Hi Choomba, so you have decided to take the plunge and become a Cyberpunk RED GM? That’s an excellent idea. You must be wondering where to start, though.

Well, it’s your lucky day. I’m an experienced Fixer, so I’ll be glad to help you out. And for free! But don’t get too cocky, in Night City, nothing’s ever really free.

1 - Core Rulebook

Right, I know it seems obvious to get hold of it, I agree, but before you buy it (or perhaps you’ve already done so, haven’t you ;-) ), just bear in mind that this book is… a bit different from the rest of the series.

Oh, of course, you’ll find the rules, the setting, the world history, the gear, the cyber-implants and the netrunning programs. There are even a few short stories and ‘screamsheets’ (one- or two-page scenarios you’ll need to flesh out) to help you better understand what Night City is like in 2045.

But there’s a big problem you see: this book is a mess. It’s absolutely not well organised, and I’m certainly not the only one to say so. So read it carefully and don’t hesitate to stick Post-it notes in it to remind yourself where everything is.

One last thing, my friend: the illustrations don’t necessarily represent the Cyberpunk RED world as it stands today. The universe has evolved somewhat between the publication of this first book and that of the latest (Night City 2045). But can I share with you a little secret? We are quite a lot to wonder when the second edition will be released.

2 - Danger Gal Dossier

Ahhh, my favourite supplement. In my humble opinion, whatever the role-playing game, nothing beats a well-written faction guide.

This one introduces you to fifteen different groups that haunt the underbelly of Night City (the Maelstroms, the Piranhas, the Tyger Claws, etc.) as well as far more official organisations (NCPD, Trauma Team, Net54, etc.). For each faction, you’ll discover their base of operations, their recent history, their resources and their objectives. Add to all this a central storyline running through the entire book (a break-in at Danger Gal’s HQ) and you’ve got an immersive supplement that you’ll enjoy reading.

Finally, the included scenario, ‘The Incident’, is a great way to make powerful allies and launch a campaign if you wish. It is short, well-paced and can be great fun to run (and to play).

3 - Night City 2045

The latest book published on Cyberpunk RED is also the most comprehensive, at 314 pages. It describes Night City in detail and is very well structured, as it is intended to be a genuine tourist guide to the ‘City of Dreams’.

What will you find inside? First of all, instructions on how to use the book, then, in a second chapter, information on Night City, including an updated history of the city and a few maps. Add to that, in a third chapter, around fifty factions (some of which are already described in the Danger Gal Dossier) presented briefly, and you’ve got your introduction.

The main course, of course, consists of the megacity’s twenty-plus districts. Each one begins with a brief introduction, followed by the identity of the district’s Manager, the security providers and the recent history. Next come the key locations, including a few important characters and more generic stat blocks.

It’s a labour of love and you’ll literally spend hours and hours reading the book. It’s brimming with plots, scenario ideas and, to be honest, it seems impossible to take it all in.

Despite the absence of the ‘punk style’ that was clearly present in the ‘2020’ range, it’s well worth it and offers enough scope to adapt all this content as you see fit to create your own Night City.

4 - Black Chrome

Ok, ok, I get it, there can be no cyberpunk universe without the ‘cyber’ part, and you know what? You’re right! Black Chrome is here precisely for that reason… and for some others, in fact.

You’ll find over 170 items of gear (yup, it’s written on the cover). Among them: apps, cyberware, clothing, everyday consumer goods, vehicles, linear frames and weapons. And believe me, some of them are really cool and mind-blowing (literally).

But that’s not all. As you may (or not) know, the time of the RED is a time of recovery after a global corporation war. A time of scarcity where supply chains are still, to say the least, unreliable. So in this book you’ll also find information on the economy, supplemented by no fewer than six night markets run by other well-known Fixers (less so than me, of course).

Note: there is a second printing with some errata being released (02/06/26). If, like me, you have the first version, you can find the changelog here.

5 - Tales of the RED: Street stories

Right, so you’ve got everything sorted now, haven’t you? And after reading all those books, you’re keen to get some adventures underway. Of course you will find some screamsheets in the corebook but it takes quite a bit of work to get started. Don’t want a campaign either? Well the only remaining option is Tales of the RED: street stories.

Inside are nine adventures, ranked from easiest to hardest (at least that’s what is written inside the book).

But truth to be told, each one will require a fair bit of effort from the GM, not just in terms of preparation, but also to make sure it suits their PCs. A special mention goes for the one called ‘Haven’t got a stitch to wear’, by author Melissa Wong, which is really fun to run and will leave your group with fond memories. Honestly, I would start with that one.

Oh, and finally, these adventures aren’t all standalone. ‘Reaping the Reaper’ is best played after ‘Digital Divas Burn it down’ and ‘Don’t fear the reaper’ (both available in the Data Pack supplement, not listed here), and the last two adventures go hand in hand, with ‘One red night’ following on from ‘Bathed in Red’.

And what about the GM’s ‘Data screen’?

Well, as with practically every screen available on the market, some of the information on it is really useful, whilst other bits… are far less so, don’t you think? What about the Cyberpunk RED one?

Let’s look at it this way: do you need the GM screen to run your games? Sure, it’s easier with one, but let’s not forget a few things. The current screen was released at the start of the game’s lifecycle, and since then, many new rules and/or changes have been introduced (just take a look at the Interface RED books, volumes 1 to 5 to date); so you might not find exactly what you need on it today.

Also, when you buy it, bear in mind that it’s just the screen, nothing else. It’s not a pack like the ones found in other games. Disappointing? A bit, but I suspect it was originally intended to be released with the Data pack (hence the name). Unfortunately, COVID happened. Tough times, no money. They may have decided to split the pack in two to make it profitable (that’s just my personal opinion). Data screen + Data pack would go in 6th position.