Hello to all you Cyberpunk enthusiasts! So you’ve bought the Cyberpunk RED books, your adventure is all set, and you’ve decided to run it in person. ‘The old-fashioned way’, some might say, and you know what? You’re right! It’s the best way to play a role-playing game, after all. But let me ask you a question: hmmmm, have you thought about the maps? Of course, you can stick with the ‘old-school’ vibe and draw them with your favourite marker on a sheet of paper or a whiteboard. But I imagine that the next time you run a session, you’ll have to draw some more. It takes time, it can be tedious, and it breaks the flow of the game.
However, there seems to be another solution that might interest us GMs: a map set. After all, it’s becoming increasingly common these days.
I’ve run quite a few Cyberpunk RED sessions since its release and at some point, I stumbled across ‘The Cyberpunk Set’ by Loke Battle Mats. It’s an official Cyberpunk RED product, after all. What did you expect? I had to add it to my collection.
Let’s have a look at it together, and then you can make an informed decision.
Packaging and modularity
First of all, the packaging is well put together. It’s quite heavy, but at least you know it isn’t half-empty. When you open it, you’ll find the two books of maps and the two sheets of thick cardboard for the tokens. No space is wasted; the packaging is pro.
Once unpacked, the books are larger than expected. They aren’t the standard A4 size, but rather square, measuring 30 x 30 cm. This means that when opened, these two pages give you a card measuring around 60 x 30 cm. And that’s already really cool.
Now, what I didn’t realise is that you can actually link the two books together to create even larger maps. Yes, choomba, you’ve guessed it: by placing the two books side by side, the maps now measure around 60 x 60 cm (you can also create a 120 x 30 cm map if you prefer).
I’m really delighted with this level of modularity; to be honest, it offers quite a lot of options, especially when you realise there are 40 single page map in each book (I’ll leave you to work out the number of possible combinations).
Artwork and content
Yet another pleasant surprise. The illustrations are superb and plunge us straight into the ‘CyberpunkREDverse’. The atmosphere is spot on… or should I say, the atmosphereS. Well yes, my fellow GM, they’re quite varied, you see: combat zones, freight transport, city roads, desert landscapes, corporate buildings (interior and exterior) and many more that I won’t list here so as not to bore you.
This offers so many possibilities that it can sometimes be difficult to find exactly what you need – and yes, that’s also the limitation of ready-made maps – but… that’s where the tokens come to the rescue.
You have thirty double-sided tokens that you can use to add even more flexibility and give free rein to your creativity. They range from cars to furniture, as well as new interior layouts for buildings.
Loke Battle Mats aren’t exaggerating when they say you can truly customise your battle maps and create your own layout. I wouldn’t say the options are endless, but there are certainly enough to keep you going for a great many sessions.
Replayability and quality
Each battle mat features a one-inch grid designed for tactical combat; if you have a few miniatures, they should fit perfectly. What’s more, each mat is a laminated sheet on which you can draw or scribble using markers (either dry-erase or water-based), which once again offers plenty of possibilities for good to very good replayability.
I genuinely believe that the people at Loke Battle Mats are role-players themselves, not just salespeople. They know just how messy a gaming table can get during an in person session, and this product gives the impression that it can easily withstand splashes of fizzy drink, pizza sauce and all manner of crumbs.
The tokens are cut from thick cardboard that should also withstand a fair amount of wear and tear, giving them an overall impression of great durability.
Ergonomy
All right, this is where, in my humble opinion, you really have to make some choices. This level of quality means the box set is quite heavy, which, in a way, is a good thing. The books won’t slide off the table when your players roll their dice, and the pages won’t flip open if there’s a drought.
But on the other hand, if you need to carry all this around in a bag, bear in mind that it’ll take up space and won’t be particularly light. Of course, you’ll also need to pack the usual kit for this sort of map set: markers, miniatures, cloth and some things to hide the parts your players are not supposed to see.
Also once you need it on your table, you’ll also need… enough space to set it all up!
So, is this set worth it? I’d say yes. Since I’ve had it, I’ve been using it regularly and my players love these maps. The quality is really good, and Loke Battle Mats has managed to find a way to make them even more reusable thanks to the tokens.
The icing on the cake? You can download the digital version of the 80 single-page cards for free and use them with your favourite VTT.
