. It offers an 80s version of today that is very unlike the society we live in. It's kind of fun to read about the antiquated technology of the "future" that doesn't live up to what we have today such as having a camera installed in your head that can only hold 20 photos. Having said that, the setting is an exciting one that offers a lot of opportunities for roleplaying. Be aware that since this is an older rpg, it is a bit clunkier than more story-focused modern designs. In particular, if you have a netrunner in your party, there will be a lot of downtime for other party members as the netrunner grinds through the mechanics of working in cyberspace. Hopefully, the upcoming version, Cyberpunk Red, will streamline the design. I'm looking forward to that.
September 2, 2019
I just want to grab some people and dive in! Cyberpunk 2020 has been a perpetual favorite of mine from way, way back. The Cyberpunk genre always struck a special chord for me, and I'm not 100% sure why. I'm not even into computers, and I've never been good with tech. Yet there's something. And with this game, Mike Pondsmith did for Cyberpunk what the folks at Chaosium did for Cosmic Horror with Call of Cthulhu. All in one book, everything you need to run the game for years.
Now, this was a "near future" setting that was written 30ish years ago. Things didn't quite go the same way the book suggests. That's really no problem. Other retro-future games exist like Space 1889 or Tales from the Loop, so just run with it. Sidestep into a 2020 where people still carry cellular phones that are used for making phone calls, where getting a cyber-arm isn't that big a deal, where plugging your brain into a machine is common practice.
Great stuff.
Now, this was a "near future" setting that was written 30ish years ago. Things didn't quite go the same way the book suggests. That's really no problem. Other retro-future games exist like Space 1889 or Tales from the Loop, so just run with it. Sidestep into a 2020 where people still carry cellular phones that are used for making phone calls, where getting a cyber-arm isn't that big a deal, where plugging your brain into a machine is common practice.
Great stuff.
Read
July 3, 2020I recently read this for the first time as I am writing a retro-future version of my own game, The Veil; with the goal of incorporating some cyberpunk lineage into the bones of the design work. I read the Cyberpunk 2020 in PDF form.
The writing is snappy and entertaining, with good flow. The game was clearly progressive in many ways so I can see why it is looked at very fondly. Having lifepaths and one of the first games to have actual classes and associated "feat" like bonuses (I believe before D&D did so even), along with the lifepaths. Where the players roll for every year over the age of 16 and generate history, good and bad occurrences up to die rolls.
Everything drives toward one of the opening headers and "rules" to keep in mind for good roleplaying of the game: "Style Over Substance".
I am not into traditional games and tend to favor storygames and indie games coming out presently, but came away quite impressed with this release. Good writing, lots of flavors. Lots of gear; all tonally consistent to help people imagine a dystopia and their subsequent cyberpunk character.
Aside from a few things that I am sure wouldn't be frowned upon in 1990, it was all great. But when you can roll a year of your life in which you were falsely accused of rape and the artwork in some places have little to do with the actual chapters, often with the 90's style of big breasts and sexualized female forms (unfortunately still plaguing us)... I was reminded repeatedly it's a product of its time; however cool and clever it may be.
The writing is snappy and entertaining, with good flow. The game was clearly progressive in many ways so I can see why it is looked at very fondly. Having lifepaths and one of the first games to have actual classes and associated "feat" like bonuses (I believe before D&D did so even), along with the lifepaths. Where the players roll for every year over the age of 16 and generate history, good and bad occurrences up to die rolls.
Everything drives toward one of the opening headers and "rules" to keep in mind for good roleplaying of the game: "Style Over Substance".
I am not into traditional games and tend to favor storygames and indie games coming out presently, but came away quite impressed with this release. Good writing, lots of flavors. Lots of gear; all tonally consistent to help people imagine a dystopia and their subsequent cyberpunk character.
Aside from a few things that I am sure wouldn't be frowned upon in 1990, it was all great. But when you can roll a year of your life in which you were falsely accused of rape and the artwork in some places have little to do with the actual chapters, often with the 90's style of big breasts and sexualized female forms (unfortunately still plaguing us)... I was reminded repeatedly it's a product of its time; however cool and clever it may be.
March 4, 2020
Very mixed feelings on this one, but definitely leaning positively.
On the positive, the rules system is great, the worldbuilding is thorough and engaging, and the writing style can suck you in (even though it's "only" a rulebook). Organization is okay - not the best, not the worst. It's also maybe not as thorough as I'd like, but that's a trade-off with rulebooks - do you want a huge chunky primary source, or a more streamlined primary and numerous supplements?
On the negative side, the game values style/aesthetics and a particular type of roleplaying a lot more than I'd like. BUT, I think you can play the game any way you like, so that's not a dealbreaker. Still, it's a different style of game and that may not work for everybody.
On the positive, the rules system is great, the worldbuilding is thorough and engaging, and the writing style can suck you in (even though it's "only" a rulebook). Organization is okay - not the best, not the worst. It's also maybe not as thorough as I'd like, but that's a trade-off with rulebooks - do you want a huge chunky primary source, or a more streamlined primary and numerous supplements?
On the negative side, the game values style/aesthetics and a particular type of roleplaying a lot more than I'd like. BUT, I think you can play the game any way you like, so that's not a dealbreaker. Still, it's a different style of game and that may not work for everybody.
August 10, 2013
Read, played... fun times!!
February 27, 2025
Clearly Elon Musk misread it as am instruction manual for out future, instead of one for a dystopian TTRPG
August 31, 2021
It's been almost 20 years now since my last CP2020 session but it turned out that I still remember most of the world details and game mechanics. The nostalgia factor is strongly affecting my opinion, that's why it's high, despite the obvious flaws of the mechanics, its unnecessary complication and obsolescence. Also, some of the supposed 2020 technological developments can only seem ridiculous from today's point of view, as well as the vision of the Net. Still, a great trip down memory lane.
June 6, 2018
Un libro de tamaño similar al A4, en tapa blanda a color e interior en blanco y negro con 254 páginas. La encuadernación es de las que sufren con solo mirarlo.
El interior presenta una maquetación algo caótica, con numerosas llamadas a los lados, destacados, tablas y un texto a doble columna. Ofrece gran cantidad de ilustraciones, pero con irregular calidad, habiendo preciosos dibujos y otros no tanto.
El mundo de Cyberpunk es un lugar violento y peligroso, lleno de gente a la que le encantaría arrancarte el brazo. Los tradicionales conceptos del bien y el mal se han visto sustituidos por los valores más oportunos en cada momento. Los gobiernos como tales han desaparecido en favor de las grandes megacorporaciones, que deciden a cada momento el destino del mundo. Los personajes que viven en este mundo hacen lo posible para sobrevivir. Muchos de ellos, intentando hacer el bien, pero no contéis con que eso salga bien.
El planteamiento del juego es evidentemente violento, duro y también un poco macarra. Te muestra el asqueroso mundo en el que los personajes se mueven y, de paso intenta escupirte en la cara. Los jugadores tendrán que enfrentarse a difíciles situaciones donde a veces, tienen muy pocas posibilidades de salir vivos y en las que tendrán que luchar también por sus reglas morales.
El libro se estructura en 11 partes:
La primera nos mete directamente en la creación de personajes, explicándonos los 9 roles a elegir: mercenarios, técnicos, periodistas, policías, ejecutivos, arregladores, nómadas, rockeros y netrunners. Ojo a estos dos últimos.
Por supuesto, puedes crear otros roles. De hecho, en posteriores suplementos fueron haciendo crecer la lista.
Lo más interesante quizá es el apartado de tablas y esquemas en los que permite dar pequeñas pinceladas para crear tu trasfondo y pasado. Algo que llama la atención para le época (siendo el juego que es) y que en manos de buenos jugadores, puede dar con unos personajes tremendamente construidos y profundos. Pero por supuesto, necesita trabajo detrás.
Le sigue por supuesto el reparto de puntos en características y habilidades, que el propio manual combina con la explicación del sistema de juego. Algo interesante pues tienes la sensación de estar leyendo un tutorial bastante completo.
El sistema es sencillo. El director de juego marca una dificultad a igualar o superar según lo que queramos hacer fuera de lo normal: fácil (10 o más) hasta casi imposible (30 o más). Se tira 1D10 a lo que sumamos la característica que le corresponda y añadimos cualquier habilidad que esté directamente relacionada. Si lo conseguimos, la acción ha tenido éxito. A esto el director de juego puede añadir modificadores extra por la situación en la que se encuentren.
La segunda parte habla del equipo que podemos encontrar en Cyberpunk 2020. Y aquí hay que matizar una cosa que ya debe ser evidente para el oyente: el juego tiene 30 años. Luego cuando uno relee el libro en pleno 2018, a solo 2 años de estar en la fecha en la que se ambienta el libro, hay cosas que no han evolucionado como se creía, evidentemente. Cosas como las tarjetas de memoria, drones, conexiones inalámbricas, microcámaras digitales... son cosas que no existen. En su lugar aparecen los casetes, las cámaras del tamaño de una mano, los cables de hace 30 años. Aún así ya hay cosas que se preveían: los teléfonos móviles personales, ciberimplantes, la moneda electrónica, las gafas inteligentes...
Bueno, como decíamos, en esta sección podremos encontrar armas, equipo, tecnología, programas, ropa, ciberequipo, vehículos, armadura... Todo bien explicado y con manga ancha para que el director de juego cree el suyo propio.
En la tercera parte está el combate. O como lo llaman aquí: "Tiroteo del viernes por la noche". Nos explica las reglas de combate y un montón de situaciones y reglas rápidas que se pueden dar en la partida: disparos, emboscadas, combates cuerpo a cuerpo, explosiones, caídas, persecuciones...
La cuarta parte está dedicada a la salud de los personajes y sus reglas. El título del capítulo es "Trauma Team" y quizá nos recuerde o evoque al reciente juego de rol que va a publicar Nosolorol "Trauma Unit". Trauma Team es una franquicia de una megacorporación que ofrece unas ambulancias de choque pensadas para sacarte del escenario de combate en 7 minutos y sobreponerte de tus heridas (si no, te devuelven el dinero). Pero volviendo al contenido del capítulo, aquí encontramos todo tipo de situaciones y reglas para la estabilización, curación, primeros auxilios y nuevas tecnologías relacionadas con la regeneración o los bancos de cuerpos. Podríamos incluir en esta sección un apartado dedicado a las drogas.
La quinta parte y una de las que más peso tienen en el juego es la dedicada a los Netrunners, esos maestros de la informática que viven al margen de la ley y que serían una versión evolucionada de los hackers actuales. El juego le dedica casi 50 páginas, explayando sus reglas, equipo, programas, encuentros por la red, los niveles de seguridad que pueden encontrar, creación de inteligencias artificiales y el combate en el ciberespacio.
Y si os habéis fijado, hasta ahora el manual no había entrado de lleno en la ambientación que van a poder tocar, ver y oler los jugadores. Teníamos pinceladas del universo, pero no es hasta el capítulo "Todo lo oscuro y Cyberpunk" donde encontraremos una cronología completa de los hechos que cambiaron el mundo, así como todas las particularidades de este futuro distópico no tan diferente al nuestro.
Le sigue un capítulo dedicado a consejos y ayudas para dirigir Cyberpunk. Interesante capítulo pero nada original.
En octavo lugar encontramos una aventura completa, titulada "No te desvanezcas" y pensada para jugadores novatos. Pero ojo, esta aventura no está lista para jugar. Aunque incluye las fichas de los PnJs, está escrita como un relato corto (10 páginas) que nos pone de lleno en las situaciones que los jugadores van a poder vivir en este juego pero que necesitará de algún trabajo extra del director de juego para improvisar salidas en un guión algo encorsetado. Aunque, eso sí, la idea de la aventura es interesante para iniciarse en el juego. Nunca me cansaré de decir lo importante que es para mí que todo manual básico incluya aventuras.
Después viene "Megacorporaciones 2020", donde el director de juego podrá conocer los entresijos del mundo en el que se mueve, con un sinfín de ideas, intereses y personajes para sus aventuras.
Luego tenemos un sandbox interesante para desplegar a nuestros jugadores: la ciudad de Night City, con un montón de distritos, problemas, tramas, personalidades y recursos de los que echar mano para rodar nuestras aventuras y personajes. Algo muy trabajado y que posteriormente irían ampliando en futuros suplementos.
Y finalmente cierra el libro 10 semillas para aventuras presentadas como noticias o faxes, algunas de las cuales son la mar de originales.
En resumen, un libro cuyo reglamente es de la vieja escuela y bastante sencillo. A primera vista puede parecer enfocado principalmente al enfrentamiento y el combate, pero que esconde una amalgama muy amplia de situaciones que puede tocar muchos géneros y que se maneja la mar de bien dentro de las intrigas y las peleas entre las corporaciones.
Puedes escuchar esta misma reseña ampliada en el programa especial de La Base Secreta que dedicamos al género Cyberpunk:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/labases...
El interior presenta una maquetación algo caótica, con numerosas llamadas a los lados, destacados, tablas y un texto a doble columna. Ofrece gran cantidad de ilustraciones, pero con irregular calidad, habiendo preciosos dibujos y otros no tanto.
El mundo de Cyberpunk es un lugar violento y peligroso, lleno de gente a la que le encantaría arrancarte el brazo. Los tradicionales conceptos del bien y el mal se han visto sustituidos por los valores más oportunos en cada momento. Los gobiernos como tales han desaparecido en favor de las grandes megacorporaciones, que deciden a cada momento el destino del mundo. Los personajes que viven en este mundo hacen lo posible para sobrevivir. Muchos de ellos, intentando hacer el bien, pero no contéis con que eso salga bien.
El planteamiento del juego es evidentemente violento, duro y también un poco macarra. Te muestra el asqueroso mundo en el que los personajes se mueven y, de paso intenta escupirte en la cara. Los jugadores tendrán que enfrentarse a difíciles situaciones donde a veces, tienen muy pocas posibilidades de salir vivos y en las que tendrán que luchar también por sus reglas morales.
El libro se estructura en 11 partes:
La primera nos mete directamente en la creación de personajes, explicándonos los 9 roles a elegir: mercenarios, técnicos, periodistas, policías, ejecutivos, arregladores, nómadas, rockeros y netrunners. Ojo a estos dos últimos.
Por supuesto, puedes crear otros roles. De hecho, en posteriores suplementos fueron haciendo crecer la lista.
Lo más interesante quizá es el apartado de tablas y esquemas en los que permite dar pequeñas pinceladas para crear tu trasfondo y pasado. Algo que llama la atención para le época (siendo el juego que es) y que en manos de buenos jugadores, puede dar con unos personajes tremendamente construidos y profundos. Pero por supuesto, necesita trabajo detrás.
Le sigue por supuesto el reparto de puntos en características y habilidades, que el propio manual combina con la explicación del sistema de juego. Algo interesante pues tienes la sensación de estar leyendo un tutorial bastante completo.
El sistema es sencillo. El director de juego marca una dificultad a igualar o superar según lo que queramos hacer fuera de lo normal: fácil (10 o más) hasta casi imposible (30 o más). Se tira 1D10 a lo que sumamos la característica que le corresponda y añadimos cualquier habilidad que esté directamente relacionada. Si lo conseguimos, la acción ha tenido éxito. A esto el director de juego puede añadir modificadores extra por la situación en la que se encuentren.
La segunda parte habla del equipo que podemos encontrar en Cyberpunk 2020. Y aquí hay que matizar una cosa que ya debe ser evidente para el oyente: el juego tiene 30 años. Luego cuando uno relee el libro en pleno 2018, a solo 2 años de estar en la fecha en la que se ambienta el libro, hay cosas que no han evolucionado como se creía, evidentemente. Cosas como las tarjetas de memoria, drones, conexiones inalámbricas, microcámaras digitales... son cosas que no existen. En su lugar aparecen los casetes, las cámaras del tamaño de una mano, los cables de hace 30 años. Aún así ya hay cosas que se preveían: los teléfonos móviles personales, ciberimplantes, la moneda electrónica, las gafas inteligentes...
Bueno, como decíamos, en esta sección podremos encontrar armas, equipo, tecnología, programas, ropa, ciberequipo, vehículos, armadura... Todo bien explicado y con manga ancha para que el director de juego cree el suyo propio.
En la tercera parte está el combate. O como lo llaman aquí: "Tiroteo del viernes por la noche". Nos explica las reglas de combate y un montón de situaciones y reglas rápidas que se pueden dar en la partida: disparos, emboscadas, combates cuerpo a cuerpo, explosiones, caídas, persecuciones...
La cuarta parte está dedicada a la salud de los personajes y sus reglas. El título del capítulo es "Trauma Team" y quizá nos recuerde o evoque al reciente juego de rol que va a publicar Nosolorol "Trauma Unit". Trauma Team es una franquicia de una megacorporación que ofrece unas ambulancias de choque pensadas para sacarte del escenario de combate en 7 minutos y sobreponerte de tus heridas (si no, te devuelven el dinero). Pero volviendo al contenido del capítulo, aquí encontramos todo tipo de situaciones y reglas para la estabilización, curación, primeros auxilios y nuevas tecnologías relacionadas con la regeneración o los bancos de cuerpos. Podríamos incluir en esta sección un apartado dedicado a las drogas.
La quinta parte y una de las que más peso tienen en el juego es la dedicada a los Netrunners, esos maestros de la informática que viven al margen de la ley y que serían una versión evolucionada de los hackers actuales. El juego le dedica casi 50 páginas, explayando sus reglas, equipo, programas, encuentros por la red, los niveles de seguridad que pueden encontrar, creación de inteligencias artificiales y el combate en el ciberespacio.
Y si os habéis fijado, hasta ahora el manual no había entrado de lleno en la ambientación que van a poder tocar, ver y oler los jugadores. Teníamos pinceladas del universo, pero no es hasta el capítulo "Todo lo oscuro y Cyberpunk" donde encontraremos una cronología completa de los hechos que cambiaron el mundo, así como todas las particularidades de este futuro distópico no tan diferente al nuestro.
Le sigue un capítulo dedicado a consejos y ayudas para dirigir Cyberpunk. Interesante capítulo pero nada original.
En octavo lugar encontramos una aventura completa, titulada "No te desvanezcas" y pensada para jugadores novatos. Pero ojo, esta aventura no está lista para jugar. Aunque incluye las fichas de los PnJs, está escrita como un relato corto (10 páginas) que nos pone de lleno en las situaciones que los jugadores van a poder vivir en este juego pero que necesitará de algún trabajo extra del director de juego para improvisar salidas en un guión algo encorsetado. Aunque, eso sí, la idea de la aventura es interesante para iniciarse en el juego. Nunca me cansaré de decir lo importante que es para mí que todo manual básico incluya aventuras.
Después viene "Megacorporaciones 2020", donde el director de juego podrá conocer los entresijos del mundo en el que se mueve, con un sinfín de ideas, intereses y personajes para sus aventuras.
Luego tenemos un sandbox interesante para desplegar a nuestros jugadores: la ciudad de Night City, con un montón de distritos, problemas, tramas, personalidades y recursos de los que echar mano para rodar nuestras aventuras y personajes. Algo muy trabajado y que posteriormente irían ampliando en futuros suplementos.
Y finalmente cierra el libro 10 semillas para aventuras presentadas como noticias o faxes, algunas de las cuales son la mar de originales.
En resumen, un libro cuyo reglamente es de la vieja escuela y bastante sencillo. A primera vista puede parecer enfocado principalmente al enfrentamiento y el combate, pero que esconde una amalgama muy amplia de situaciones que puede tocar muchos géneros y que se maneja la mar de bien dentro de las intrigas y las peleas entre las corporaciones.
Puedes escuchar esta misma reseña ampliada en el programa especial de La Base Secreta que dedicamos al género Cyberpunk:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/labases...
September 13, 2012
Soy un enamorado de este juego con sus virtudes y sus defectos. Me descubrió todo un genero dentro de la ciencia ficción además de proporcionarme gloriosas partidas.
July 13, 2020
Kind of ironic to finish Cyberpunk 2020 (a vision of the dark future) in... 2020.
The system is a little overly complicated, and the technology level is SORELY outdated in current-year 2020 (fax systems, for instance), but the idea is solid enough.
I get why some folks hate the Netrunner rules: It's basically a big elaborate dungeon that is just the DM and Netrunner(s) player(s) spelunking into them to find information while the rest of the party (non-Netrunners) have to sit around or come back next-session to find the information.
I'm surprised Pondsmith didn't have a "oh they're trying to open a door? Let them Jedi-Mind-Trick it." rule in this. I guess it's a matter of hindsight, I guess he didn't expect the Netrunner rules to take many hours to go through a scenario quickly.
Oh well. Part 1 of "get to the OG Netrunner card game being used in Runs" rulebooks done. Now to dive into Bartmoss' Brainware Blowout to read said rules for curiosity sake.
The system is a little overly complicated, and the technology level is SORELY outdated in current-year 2020 (fax systems, for instance), but the idea is solid enough.
I get why some folks hate the Netrunner rules: It's basically a big elaborate dungeon that is just the DM and Netrunner(s) player(s) spelunking into them to find information while the rest of the party (non-Netrunners) have to sit around or come back next-session to find the information.
I'm surprised Pondsmith didn't have a "oh they're trying to open a door? Let them Jedi-Mind-Trick it." rule in this. I guess it's a matter of hindsight, I guess he didn't expect the Netrunner rules to take many hours to go through a scenario quickly.
Oh well. Part 1 of "get to the OG Netrunner card game being used in Runs" rulebooks done. Now to dive into Bartmoss' Brainware Blowout to read said rules for curiosity sake.
September 5, 2020
This is the quintessential shift of Cyberpunk from a literature genre into the typical action setting used today. More Blade Runner than Neuromancer. Nevertheless a genre-defining roleplaying game and one that left it‘s mark on the Cyberopunk genre. Hardly you read any novel nowadays, where you do not find elements of this RPG.
The tech is a bit funny nowadays (portable decks with 400MB harddrive, yeah! Like my phone from 2002!), the focus is on action (weapons en masse), but having played this for five years in my youth I can assure everyone, there is fun to have in this book. Lots of it.
The tech is a bit funny nowadays (portable decks with 400MB harddrive, yeah! Like my phone from 2002!), the focus is on action (weapons en masse), but having played this for five years in my youth I can assure everyone, there is fun to have in this book. Lots of it.
November 12, 2020
This game essentially predicted the themes of the year 2020. It also provided a great roleplaying experience, overflowing with the sleek coolness of the best the cyberpunk genre had to offer. Like the better works of literature in the genre, the discerning reader would recognize it as a warning about the future toward which we were headed, with hints that one day the real heroes would necessarily be criminals. It was a futuristic game about the warnings of the present, and here we are.
May 25, 2022
Interesting setting, but honestly not one I want to play. I love the world though and would love to explore more set IN the world, just like, not necessarily play it myself. Also the book itself is riddled with grammatical errors that sort of just take me out of it. That being said, it's well written and definitely would be a fun campaign for the right people.
May 22, 2024
This game starts to make sense once you accept the fact Mike Pondsmith is insane and actively works against everyone; including the GM. The puzzle solving, roleplay, and combat though makes for some great fun once you take the time to understand every nuance and skip a few actions here and there for the sake of story.
December 6, 2022
A classic, but it was only in Cyberpunk RED that R. Talsorian managed to solve the recurring problem of netrunners. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
October 24, 2018
I'm using this old Roleplaying game system to help with my future world.
August 27, 2020
The main, the myth, the legend. Mike Pondsmith, another guy into the list of writers and pioneers of the cyberpunk genre. I will forever idolize this guy and I hope I get to work with him one day.
September 5, 2023
Masterpiece. Genuinely.
April 17, 2024
Molto complesso e ambientazione stellare, ma il netrunner non esiste
May 2, 2025
After reading it three times I can confirm it is awesome and I still don’t know how FNFF works 🤣
March 25, 2025
Why You Should Jack Into Cyberpunk 2020 Right Now
If you’ve ever dreamed of living on the edge in a neon-drenched dystopia, Cyberpunk 2020 is your ticket to the dark future. This isn’t just a game—it’s a portal to a world where megacorporations own everything, cybernetic implants are as common as tattoos, and style is your best weapon. Here’s why you need to grab the rulebook, roll some dice, and dive into Mike Pondsmith’s masterpiece.
1. It’s a Time Machine to a Retro-Future
Cyberpunk 2020 screams 80s and 90s sci-fi—think Blade Runner’s rain-soaked streets or Neuromancer’s digital sprawl, but with a punk twist. Released in 1990, it imagines a 2020 where tech has run wild and society’s fraying at the seams. Playing it in 2025 feels like stepping into a retro-futurist dream that’s eerily prescient—corporate overreach and tech obsession? Sound familiar? It’s a nostalgic hit with a modern bite.
2. You Control the Chaos
Unlike a video game or movie, Cyberpunk 2020 hands you the reins. Want to be a chrome-armed mercenary, a slick netrunner hacking megacorp servers, or a rockstar stirring up rebellion? You build your character, your story, your way. The rules are crunchy enough to make your choices matter—every cybernetic upgrade or street deal can shift the game—but flexible enough to let your imagination run wild. It’s your Night City to conquer.
3. The Lore is Addictive
Night City isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing character. A sprawling urban hellscape packed with gangs, fixers, and corpos, it’s a place where danger and opportunity collide. The lore—detailed in the core book and supplements—pulls you into a world of betrayal, tech-fueled excess, and desperate hope. If you loved Cyberpunk 2077, this is the raw, unfiltered source material that started it all.
4. It’s a Mirror to Our World
The game’s vision of a future dominated by unchecked power and invasive tech isn’t far off from 2025’s headlines. Playing it forces you to grapple with questions we’re facing now: What’s the cost of progress? Who really runs the show? It’s not preachy—it’s too busy throwing you into firefights and backroom deals—but it’ll stick with you long after the session ends.
5. Style Over Substance? Nah, It’s Both
In Cyberpunk 2020, looking good is half the battle. Rocking mirror shades and a leather trench isn’t just vanity—it’s survival. The game’s obsession with attitude and aesthetics makes every moment feel cinematic. But beneath the flash, there’s depth: a system that rewards bold risks and clever plays. It’s a rare mix of swagger and substance that keeps you hooked.
Why Now?
Maybe it’s the itch for something realer than a screen, or maybe you just want to escape into a world where you can fight the system and win. Cyberpunk 2020 delivers that in spades. Grab some friends, snag the rulebook (or the updated Cyberpunk RED for a bridge to 2077), and jack in. The streets of Night City are waiting—and they don’t forgive the timid.
If you’ve ever dreamed of living on the edge in a neon-drenched dystopia, Cyberpunk 2020 is your ticket to the dark future. This isn’t just a game—it’s a portal to a world where megacorporations own everything, cybernetic implants are as common as tattoos, and style is your best weapon. Here’s why you need to grab the rulebook, roll some dice, and dive into Mike Pondsmith’s masterpiece.
1. It’s a Time Machine to a Retro-Future
Cyberpunk 2020 screams 80s and 90s sci-fi—think Blade Runner’s rain-soaked streets or Neuromancer’s digital sprawl, but with a punk twist. Released in 1990, it imagines a 2020 where tech has run wild and society’s fraying at the seams. Playing it in 2025 feels like stepping into a retro-futurist dream that’s eerily prescient—corporate overreach and tech obsession? Sound familiar? It’s a nostalgic hit with a modern bite.
2. You Control the Chaos
Unlike a video game or movie, Cyberpunk 2020 hands you the reins. Want to be a chrome-armed mercenary, a slick netrunner hacking megacorp servers, or a rockstar stirring up rebellion? You build your character, your story, your way. The rules are crunchy enough to make your choices matter—every cybernetic upgrade or street deal can shift the game—but flexible enough to let your imagination run wild. It’s your Night City to conquer.
3. The Lore is Addictive
Night City isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing character. A sprawling urban hellscape packed with gangs, fixers, and corpos, it’s a place where danger and opportunity collide. The lore—detailed in the core book and supplements—pulls you into a world of betrayal, tech-fueled excess, and desperate hope. If you loved Cyberpunk 2077, this is the raw, unfiltered source material that started it all.
4. It’s a Mirror to Our World
The game’s vision of a future dominated by unchecked power and invasive tech isn’t far off from 2025’s headlines. Playing it forces you to grapple with questions we’re facing now: What’s the cost of progress? Who really runs the show? It’s not preachy—it’s too busy throwing you into firefights and backroom deals—but it’ll stick with you long after the session ends.
5. Style Over Substance? Nah, It’s Both
In Cyberpunk 2020, looking good is half the battle. Rocking mirror shades and a leather trench isn’t just vanity—it’s survival. The game’s obsession with attitude and aesthetics makes every moment feel cinematic. But beneath the flash, there’s depth: a system that rewards bold risks and clever plays. It’s a rare mix of swagger and substance that keeps you hooked.
Why Now?
Maybe it’s the itch for something realer than a screen, or maybe you just want to escape into a world where you can fight the system and win. Cyberpunk 2020 delivers that in spades. Grab some friends, snag the rulebook (or the updated Cyberpunk RED for a bridge to 2077), and jack in. The streets of Night City are waiting—and they don’t forgive the timid.
February 14, 2021
I originally read this book about ten years ago, and I remembered enjoying it but being thrown by how off some of its predictions were. With the recent release of the game Cyberpunk 2077, however, I decided to give it another read to see if my opinions had changed. I discovered, to my surprise, that they had.
I've gotten seriously into tabletop RPGs over the last few years, and I have also become more familiar with the 80's punk movement that inspired much of this setting. Both of these factors kind of made this setting click for me in a way that they previously had not. In addition, I read this while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic, so reading about a dystopian hellscape of violent cybernetic gangs still felt like pleasant escapism because, hey, at least they were outside.
Reviewing gaming modules is a little odd. Most of the time, you don't read them cover-to-cover; you jump around from relevant section to relevant section, using them more like a reference book than a narrative one. In this case, however, I did read it linearly, and I'm glad I did. Some of the section at the end could have been trimmed, but it was otherwise a pretty satisfying read.
For those interested in the game mechanics, the system is complicated compared to modern ones, but I really like it. Full disclosure, I have not yet played a session, but strictly from reading, it seems very solid. It uses D6s and D10s exclusively, and the list of skills is extensive and specialized. The character creation system is really creative, and I plan on using the Lifepath system for other games. The Netrunning system seemed extremely complicated and hard to understand, but that may be a failing on my part.
If you are versed in TTRPGs and have never checked out this module, I highly recommend it. I fully intend to make my friends do at least a one-shot of it in the not-too-distant dystopian future.
I've gotten seriously into tabletop RPGs over the last few years, and I have also become more familiar with the 80's punk movement that inspired much of this setting. Both of these factors kind of made this setting click for me in a way that they previously had not. In addition, I read this while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic, so reading about a dystopian hellscape of violent cybernetic gangs still felt like pleasant escapism because, hey, at least they were outside.
Reviewing gaming modules is a little odd. Most of the time, you don't read them cover-to-cover; you jump around from relevant section to relevant section, using them more like a reference book than a narrative one. In this case, however, I did read it linearly, and I'm glad I did. Some of the section at the end could have been trimmed, but it was otherwise a pretty satisfying read.
For those interested in the game mechanics, the system is complicated compared to modern ones, but I really like it. Full disclosure, I have not yet played a session, but strictly from reading, it seems very solid. It uses D6s and D10s exclusively, and the list of skills is extensive and specialized. The character creation system is really creative, and I plan on using the Lifepath system for other games. The Netrunning system seemed extremely complicated and hard to understand, but that may be a failing on my part.
If you are versed in TTRPGs and have never checked out this module, I highly recommend it. I fully intend to make my friends do at least a one-shot of it in the not-too-distant dystopian future.
Read
November 3, 2022Always interested in the way pulp and speculative fiction are capable of reading and synthesising an authentic (which is not necessarily accurate) portrait of the future. This guidebook’s vision of the world in 2020, written from the practically ancient age of 1990, not only predicts such phenomena as the corporate usurpation of politics, the privatisation of war, but also manages to describe the total effects of that, not just economically, but culturally, and even emotionally. Whilst the technicals of Cyberpunk’s vision of the future are a bit far-fetched (no low-orbit space stations just yet), the MOOD of the world is absolutely dead on. It’s the reason this world and the cyberpunk genre at large is so appealing to me - because it genuinely corresponds to how I feel in my gut when I think about my future - about OUR future - like nothing else out there.
My interest in this game was obviously sparked by the video game adaptation first of all, but more specifically a series of YouTube videos of a group of friends playing through a campaign. Looking forward to playing through it with a group of my friends. Considering it’s political resonance, part of me thinks this creative act might actually help resurrect some sort of sense of idealism in me personally. It’s hard to imagine how we move forward from here. Role-playing, experimenting with new ways of engaging with a drastically different world order, might actually help lay the foundations for real world action (at least in an abstract sense). Thought is action in rehearsal, as Freud said, and the story of the next century is a play no one knows the lines to.
My interest in this game was obviously sparked by the video game adaptation first of all, but more specifically a series of YouTube videos of a group of friends playing through a campaign. Looking forward to playing through it with a group of my friends. Considering it’s political resonance, part of me thinks this creative act might actually help resurrect some sort of sense of idealism in me personally. It’s hard to imagine how we move forward from here. Role-playing, experimenting with new ways of engaging with a drastically different world order, might actually help lay the foundations for real world action (at least in an abstract sense). Thought is action in rehearsal, as Freud said, and the story of the next century is a play no one knows the lines to.
December 27, 2021
2013 was better.
July 4, 2017
I don't have the german version, but it's the only damn version I can find in this whole system.
Live it, love it, play it.
'Nuff said.
Live it, love it, play it.
'Nuff said.
August 27, 2016
A little dated now, but the game world is fantastic. CP2020 is the best roleplying system I've ever found.
November 13, 2014
Classic
December 26, 2014
Quite an excellent book. The stories that accompany it are a very nice touch!
February 20, 2023
4,5 good af
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