After a profitable Kickstarter marketing campaign final yr, pulling in 1.2 million {dollars} and reaching its funding objective in simply 19 minutes, Evening Crew Video games’ upcoming Cyberpunk Legends: Into the Night cooperative card sport is getting nearer and nearer every single day to these outstretched, expectant fingers of its backers.
As a fan of different related story-heavy deckbuilders, when the group reached out to see if I’d be occupied with trying out the sport, I threw on my neon shades, grabbed all of the eddies I might scrounge up, and headed to Evening Metropolis. Little did I do know then that I used to be about to attempt what would flip into considered one of my most anticipated tabletop video games of 2026.
Cyberpunk Legends pits you and a group of as much as three others into the streets of Evening Metropolis within the far-off yr of 2012, which, no less than within the lore of Cyberpunk, is a fairly large and necessary time, the place your group shall be working collectively to finish completely different missions and jobs in an increasing and evolving situation. Constructed from an particularly ordered situation deck of playing cards, as a group, you’ll need to sneak your well beyond safety cameras, take care of pesky patrolling guards, use clues to seek out the place to go subsequent, and even battle your well beyond big robots. And that was all simply within the first situation!
It’s additionally value clearing up any confusion right here, Cyberpunk Legends isn’t the identical factor as WeirdCo’s additionally Kickstarter-backed Cyberpunk TCG. That’s a aggressive, collectible-focused card sport, whereas Legends is a lot nearer to a co-op, narrative-heavy tabletop expertise.
The core of Legends’ gameplay is based mostly round taking part in poker fingers as a group, fulfilling the precise swimsuit or run standards of the situation card, after which dealing sufficient “injury” to finish the occasion. Every participant takes turns taking part in a card from their character’s particular deck down into the “run,” taking over one slot of a typical poker hand of 5 playing cards, with every card that includes a worth, a swimsuit, and probably an added skill akin to dealing injury or permitting the group to play an extra card to the sector. The truth that poker is such a widespread sport, that many individuals perceive the thought of “two of a sort” or “straights,” does a nice job of decreasing the barrier of entry to get into Cyberpunk Legends, letting the gamers focus extra on telling the story collectively than on tips on how to play.
With the principles behind me, I grabbed my deck—choosing the extra support-focused Netrunner class—and joined my crew, and off we went to deal with the primary situation of the marketing campaign that shall be included within the retail launch. After a basic TTRPG begin (you possibly can by no means go fallacious with beginning issues off with a bar battle), our jobs took us from seedy again alleys to scouring by way of the warehouse district, with a couple of shut calls, however ultimately, we managed to tug it off. As somebody who loves the Arkham Horror LCG from Fantasy Flight Video games, often taking it to my native brewery to take pleasure in some Cthulhu shenanigans with a couple of pals over our favourite craft brew, this introduction to Cyberpunk Legends scratched a lot of those self same itches which have brought on Arkham to sink its tendrils into me all these years.
The DNA of the tabletop RPG expertise that Legends is based mostly round will be felt all over, past simply the shared terminology. As I performed with the opposite of us on the desk, together with Irene Malatesta (Legends’ Artwork & Advertising and marketing Director), Cal Wendlandt (one of many sport’s testers), and Emanuelle Viruet, a backer and neighborhood member, a pure form of exposition developed as we performed, letting us make our personal little shared canon of the occasions that have been transpiring. The truth that Legends’ guidelines instruct you to not immediately state the contents of your fingers or the playing cards you possibly can play to assist in the run impressed us on the desk to tackle a form of persona for our characters and roleplay a bit. This finally would result in me taking part in my Netrunner (somebody heavy on the tech-suited playing cards in my deck however scarce within the extra charisma-based ones) as a persona who is actually dangerous at choosing up social cues and conveys feelings by way of emojis, or how Irene, our charismatic rocker chick, would name in her finest good friend Drill Lady to assist us out, who we’d all befriend by the tip of our journey (because of Drill Lady being a card in our decks).
Now, I’ve performed my justifiable share of deckbuilders through the years and the occasional hand of poker; having the 2 come collectively on this bundle works surprisingly properly, nevertheless it additionally took me a bit without warning. Kind of like a peanut butter and pickle sandwich—each confirmed rockstar sandwich toppings, however put collectively raises some eyebrows. Talking with Legends’ designer, James Portnow, I needed to learn the way this poker-themed method got here to be. “There was a design objective and thematic objective behind this,” James started. “On the design facet, I needed to be sure that in multiplayer video games there was a sturdy social component, so making a cooperative poker hand, the place you possibly can solely place one card and have guidelines round how one can talk to ensure everybody understands what you’re going for, created an setting the place everybody was speaking, usually even roleplaying, whereas nonetheless preserving it from being a type of video games the place somebody simply takes over and tells everybody what to do.”
James continues, “I additionally had a design objective of creating turns snappy. We’ve all had moments in video games the place we might go get lunch whereas a buddy is taking their flip, and I needed to be sure that wasn’t the case right here. By laying down a single card at a time and having a concentrate on communication, everybody will get to take part mainly on a regular basis. Then on the thematic facet, it was simply a query of what Evening Metropolis felt like. I began out with a fairly MtG, math-heavy system, nevertheless it didn’t really feel proper. In any case, what’s Evening Metropolis about? It’s about playing with the one chip you have got; it’s about laying all of it down and betting your life on changing into a legend. Poker actually helped embody that.”
As a lot enjoyable as I had touchdown spectacular straights and full homes with my crew, there is one second specifically the place Legends actually elevated itself and blew me away. As a transient setup—relying on selections you make throughout the situation, chances are you’ll wind up with these particular “clue” playing cards, which provide you with some data that you need to use to assist clear up issues later. Earlier on within the mission, these clues pointed us towards a contact we have been meant to satisfy with, utilizing the textual content on the related playing cards. Now we get to the second the place my neural implants actually sizzled.
The crew and I discovered ourselves at a crossroads the place we needed to discover an object we have been in search of, and we had cleverly deduced that it was in considered one of three attainable warehouses. Having already met and handled some guard presence within the space, there was a good likelihood that choosing fallacious would show… detrimental… to our livelihoods. Being the brand new blood within the sport (the others having run of us by way of the situation quite a few occasions already), I received to select the place we’d go. Quick-forward a bit, and discovering ourselves riddled with a few extra bullets than we had half-hour prior, I had picked fallacious. Whereas I’d choose appropriately on the second attempt, Irene afterward let me in on a refined element that could possibly be discovered on these clues we had collected—clues that I had assumed had already given up their secrets and techniques as a result of we had learn the textual content and deduced our contact. The paintings itself additionally held clues that, when seen alongside the others, would have led me to the best choice. I can’t wait to see what different refined clues and hints shall be within the ultimate launch, however even simply this fast style left fairly the impression.
Conserving on the subject of the paintings, for folk who’re coming to Legends with solely Cyberpunk 2077 below their belts, the designs and route could provide you with a little bit of whiplash. Together with happening earlier within the timeline, as I discussed earlier, Evening Crew Video games used Mike Pondsmith’s unique Cyberpunk TTRPG as reference. Actually, it was Pondsmith himself who urged the product James was making needs to be a Cyberpunk launch throughout a sport evening they have been having. That’s why Johnny Silverhand seems extra like a blonde Ziggy Stardust than Keanu Reeves. All of it is nonetheless quintessential cyberpunk goodness, and for followers of the RPG books, you might be certain to seek out some fairly neat references and callbacks that may spark your implants.
As soon as a situation is full, gamers can spend eddies (the in-universe foreign money) to buy new playing cards to strengthen and additional tailor their decks to their liking. The default decks, roughly a third of every deck’s contents being distinctive, give a good sense of the playstyle every of the lessons is finest at, however nonetheless really feel open sufficient that you simply gained’t need to spend a ton of labor and assets to rejigger them into taking part in the way you need. Sadly, I didn’t get to dive into the deck-building facet throughout my demo, however from what James defined to me, on the finish of the situation you’ll open a “booster pack” that may include playing cards you need to use to improve the decks—an fascinating prospect that I’m keen to take a look at!
Regardless of solely a small look, the bit I’ve gotten to attempt has left me chomping on the bit to leap again into the sneakers of my socially awkward Netrunner and see the mission my crew and I began by way of to its conclusion. I haven’t even gotten to take a look at the replayable “Construct Your Personal Journey” roguelike mode that is included but both, which James is nonetheless preserving the massive particulars about near the chest. With its intelligent implementation of poker-style hand constructing, stunning and mechanically intriguing use of artwork, and lessons that really feel distinct from each other, if the story the group at Evening Crew Video games is weaving lands (which at the moment I’ve little fear that it gained’t), Cyberpunk Legends could give the Arkham Horror LCG a run for its eddies as my go-to brewery sport with the blokes. This deckhead is able to get again within the battle.
We Spoke With Evening Crew Video games on Cyberpunk Legends
1) Inform me how Cyberpunk Legends developed from idea into what it turned ultimately? What was the design journey like for it?
Ha! Unbelievable query! In the course of the pandemic I used to be really in search of a co-op marketing campaign journey card sport to play with my pals once we all have been in a position to hang around once more…however you already know, life’s busy and never everybody in my group has the time (or the endurance) for video games that take a half hour to setup and an hour or extra to study the principles. I seemed and seemed for one thing that match the invoice and couldn’t actually discover something, so, in my hubris as a very long time sport designer, I figured I’d simply construct it.
2) How a lot enter and in what methods did Mike Pondsmith contribute to the sport’s growth or design?
Humorous you ask that. This wasn’t really ever supposed to be a industrial product, however shortly after the pandemic ended, I used to be taking part in with Mike and he goes “We must always do that with Cyberpunk!” Twist my arm proper? I’ve at all times cherished Cyberpunk and the R. Tal crew, so I began placing a group collectively to take this from my prototype to one thing shelf prepared.
Alongside the best way Mike has playtested a bunch and given suggestions. His entire group has been superior with all our lore questions and serving to us fill out what the very early years of the Cyberpunk timeline would appear like.
3) Clarify the choice to go along with Poker fingers for the primary sport system? What about it made it the only option for the sport?
There was a design objective and thematic objective behind this.
On the design facet I needed to be sure that in multiplayer video games there was a sturdy social component, so making a cooperative poker hand, the place you possibly can solely place one card and have guidelines round how one can talk to ensure everybody understands what you’re going for created an setting the place everybody was speaking, usually even roleplaying, whereas nonetheless preserving it from being a type of video games the place somebody simply takes over and tells everybody what to do.
I additionally had a design objective of creating turns snappy. We’ve all had moments in video games the place we might go get lunch whereas a buddy is taking their flip and I needed to be sure that wasn’t the case right here. By laying down a single card at a time and having a concentrate on communication, everybody will get to take part mainly on a regular basis.
Then on the thematic facet it was simply a query of what Evening Metropolis felt like. I began out with a fairly MtG, math heavy system, nevertheless it didn’t really feel proper. In any case, what’s Evening Metropolis about? It’s about playing with the one chip you have got, it’s about laying all of it down and betting your life towards changing into a legend. Poker actually helped embody that.
4) When within the lore of Cyberpunk does this happen?
The primary marketing campaign for Cyberpunk Legends is set waaaay again within the far way forward for…2012. Which can look like an odd alternative, however for those who’re conversant in the Cyberpunk timeline you would possibly acknowledge that date as when a lot of the issues that echo down the time happen.
In Legends you’re going to be forging your personal path, you’re not going to be taking part in Johnny Silverhand or the like…however these of you who’ve performed 2077 or are followers of Pink are going to come across issues in Cyberpunk Legends and go “Oh! Oh no…I do know the place this finally ends up.” As you tangentially cross paths with among the most consequential occasions in Evening Metropolis historical past.
5) Are you able to go a bit extra into element into the “Construct your journey” mode that shall be included within the launch model together with another modes of play that shall be included.
Oh, man it makes me so completely satisfied you requested about that, however we’re really simply delivery the beta model of that as a kickstarter unique. The actual model will most likely hit retail six-eight months after launch.
That mentioned, because you’ve given me the opening…
- There is a mode that’s going to ship with the core field. It’s a little little bit of a spoiler however whenever you end the eventualities you’re going to open an improve pack…with a algorithm in it that educate you tips on how to convert the sport to roguelike deckbuilder.
- The Construct Your Personal Journey mode is form of my child, so I’m going to speak about it a wee bit. Be at liberty to make use of this bit as you’ll!
Cyberpunk Legends is performed towards a central “Situation Deck” that serves very very similar to an outdated D&D module. It’s the run you’re doing, the journey you’re happening. I’d wish to allow anybody to create these.
Construct Your Personal Journey mode serves as design legos for anybody who desires to create their very own runs or modify what we’ve put on the market. If we do it proper it’ll will let you construct no matter you dream of. After all that’s a daunting design process…possibly an unattainable one. So we’re working the primary iteration of this by the neighborhood to assist playtest and provides us suggestions earlier than we launch (many people come from the videogame world, so this is a beta within the truest sense).
But when we will pull it off, it’ll be one thing I’ll be extremely happy with as a result of the toughest a part of GMing is at all times a clean slate, and this provides you some scaffolding to begin from. I’m hoping this helps extra folks to inform their very own tales on this world.
6) Enjoying with 4 gamers final evening was a lot of enjoyable, however I am curious how the sport adjustments or balances itself with decrease participant counts and the smaller collection of playing cards during which the group can pull from to finish eventualities (20 attainable playing cards with 4 gamers, however in a two participant sport you’d solely have 10).
Wonderful! You’ve already hit the crux of it!
So, in Cyberpunk Legends gamers go round clockwise, every placing one card into The Plan (the poker hand used to beat obstacles) till you hit the plan restrict (normally 5 playing cards). Much less gamers means much less choices to select from, however every particular person participant can have extra management over the plan. With 4 gamers solely the chief will get to place 2 playing cards into the plan. With three gamers 2 folks do. This extra management is highly effective in a world the place each alternative can imply the distinction between the Plan coming collectively and the Plan falling aside.
This implies the sport autobalances. You don’t have to study any new guidelines or modify the sport in any option to play with much less gamers. It robotically does it by itself…
Except, in fact, you’re taking part in single participant. During which case, it’s all the identical besides you’re going to play two decks, considered one of which is a ‘merc’ and, not being in complete management of the merc, each time you go to make a plan they’re going Leeroy in, you’re going to flip the highest card of their deck and that’s instantly going to be put into the Plan. Now you need to construct round no matter they resolve to do!
(This makes single participant a bit extra of a strategic puzzles for the reason that social components are eliminated.)
7) Are you able to go into element in regards to the artwork design course of for the sport? The artists you labored with for the undertaking, what did you are feeling was necessary to concentrate on, the aesthetic and really feel you have been aiming for.
I really like the artwork in a lot of contemporary card video games, however generally I fan out a set and I’ve a onerous time actually choosing out particular person items as a result of they’ve received such sturdy artwork route. They’ve so many guidelines round how the artwork is achieved that the whole lot will get a little bit homogenized. Now don’t get me fallacious, this is unbelievable, however Cyberpunk is a little little bit of a wilder world. We needed to let the artists actually lean into their very own types, so, whereas there’s a cohesive aesthetic, it jogs my memory of earlier Magic units the place you would possibly see the whole lot from psychedelia to artwork nouveau.
Now all of those have their locations (for instance the whole lot that occurs in Our on-line world is a bit extra summary), however this method allowed for a lot of expression, which I really like.
Additionally, Cyberpunk is, in fact, a attractive world. You need to keep away from it being leering, however there needs to be a lot of abs, muscle mass, and smolder within the characters. So we tried to be true to that with out creating issues that you simply’d be embarrassed to slam down onto the desk at your native sport retailer.
Lastly, Cyberpunk isn’t all darkness. I really feel like a lot of merchandise miss this, however the world of Cyberpunk is so energetic, full of individuals residing to the fullest. They might be useless the subsequent day, however on this second they’re actually, really alive. It’s additionally a world of hope. Within the midst of all these Corps and conspiracies, amidst all of the issues that appear to date out of the atypical individual’s management, there’s hope. There’s the rockerboys and edgerunners and everybody who would possibly, sometime, trigger the system to return tumbling down. We actually tried to ship on that within the artwork, as a result of it’s such a key piece to Cyberpunk.
8) Have you ever guys labored with or are there any involvements with CD PROJEKT RED on this sport?
Actually we’ve labored a lot nearer with R. Tal. CDPR has been sort sufficient to assist promote the undertaking a bit, however Mike’s actually our go-to man on the sport facet.
9) Submit Kickstarter supply, what is the form of launch cadence you might be hoping to have with this sport system sooner or later?
We’re hoping to get a situation out a quarter, a full new marketing campaign out annually, and different smaller releases peppered all through there. And naturally Construct Your Personal Journey releases…as soon as it’s actually prepared.
Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, helping with tabletop video games and information protection. Observe him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.