# Shadowrun Returns
**Shadowrun Returns** is a single-player, turn-based tactical role-playing game developed by [Harebrained Schemes](https://www.edgepedia.org/harebrained-schemes) and published by [Paradox Interactive](https://www.edgepedia.org/paradox-interactive), released on 25 July 2013 for PC, Mac, and Linux[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/). It revived the [Shadowrun](https://www.edgepedia.org/shadowrun) license, a cyberpunk-meets-fantasy tabletop setting created by Jordan Weisman, who returned to modernize the setting for this game[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about). The game was funded on Kickstarter and became the first of a trilogy followed by *Shadowrun: Dragonfall* and *Shadowrun: Hong Kong*[3](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/10-expansions-that-were-better-than-the-actual-game/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 25 July 2013; developer Harebrained Schemes, publisher Paradox Interactive[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/) |
| Funding | Kickstarter campaign, 4–29 April 2012; $1,836,447 pledged by 36,276 backers against a $400,000 goal[4](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1613260297/shadowrun-returns) |
| Setting | Seattle metroplex, 2054; magic has returned to a dystopian cyberpunk world[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about) |
| Premise | The player character, a shadowrunner, is hired through a dead friend's "Dead Man's Switch" implant to solve that friend's murder[5](https://www.gamewatcher.com/shadowrun-returns/review) |
| Combat | Turn-based on a grid, with 1–3 Action Points per character spent on movement, attacks, spells, and cover[5](https://www.gamewatcher.com/shadowrun-returns/review) |
| Progression | Classless skill system with starting archetypes such as Street Samurai, Shaman, Rigger, and Decker[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/) |
| Reception | Metacritic 76/100 on PC from 54 critic reviews; Very Positive on Steam (88% of 6,790 English user reviews)[6](https://www.metacritic.com/game/shadowrun-returns/) • [1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/) |
| Length | The main story can be completed in about 10 hours[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-crpgs/) |
## Setting and story
The game takes place in 2054, in a world where magic has returned and awakened creatures of myth while technology merges with flesh and consciousness; elves, trolls, orks, and dwarves live among humans under the rule of ruthless corporations[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about). The player is a shadowrunner, a mercenary operating in the shadows of corporate arcologies in the Seattle metroplex[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about).
The bundled campaign, **Dead Man's Switch**, begins when a former associate's implant sends a pre-recorded video after his death, hiring the player to find his killer in return for an arranged payment[5](https://www.gamewatcher.com/shadowrun-returns/review). Reviewers described the plot as a murder mystery that descends into layered conspiracies, with a slow trickle of clues through the first two acts and a third act that some found overlong[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/shadowrun-returns-review-2/). The narrative is linear, moving the player from one map to the next without open exploration[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/shadowrun-returns-review-2/).
## Gameplay
Outside combat the game plays like a point-and-click adventure, with glowing icons marking interactable objects; combat can begin at any moment, at which point freeform movement stops and turn-based movement takes over[9](https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/15/15960.phtml).
**Combat.** Each character and enemy acts in turn, spending Action Points on moving, attacking, reloading, and casting spells; basic movement costs one AP, longer distances cost more, and a character with 3 AP can dash and still shoot[5](https://www.gamewatcher.com/shadowrun-returns/review) • [10](https://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/111934-shadowrun-returns-review/all-pages.html). The interface displays movement range and the cover afforded by objects[11](https://gamingbolt.com/shadowrun-returns-review). Multiple reviewers compared the system to *XCOM: Enemy Unknown*, noting that enemies follow the same ruleset as player characters rather than using bespoke monster mechanics[10](https://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/111934-shadowrun-returns-review/all-pages.html). Party roles interlock: mages cast spells, riggers deploy drones, a supporting mage can grant an extra action point per turn, and a decker fights through the Matrix, the virtual-reality computer system[12](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shadowrun-returns-review/1900-6412261/).
**Characters.** Players choose a race (elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls, depicted as mutated humans in the setting) and a starting archetype, then develop the character through a classless skill system that allows any combination of combat, magic, and technology abilities[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/shadowrun-returns-review-2/) • [1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/). Karma earned during play can be spent at any time on a wide array of skills and stat bonuses[13](https://rpgamer.com/review/shadowrun-returns-retroview/). Some class abilities matter outside combat; a shaman, for example, communes with the spirits of a murder victim's deceased victims during the Ripper investigation[13](https://rpgamer.com/review/shadowrun-returns-retroview/).
## Development and funding
Harebrained Schemes, a studio based in [Bellevue, Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/bellevue-washington), ran a [Kickstarter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kickstarter) campaign from 4 to 29 April 2012 with a $400,000 goal; 36,276 backers pledged $1,836,447[4](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1613260297/shadowrun-returns). Jordan Weisman, the creator of the Shadowrun setting, returned to the world for the project[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about). The soundtrack was composed by the composers of the classic Shadowrun SEGA and SNES games, paying homage to those titles with a modern twist[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about).
## Editor and user content
The game shipped with a flexible level editor and Steam Workshop support, and [PC Gamer](https://www.edgepedia.org/pc-gamer) found the editor intuitive for anyone with a basic understanding of scripting and triggers[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/shadowrun-returns-review-2/) • [1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/). According to PC Gamer's retrospective on expansions, the game was conceived as something closer to a DIY adventure creator kit, with [Dead Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/dead-man)'s Switch intended as an example of what the editor could produce; after release the developers realized that most players wanted a finished RPG to play rather than a toolkit[3](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/10-expansions-that-were-better-than-the-actual-game/).
## Dragonfall and the trilogy
The first expansion, **Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall**, set in a future Berlin, was released as DLC in 2014 and was later spun off into a standalone *Dragonfall - Director's Cut*[3](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/10-expansions-that-were-better-than-the-actual-game/). PC Gamer wrote that Dragonfall "far outclassed" Dead Man's Switch, adding a recruitable party of companions with developed backstories and a hub area players could affect through their actions[3](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/10-expansions-that-were-better-than-the-actual-game/). Dragonfall's Director's Cut holds a Metascore of 81 on Metacritic[14](https://www.metacritic.com/game/shadowrun-returns-berlin/critic-reviews/?platform=pc). A third game, *Shadowrun: Hong Kong*, followed, funded through Kickstarter at $1.2 million against a $100,000 ask[15](https://electronicsandbooks.com/edt/manual/Magazine/P/PC%20%26%20Tech%20Authority%20AU/PC%20%26%20Tech%20Authority%20-%20April%202015%20%20AU.pdf). The three games were later bundled as the Shadowrun Trilogy and released on consoles, including [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch), PlayStation 4 and 5, and [Xbox One](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-one) and Series X[2](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about).
## Reception
Shadowrun Returns scored 76/100 on Metacritic for PC based on 54 critic reviews[6](https://www.metacritic.com/game/shadowrun-returns/). Critics praised the writing, the setting, and the tactical combat while criticizing the linear story and the limited role of non-combat skills; PC Gamer scored it 74, calling it "an enjoyable, if simplistic, tactical RPG with just enough intrigue to keep you invested"[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/shadowrun-returns-review-2/). GameSpot's review highlighted the potent setting and interlocking party roles while noting odd behaviors such as enemies blocking doorways and cover spots that failed to provide cover[12](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shadowrun-returns-review/1900-6412261/). [The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club) found the Matrix hacking segments less successful than ground combat and noted that the fixed camera could cause missed clicks[16](https://www.avclub.com/shadowrun-returns-review-pcmac). On Steam the game holds a Very Positive rating, with 88% of 6,790 English user reviews positive[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/).
In retrospective coverage, GamesRadar listed Shadowrun Returns among the best CRPGs, noting it is the shortest on its list by a wide margin at roughly 10 hours, and recommended its two follow-ups as equally potent cyberpunk CRPGs[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-crpgs/). PC Gamer's 2025 top-100 PC games list placed *Dragonfall - Director's Cut* at number 96[17](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-top-100-pc-games-2025/).
## References
1. [Shadowrun Returns on Steam, Valve Corporation](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/Shadowrun_Returns/)
2. [Shadowrun Returns – About, Paradox Interactive](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/shadowrun-returns/about)
3. [10 expansions that were better than the actual game, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/10-expansions-that-were-better-than-the-actual-game/)
4. [Shadowrun Returns by Harebrained Schemes LLC, Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1613260297/shadowrun-returns)
5. [Shadowrun Returns PC Review, GameWatcher](https://www.gamewatcher.com/shadowrun-returns/review)
6. [Shadowrun Returns Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/shadowrun-returns/)
7. [10 Best CRPGs in 2026 to lose yourself in, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-crpgs/)
8. [Shadowrun Returns review, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/shadowrun-returns-review-2/)
9. [Review of Shadowrun Returns, RPGnet](https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/15/15960.phtml)
10. [Shadowrun Returns Review, GameBanshee](https://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/111934-shadowrun-returns-review/all-pages.html)
11. [Shadowrun Returns Review, GamingBolt](https://gamingbolt.com/shadowrun-returns-review)
12. [Shadowrun Returns Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shadowrun-returns-review/1900-6412261/)
13. [Shadowrun Returns Retroview, RPGamer](https://rpgamer.com/review/shadowrun-returns-retroview/)
14. [Shadowrun: Dragonfall critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/shadowrun-returns-berlin/critic-reviews/?platform=pc)
15. [PC & Tech Authority, April 2015 (AU)](https://electronicsandbooks.com/edt/manual/Magazine/P/PC%20%26%20Tech%20Authority%20AU/PC%20%26%20Tech%20Authority%20-%20April%202015%20%20AU.pdf)
16. [Shadowrun Returns (PC/Mac) review, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/shadowrun-returns-review-pcmac)
17. [The top 100 PC games, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-top-100-pc-games-2025/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Game genres › Action, adventure, and role-playing games › Western role-playing games*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license