Monsters/NPCs

Concept: “A gnashing, winged nightmare that lurks where the pines grow. A rogue A.I. with a cybernetic body and a deer-like skull. A thing that should not exist and cannot be killed.”

Content: A destructive monster to deceive and potentially devour a party of punks.

Writing: Brief, intriguing features and stats and an extensive back story to situate the creature (or its urban legend) within CY.

Art/Design: Title page includes a neon pink-and-purple illustration of the devil, while page two includes text content in a single-column layout. Main version of the supplement includes color and font highlights, while an accessible version does not.

Usability: In both versions of the supplement, specific kinds and sections of content are recognizable and easily distinguishable from others.

Concept: “If you thought life planet-side was bad, just wait until you get to The Brink, the space-station that skulks in orbit, where the corpos can decide to shut off your oxygen. 

“

Content: An orbital location with tons of different areas to explore, people to meet, jobs to run, and a bit of food to eat.

Writing: Extensively detailed information about the station and what goes on there, along with a number of tables to add a bit of additional surprise or variety to a given table’s experience on The Brink.

Art/Design: Several different page layouts and color schemes provide variety from one page to the next while also providing some consistency across each time a given aesthetic appears.

Usability: Text is mostly high-contrast and easily readable, with visually distinct headings and labels. Some color and font choices may momentarily slow down the reading/navigation experience.

Concept: “To most in the upper echelons of Cy, this saviour is a myth. But still those under-blocks that it inhabits and pollutes are left alone, and those who live close revere it as a watchful penitent god, to whom those who sin must be taken.”

Content: A mythical vehicle of righteous vengeance and its acolytes.

Writing: Descriptions and NPC stats oozing with classic British grimdark sci-fi flavor.

Art/Design: Two two-page spreads, one of which resembles a set of propaganda posters on a wall, and the other sports a large illustration of the landship messiah rolling down a street amid its followers. 

Usability: High-contrast text with consistent distinctions of content blocks, headings/labels, and types of content.

Concept: “LIQUID CHROME is a simple and easy-to-read supplement, meant to add striking monsters to your CY_BORG campaign. The enemies are meant to be snappy and easy to use, each has a memorable gimmick to make encounters fun for your friends.”

Content: A quintet of enemies from the relatively mundane (k-9 units and handler) to the surreal (a “reality hole” that disintegrates matter it comes into contact with).

Writing: Vivid descriptions of enemies supported by suitable mechanical effects.

Art/Design: Two landscape-oriented pages, each with two columns of text framing a central illustration of one or more enemies. White-on-red and white-on-black color schemes with red-on-black headings.

Usability: Visually readable text and easily identifiable layout for navigation and locating desired info.

Concept: “Deep in the GO wastes, long forgotten operatives slowly rot from the nano-infection that has overwhelmed them. They shamble with no direction; they only exist to sustain the infection.”

Content: An enemy to terrorize players with via an infectious omnipresence.

Writing: Class features are explained helpfully, while flavor text offers a vivid window into the operatives’ presence in CY.
Art/Design: A black-and-white image of an operative flashing a v-sign draws the eye, while flies circle it and creature details are provided beside it.

Usability: Text and background have high contrast and category labels are clearly bolded. However, NPC info is provided as a .png so text is not accessible for searching or highlighting.

Concept: “A Cy_Borg zine featuring: D12 Cybertech from Nueuropa [...] D6 Legends of Cy [... and] Street Cred - A New Mechanic.”

Content: Options for gear, NPCs, and a ‘street cred’ reputation tracker that can add extra dimensions to a game.

Writing: Four pages of enticing tables filled with flavorful descriptions and mechanics that reflect strange, horrifying, and completely appropriate events and circumstances.

Art/Design: Four two-page spreads each have a distinct focus and color scheme that extends from one to the next, from a stark red/black/white to a neon purple/blue.

Usability: Language is direct and straightforward in describing and explaining each subject, with each table making use of a consistent visual grammar to help with navigation. However, text is not embedded, so no searching or copying/pasting is possible.

Concept: “Operation Cold Shadow is a supplement for CY_BORG. This scenario is a starter or early adventure for your party and is designed to test players and keep them on their toes. You'll get to infiltrate and extract data from a place secured by the Virid Viper as an unexpected complication flips the tables. A mechanical class expansion is also available if you wish to transform your players into gruesome machines of destruction. Operation Cold Shadow also includes 9 new enemies in a fully detailed PDF file.“

Content: A seemingly easy gig for punks looking for a quick score that very quickly goes south. 

Writing: Helpful details provide about the job parameters, NPCs that the punks will encounter, goings-on at the location, and more.

Art/Design: A mix of full-color digital interface-esque and print aesthetics, with hand-drawn maps and a wide variety of graphics (NPC portraits, background images, etc.).

Usability: Visually, organization cues–distinctive borders and color-coded elements–help guide a reader toward their desired info. However, text is not selectable/searchable which can hinder navigation or screen reader use.

Concept: “A gaping maw beneath an all seeing eye. How badly do want to die? In the first waves of the demonic incursion into C.A.U’s generators, corpses mounted around energy pylons with staggering speed. Infernal power fused together the pulsating remains which took flight to join the demonic hordes.”

Content: A creature searching for its Doomguy soulmate–to murder them, of course.

Writing: Vividly ominous descriptions and features situate the creature as at home in the CY world. 

Art/Design: Layout centers on an image of the opthalmosphere itself, with creature details surrounding it.

Usability: Text has clear distinctions for different types of content and mostly contrasts starkly with background except for one block of text for a special ability that might be difficult for some to read.

Concept: “There is a new drug on the streets called Ambrosia.  It will make you see the gods. Are these GODS real? There are dozens if not hundreds of people seeing them. They are looming over CY like falling planets, ready to steal your soul. Group hallucination? A bug in the system? Does it matter?”

Content: A smorgasbord of fever-dream content: drugs that manifest perceptions of gods (who give unique blessings with killer mechanics!); player classes for a ronin, private eye, amateur wrestler, and moonpunk; tables of people to meet on the street or items to find in the trash; NPCs to fight; drugs, food and gear; and even poetry.

Writing: Thematic punches of flavor that spice up concise and clear mechanical effects. An author’s note indicates some text was generated/aided by AI.

Art/Design: Two-page spreads with unique layout schemes that feel in sync with the aesthetic of the official Cy_Borg rulebook. An author’s note indicates some art was generated/aided by AI, and the variety of styles applied to the book’s spreads is impressive.

Usability: While there is a wide range of fonts and colors on each page spread, high contrast makes the vast majority of content easy to identify and navigate. Text is not embedded (except on a small number of pages), so screen reader and searching/copying/pasting functionalities are mostly unavailable.

Concept: “You don’t remember seeing this odd structure here last time your crew came this way. An eye-catching tartan pattern covers this strange tent. A short flag-pole peaks from the top displaying a pink hand axe on a plain black field. A burned wood sign above the entrance reads “Pablo’s Boutique”. The space inside the tent feels expansive- way bigger that it seemed like from the outside. The product displays are spartan chic. Various offerings are for sale here unlike what you would find at your normal local supply store.”

Content: A selection of goods themed around Paul Bunyan and lumberjacks that also are entirely suitable for a punk in CY.

Writing: A balance of descriptions of the boutique’s various areas, the items on display in each, and the mechanics that come into play when a given item is used.

Art/Design: Three two-page spreads of single-column black text on a light background that each feature different kinds of items, with the first spread complemented by an illustration of Pablo and a flannel-pattern background beneath a graphic of a wooden sign. 

Usability: High-contrast text is readable and easy to navigate and distinguish, facilitating quick identification and use of desired info.

Concept: “<RE: THIS GAME KILLS > Whispers about a killer new game have flooded the BBS message boards. An acquaintance said they knew someone who played it and ended up in a body bag. Is it another ACGS marketing stunt, or is there something else going on in vid-cades around Cy?”

Content: A mysterious arcade game, its rules, prizes, and a technician NPC.

Writing: Emphasis on rules/mechanics complemented by terse, flavorful names/labels.

Art/Design: Black and white text on a blue patterned background in a mostly single column layout accompanied by several monochromatic and full-color illustrations.

Usability: Large font size, distinct use of black and white for particular kinds of content, and border markers for distinct sections of content all contribute to ease of browsing and engaging the material. However, text is not selectable/searchable.

Concept: “In the alleys and streets of the Cy, rumors of rats with intelligence far above normal exist. Some say it's a miracle, that they must've been blessed by whatever god they believe in, others say they are failed experiments, and affronts to nature.”

Content: A verminous creature at home in the alleys and gutters of CY.

Writing: Inventive mechanics and descriptive rumors provide GMs a variety of qualities to emphasize at a table.

Art/Design: Single-column layout of white and yellow text on a blue background.

Usability: Font choices and decoration consistently employed for distinct kinds and sections of content.

Concept: “In a clash between ten thousand citizens of CY and the heavily armed and violent Sec Ops, the players are asked to tail someone and get blackmail material.  The ending puts the players us against the #1 unbreakable rule of Cy_Borg!”

Content: A mission to sniff out a rat in the midst of a riot and then decide what to do about what’s discovered.

Writing: Lots of helpful details about the situation at hand, NPCs to be encountered, and events that may unfold.

Art/Design: A full-color and a black & white version are provided. Page layouts tend to use one or two columns of text and interspersed AI illustrations of NPCs. Background images taken from photos of riot scenes.

Usability: Text is mostly high contrast but some font choices over busy background images can make reading difficult on some pages. Text is also not embedded so searching/selecting is not possible.

Concept: “Design a man-made predator on the verge of death, drawing you closer to your last breath. It's survival of the fittest, but evolution has taken a backseat. A build-able, A.I. pet that you can trick out with various weapons and gear. Think of Bladewolf from Metal Gear Rising. Yeah, basically that, but for CY_Borg.“

Content: Order your own cyber-pet and its customizable loadout/upgrades. 

Writing: Set up as an in-universe catalog, rules are provided tightly alongside potent descriptions and upgrade labels.

Art/Design: Two-page spread of content, with black text on white accented with blue elements (e.g., upgrade costs) and light gray illustrations in the background. Two dark-themed front/back cover pages frame the main content. 

Usability: Font choices are easily readable and mostly high-contrast, with visually evident headings and demarcations of content. Text is not searchable/selectable.

Concept: “A homebrew antagonist for Cy_Borg. An antagonist that can provide some interesting interactions and possibly fun character arc. Created for the URBN_LGND jam.”

Content: A digital nightmare to haunt a table of punks.

Writing: A mix of ominous description and creative mechanics to affect the afflicted player.

Art/Design: Brightly colored text and black-on-white over a black and white static-y image of a creeping figure in silhouette.

Usability: Text contrast and font choices, along with whitespace/indentation, make for easy reading/navigation.

Concept: “BASILISK DISTRO STATION is broadcasting now… Corrupted data filtered through radio transmitters in precise patterns has the potential to scramble the human mind. Psionic data pushed through this same process has the potential to bring into reality the THOUGHTFORM; a shadowy mess of thoughts manifested as glitched reality.“

Content: A psionically-themed monster and cybertech item.

Writing: Concise, immersive descriptions and succinct mechanics for the ‘thoughtform’ creature and the ‘psionjack’ cybertech.

Art/Design: White-on-black spread with four columns of content accentuated with white character art designs and two dark illustrations.

Usability: Content is arranged to clearly distinguish specific sections and labels. Supplement is provided in pdf, png, and plain text versions.

Concept: “Did you hear, everyone's least fucking favorite, overly popular, shit sucking poser ass band “Symptom of Aggression” is going on tour for like the 40 billionth time.  I can't believe all the complete fucking idiot ass gob noblers in this trash fire of a city listen to that inaudible dreck!  I mean like, every asshole in that band has just had controversy after controversy, its totally sickening. I guess that's the kind of immoral audio diarrhea that turns people on these... these waning miserable days. People and their lack of compassion, on top of everything else, it just makes me loose all hope.  Man, this city fucking sucks.................. -RAWsum”

Content: An encounter/scenario involving a touring band and their massive bus, complete with band member NPC details and potential reasons for getting involved.

Writing: A refreshing mix of straightforward description and vivid, characterful condemnation of Symptom of Aggression.

Art/Design: Harsh, brightly colored illustrations of the tour bus and NPCs and two versions of maps of the bus (GM and player-facing alike), with relevant text in all directions and embellished with scrawled shapes and figures. 

Usability: Pages are busy, which reflects the high-energy nature of the atmosphere, and text has strong contrast with background. Angled lines of text may be difficult for screen readers or copying/pasting attempts.

Concept: “Hiding in the pixels at the edge of your RCD. An undead error made manifest. Hard to see. Harder to kill. Shoot at the static in the rain.”

Content: A glitch-wielding ghost in the machine.

Writing: Brief but intensely haunting and thrilling explanation of creature abilities and description.

Art/Design: Neon pink static-based design serves as central motif for spread, with relevant text off to the side.

Usability: Content is easy to navigate and read, with consistent presentation of body text and labels.

Concept: “All of that great punk rock flavor you love, none of the added cyber implants! Bar, lore, ambiance, events menu & more.”

Content: The skeleton for an action-packed adventure or atmospheric encounter–a bar location complete with map; tables for ambiance, food, drinks, and events; and NPC staff that PCs are likely to encounter.

Writing: Lists of categorized material to flesh out the club provide a range of adventure seeds and motivations while leaving plenty of room for a GM to expand further as desired.

Art/Design: Black and white and red all over in two-page spreads with a background photo of club activity on each, and several illustrations help bring the club and its staff to life. 

Usability: Consistent organization of content throughout, creating a recognizable grammar for navigation that helps when maneuvering frequently between pages. A few blocks of text are somewhat difficult to read due to relative lack of contrast (black on dark red).

Concept: “BEHOLD! Creatures said impossible to exist! BEWITCH! Fill your body with strange, powerful substances! BEGUILE! Confound friends & enemies with cryptic behavior! BELABORED! This bit has gone on too long.”

Content: A PC class, several NPC cryptids, and a job to track down a serial killer.

Writing: A variety of details for different sections, from terse NPC ability descriptions to in-depth mission/adventure specifics for both GMs and players to work with. Cryptozoologist class offers a fascinating take on the researcher-becoming-the-monster archetype.

Art/Design: Visually distinct spreads for each section–bright colors for the cryptozoologist, dark tones and inverted colors for the cryptids, and black-and-white for the mission (with a bit of pink accent/highlight). 

Usability: Numerous fonts and sizes, but always high contrast. Easily distinguishable text purpose on a given spread helps browsing and identifying desired info.

Concept: “Compilation of my Mörktober entries, all 31 of them, some monsters, some gear, some adventures, some NPC and some bits of lore, mostly Mörk borg, but also some CY_borg. All 31 are PNG format.”

Content: A few Cy_Borg rules and NPC entries to make CY all the spookier: “Haunted,” “Purple Stargazers,” and “God Damn Rain.”

Writing: Concise description and mechanics to focus a player’s (and a GM’s) attention on not only how each entry can affect the game but also how it can affect the character(s) who have to deal with it.

Art/Design: Each landscape-oriented entry contains an illustration of its subject and text taking up the remainder of the page. Lots of color choices that cement each entry in the Cy_Borg cyberpunk milieu.

Usability: Much of the text in each entry is high-contrast, and blocks of content are arranged to indicate distinction from one another as well as conceptual connection (e.g., list items). However, each entry is an image and so text is not searchable or selectable.

Concept: “A 14+6 page Murder Mystery with: d6 Rumors, 3+ Cases, Puzzles, 4 Big Maps, 3+ NPCs, & 1 Killer Bunnyman; Inspired by the BUNNYMAN urban legend for CY Borg's Urban Legend Jam.”

Content: A mission to hunt a serial killer across a series of ominous locations. “Digital,” “print,” and "bare bones" versions provided along with an asset/maps booklet.

Writing: Vivid descriptions and helpful guidance for GMs make for a dark but entertaining experience.

Art/Design: Primarily a dark color scheme, with white text on black and black text on white/gray elements, while pink and red accent headings and images. Numerous scenic illustrations and NPC portraits bring myriad dimensions of the mystery to life.

Usability: Fonts in each version are readable and fully embedded, which facilitates searching or selecting text–especially content that is arranged perpendicular to the default orientation.

Concept: “A message from an old friend promises a decent amount of creds, maybe enough to pay off what you owe, or at least get you started. Looks like you are heading into the massive underwater commerce district of Undersjön. Under the pressure of the waters, and just under pressure because of the deadline, can you complete your task and earn your payday?”

Content: A heist scenario with a twist: the punks have to find what they’re looking for before they can begin to think about leaving with it. Two versions provided: a full neon-color version and a printer-friendly black-and-white version.

Writing: Engaging details bring to life the location and the punks’ contact, both of which could serve a table long after this specific adventure. Random encounters and an off-duty cop name generator add personality.

Art/Design: Two major columns of content across two pages, with the full color version using different section background and heading/label colors to help distinguish different kinds of content, while the black-and-white version makes use of section borders and heading/label bolding. An isometric map of the adventure location is provided.

Usability: Text throughout is readable with high contrast against background and is easily identifiable as a component of a particular content section (e.g., random encounters, NPC info, etc.).

Concept: “That cold lump in your throat…
That shiver down your spine…
That sinking feeling in the dead of night…
The Frozen is pure fear made manifest; a coagulation of psychic dread from the collective consciousness of every living thing. It is a pitiless creature that delights in tormenting mortals. While it is capable of tearing flesh and breaking bone with ease, it prefers to sow terror, weakening the mind of its victims to the breaking point before offering them a choice: Death or Service.”

Content: An enemy provided with stats/contextualization for multiple game systems, including Cy_Borg as a psychotic AI. (Non-Cy_Borg elements not reviewed here.) 

Writing: Descriptive text frames the Frozen effectively within the context of CY and mechanical effects reflect its potent capabilities.

Art/Design: White text in one- and two-column arrangements over a dark background that mixes a rainy cityscape and flat black. 

Usability: Distinct sections of content are visually identifiable, with clear headings and labels to indicate what each element’s purpose is and how it relates to those around it.

Concept: “Two new enemies for CY_BORG. Face against The Invisible Man and The Mummy, walking among the citizens of CY. Learn their motives and die by their hands. Over and over and over again. Be scared. Be very, very scared.”

Content: A pair of monsters that marry classic horror with the Cy_Borg hellscape experience.

Writing: Haunting and sympathetic descriptions of and tables & stats for the afflicted creatures.

Art/Design: Stark colors in a side-by-side spread, with an image of each enemy surrounded by its relevant text.

Usability: Text contrasts well with background colors and assorted types of content are easily distinguishable from others.

Concept: “Deep in the Net, a daemon inhabits a bridge. A deal is a deal. The Goatman is an ancient AI of unknown origin - an entity designed solely to make deals. The purpose of the Goatman's deals are ultimately unknown, lost to time or purposeful obfuscation.”

Content: A scenario/set of rules for a deal-making daemon.

Writing: A mix of straightforward rules/mechanics explanations and an in-universe vignette framed as file contents about an unsuspecting punk’s encounters with the Goatman.

Art/Design: Two pages of three major columns/panels (potential trifold configuration). White, red, and green text on black, accompanied by two glitch-art illustrations of daemons.

Usability: Text is easy to read and navigate, with distinct visual markers for different kinds and sections of content (font choices, colors, sizes, etc.). Font selections also immediately make apparent which text describes the scenario and which serve as the vignette.

Concept: “Towering skeletons of cobbled together bones, each the fused together remains of shattered dreams. When the Undead and Corrupted die, their parts are swept together and taken to the infernal furnaces. Molten remains poured into vats of malice. What emerges is a foe with a mastery over explosive technology and explosive language. Adapting C.A.U tech that got the living into this mess in the first place, it flits around in flights of frenzy.”

Content: Undead creature + rocket-powered explosions = exciting fun for everyone.

Writing: Hilariously morbid descriptions and NPC features provide a ton of personality to the monster.

Art/Design: Blistering red background intensifies white text and the central image of a reused creature firing its shoulder-mounted rockets. 

Usability: Small white text on red might pose trouble for some, but it’s easy to recognize different kinds of content and how each contributes to an understanding of the creature and its mechanics.

Concept: “Night. The aquaculture cage maze. A chorus of motors rises against the sludgy lap of the waters. Light pierces the gloom, searching, calibrating, until it falls on a racing skiff. Painted in neon green, the craft banks around a submerged tangle of steel and plastic, cutting the turn slightly too wide. Gunfire hammers the silence. Punctured, the pilot falls from the bow. The boat spins out, catches the edge of another submerged structure, and turns into a spray of splinters that float atop the waves. Three more racing skiffs charge past the wreckage, drivers whooping as they go. The Cy Regatta has begun again.”

Content: Rules for participating in the Cy Regatta, a set of deadly boat races, along with a sea creature that might torment the racers.

Writing: Focused, specific details to explain the rules at play for the regatta, presented directly and concisely. 

Art/Design: Lots of bright color combinations, full-page illustrations, and silhouette backgrounds of text pages/spreads. 

Usability: Single-column text format with large headings facilitates reading and navigating, although some color combinations might strain some eyes, while others may have difficulty reading text overlaying more complex background illustrations.

Concept: “DO YOU WISH TO SEE THE UNKNOWN? A dash of conspiratorial thinking for your next CY_BORG game. Contains a table of weird things to find on the NET, two UFO themed enemies, equipment, and a bunch of references to sci-fi and horror.”

Content: A zine featuring governmental and alien menaces, a table of interesting net discoveries, and several items.

Writing: A balanced mix of unsettling horror and tongue-in-cheek humor presented as a mostly in-universe document.

Art/Design: Dark gray on light yellow/tan scheme (reflecting printed homemade zine aesthetic) with one- and two-column layouts of text, accompanied by cartoon and silhouette illustrations of enemies, items, and more.

Usability: High fore/ground contrast and font choices make for easy reading, with larger headings and handwritten marginal notes consistently applied throughout.

Concept: “You have taken a gig from a rising leader named Yosel, a high-ranking member of one of Cy's most violent ultra firms. The firm's old leadership has to go, and you will be the people to make that happen. Infiltrate a stadium, sabotage a career, buy some merch! Play it cool and leave without a trace, or kick the door down and get net-famous. As you infiltrate deeper into the Duodrome, you will find unique loot, dangerous NPCs, and the dark secret keeping this streaming-sport operation together…”

Content: A job to humiliate a traitor in a Nechruball firm. 

Writing: Plenty of specifics, especially gritty sensory details, on the situation, relevant locations, and NPCs that the table might encounter while undertaking this mission. 

Art/Design: White-on-black design (except for two pages of tables in a green-text terminal aesthetic) with key terms emphasized in bright colors, and overhead maps are provided both as direct aids and as part of illustrations as blueprints pinned to a wall, and portraits breathe life into included major NPCs. 

Usability: Really intriguing consistent color use to highlight particular NPCs/entities as well as the source of specific mechanics/details. However, text is not embedded, so searching/selecting text or using a screen reader successfully aren’t possible.

Concept: “Thoughts and Prayers is a zine by Stockholm Kartell made for the 2023 convention season. It includes stuff for all our games; MÖRK BORG, CY_BORG, DEATH IN SPACE, SKR and some system-agnostic material. But there are also things like album reviews, essays and short stories, thoughts, ideas and takes. 100% of the benefits are to be donated to Direct Relief.”

Content: A smörgåsbord of content for Cy_Borg–some specifically for the game, some that could be used for it or others–that ranges from a location/adventure (Sprawling Car Park) to tables/generators (e.g., “Who else is in the pub when the brawl starts?”) to NPCs (emergency response teams) to medieval weapons to injuries/afflictions to short fiction about living as a corp drone. There’s a lot more than that, too.

Writing: Every page oozes the Stockholm Kartell house style(s) that makes a reader want to use all that they can in their next game.

Art/Design: Black-on-white color scheme in a printed zine format with illustrations throughout. 

Usability: Available only in print format. Table of contents at the beginning of the zine makes it easy to locate info throughout, with a consistent header/footer with page content credits and page numbering to help clarify not only where a reader is in the zine but also whose work they’re looking at.

Concept: “If your name is Tim and you bought the physical version of A$$HOLE$ & ELBOWS in the last couple of weeks, SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS! You didn't fill out the form you were prompted to on itch. You haven't responded to my emails. I don't want a bad review or rating because I didn't send your pamphlet, but I literally can't. I don't have your address! Get in touch.  Unless you were legit just trying to be nice and don't want the physical reward you paid for. But the uncertainty is KILLING ME!  Thanks, hugs and kisses, Rugose Kohn”

Content: Includes NPC enemies, cultist and high priest for “The Cult of Tim,” whose practices revolve around the enigma that is Tim. 

Writing: Tongue so far in cheek for this material that the two have fused together into a new Cronenberg-esque anatomy. 

Art/Design: Black single-column text presented on the left page of a two-page spread with a tan background, with illustrations of NPC shadows combating one another across the spread.

Usability: Text contrast and font choices are very readable, with headings and labels visually distinct from main body text. The question of Tim’s existence/identity remains unanswered, however.

Concept: “In the not so distant future… Out of the unholy marriage of Super A.I. and alchemy of flesh, a new type of being came into existence. In the year 20X9, the machines rule every aspect of daily life, forever looking to further optimize culling the ‘dregs’ of society, ensuring any threat to its existence is either exterminated with the extreme prejudice of nu-capitalism, or by force. But the final battle for humanity will not be fought in the future. It will be fought here, it present day CY. Tonight…”

Content: A mission to save the future by terminating a CEO. Additional classes ("Time Target," "Veteran of the Future War," and "Reprogrammed Hunter Killer"), supplemental glitch rules, and a murderous NPC are also included.

Writing: Creativity permeates every page/spread, offering plenty of details to flesh out each encounter with a clear sense of in-game urgency for the stakes involved.

Art/Design: Distinct full-color layouts for each page/spread that manage to share a dark-themed aesthetic for a sense of consistency throughout. Numerous illustrations provide visuals for the landscape, significant NPCs, and maps.

Usability: Visually, most pages provide high-contrast text/background for easy reading, with immediately apparent headings/labels and distinct content sections (whether via whitespace, borders, etc.). However, the text is not embedded, so no searching or selecting is possible. A ToC is provided at the end of the supplement.

Concept: “Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die is a rules expansion for CY_BORG giving you the chance to drive fast and wreak carnage hanging out the passenger side window (or just crash headlong into it, your mileage may vary). These rules are light-weight, but robust, and will add a ton of flavor to your chase scenes as you bolt down narrow streets in attempt to escape the piggies or track down a corpo shit-bag. Hell, you don't even need to catch 'em, just have a firefight between vehicles - we got rules for that!”

Content: An impressive cornucopia of content: rules for vehicle chases/races and driving hazards, classes for the “Got-Away Driver” and “High Speed Vigilante," stats for vehicles that are purchaseable (or not), enemies to encounter on the streets of CY, and an entire revenge-themed mission.

Writing: A focus on thematic details/voices to breathe life into included elements that are supported by succinct, direct rules and guidance for GMs to implement assorted features into a game.

Art/Design: A mix of layouts and aesthetics throughout the supplement. Some pages are laid out landscape-wise, and at least one two-page spread has text broken across its pages. Number and variety of illustrations and themes, along with their execution, are inspiring.

Usability: Body text font is pretty consistent throughout, and despite the range of page/spread layouts it’s easy to identify headings/labels and how they relate to nearby content. However, the text is not embedded, so searching/selecting and screen reader use is not possible.

Concept: “This zine contains a table for Animals and plants altered genetically, mechanically or both, some stat blocks and body modifications.”

Content: A collection of biological and technological creatures, parts, and modifications to bring more animalistic variety to a game.

Writing: Descriptions make use of a casual and conversational voice that makes even the more mundane entries engaging and humorous.

Art/Design: Three pages of red and blue text on a light gray hex-pattern background. Two pages use single-column text layouts, while the page of stat blocks has different NPCs’ info scattered around the page.

Usability: Each page provides a consistent visual grammar to indicate how to navigate its content. Center-aligned lists of creatures and modifications may slow down some reading of entries that span multiple lines of text.

Concept: “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT is an introductory three-part CY_BORG adventure inspired by classic movies like Running Man and Judge Dredd (2012), wherein the player characters must ascend a crumbling apartment tower and take out its self-appointed gang-goon leader, Jinghai Soan. It's nonstop action and weirdness that's perfect for introducing new players into the setting and system!”

Content: A scenario for PCs to get intimately familiar with life in a high-rise habitat on lockdown in order to bring down the crime lord at its apex.

Writing: Tons of details about apartment residents, the building’s aesthetic, recent rumors, NPC stats, a map, and more.

Art/Design: White-on-black monospace text with red and yellow graffiti/handwritten headings and embellishments. Occasional borders help indicate the extent of a particular sidebar or table. Black-and-white map and portrait of Jinghai Soan are included.

Usability: Text is provided mostly in one- and two-column formats with occasional exceptions. While text contrast makes for easy reading, the text is not embedded, so no searching or copying/pasting is available.

Concept: “An eerie chill sweeps the streets of CY, and the shadows between the neon lights seem ever darker this time of year. Within creep seven frightful ghouls to haunt the sewers, stalking any pvnk so foolish as to roam the dreadful night.“

Content: A collection of high-tech terrors, from the data spectre to the flesh debtor, with which to haunt a table of punks as they try to survive life in Cy.

Writing: A colorful set of descriptions and mechanical abilities that paint vivid possibilities for each NPC’s uses in a game.

Art/Design: Two versions available: one black-on-white printer-friendly version and one orange-on-maroon version with occasional illustrations to complement the ambience of the writing. Both use single-column text layout.

Usability: Consistent page organization, font usage, and presentation of NPC mechanics to make reading and navigating through the document easy and helpful.