Shadowrun Returns: Complete Guide

A guide to Harebrained Schemes' 2013 turn-based cyberpunk-fantasy RPG and its Dead Man's Switch campaign: character creation, builds, combat, the Matrix, spirits and drones, and how Returns fits alongside Dragonfall and Hong Kong.

Researched September 2026 — current as of version 1.2.7 (July 30, 2014), the last announced update. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• You can save anywhere now. At launch the game only saved at checkpoints; an update added save-anytime, so save before every fight and conversation that matters.
• Karma is your XP. You spend it on attributes and skills. It comes from story and objectives, not from killing things, so optional objectives are worth doing.
• The system is classless. The six archetypes are just starting templates. Any character can learn any skill, but specializing is far stronger than spreading karma thin.
• Cover is everything. Half and full cover icons appear as you move; end every turn in cover, and flank enemies to deny theirs.
• Hire runners before missions. You can recruit extra shadowrunners with nuyen to fill the gaps in your build (a healer, a decker, a heavy hitter).
• Bring the right tool for the level. Deckers need jack-in points to use the Matrix; shamans summon spirits at marked spots; riggers bring drones. If nobody in your team fills a role, you miss content or take a harder route.
• Charisma unlocks dialogue. Etiquettes open alternate conversation options — sometimes skipping fights or getting better rewards.
• Don't overdo cyberware as a spellcaster. Cyberware reduces Essence, which weakens magic. Mages and shamans should stay mostly "clean".
• Stock consumables. Medkits and grenades in your inventory save runs; shop between missions.

Setting and Story (spoiler-light)

It's 2054 in the Seattle metroplex. Magic has returned, elves, dwarves, orks and trolls walk the streets, and megacorps run everything. In Dead Man's Switch, you receive a posthumous message from an old running partner, who has been killed by the serial killer known as the Emerald City Ripper. His "dead man's switch" pays you to find the killer. The trail leads from the slums of the Redmond Barrens to corporate towers, and toward the Universal Brotherhood, a seemingly benevolent organization hiding something far worse.

Character Creation

Races

Race | Notes

Human | Flexible; no big strengths or weaknesses

Elf | Leans toward Quickness and Charisma

Dwarf | Tough and strong-willed; good for shamans and riggers

Ork | Big Body and Strength; natural street samurai

Troll | The toughest; excellent melee and heavy weapons

Race sets starting points and attribute caps, so pick one that matches your plan.

Archetypes

Archetype | Plays like | Core attributes

Street Samurai | Guns and cyberware; the most straightforward | Quickness, Body

Physical Adept | Magic-enhanced martial artist | Strength, Quickness, Willpower

Mage | Damage and support spells | Willpower

Shaman | Summons spirits and uses support magic | Willpower, Charisma

Decker | Hacks the Matrix; carries a cyberdeck | Intelligence

Rigger | Controls drones as extra combatants | Intelligence

Attributes

Shadowrun Returns uses the six classic attributes: Body, Quickness, Strength, Intelligence, Willpower and Charisma. Each attribute caps the skills under it, so raise the attribute first, then the skills you use.

• Body — health and toughness. Everyone needs some.
• Quickness — ranged combat and dodge. The street samurai's core.
• Strength — melee combat.
• Intelligence — decking, drones and technical skills.
• Willpower — spellcasting and other magic.
• Charisma — Etiquettes (special dialogue options with specific groups); shamans also lean on it for their spirit work.

Check the skill screen in character creation to see exactly which skills sit under each attribute before committing karma.

Build Archetypes That Work

Gun-focused street samurai (easiest)

• Pump Quickness and your chosen firearm skill; add Body for survivability.
• Buy cyberware for accuracy and toughness — you have no magic to lose.
• Hire a support caster or shaman for healing.

Mage (high damage, fragile)

• Willpower first; then spellcasting.
• Stay in full cover; spells don't need line-of-sight tricks as much as guns do.
• Avoid cyberware (Essence loss hurts magic).
• Hire a street samurai or troll bruiser to hold the front.

Shaman (summoner)

• Willpower and Charisma, then your summoning skill (check which attribute caps it on the skill screen).
• Spirits are summoned at marked points on the map. Scout for them before a fight starts.
• Spirits spend AP like extra units, so a shaman's turn is really two turns — plan both.
• Charisma also adds Etiquette dialogue options.

Decker (Matrix specialist)

• Intelligence and decking skills; carry the best cyberdeck you can afford.
• When you find a jack-in point, you can project into the Matrix, where you fight Intrusion Countermeasures (ICE) to open doors, disable defenses and grab data.
• Your body stays in the real world — protect it with cover and teammates while you're jacked in.
• Decking often gives the best rewards and alternate routes.

Rigger (drone commander)

• Intelligence and drone skills.
• Drones act as extra units; they consume your actions to control, so plan turns carefully.
• Great for scouting and flanking.

Combat Basics

Mechanic | How it works | Tip

Action Points (AP) | Characters start with a base of two AP per turn for moving, shooting, casting | Moving far then shooting often costs your whole turn — plan positions

Cover | Half and full cover reduce hit chance | Flank to make cover useless for the enemy

Weapons | Characters can carry a backup weapon alongside their main one | Carry a backup for out-of-ammo moments

Reloading | Costs AP | Reload between fights

Spells | Many have cooldowns | Open with your big spell, then use cheaper ones

Grenades | Area damage | Great against clumped enemies behind cover

Hit chance | Shown before you commit to an attack | Don't take low-percentage shots from the open; reposition instead

Walkthrough Tips (Dead Man's Switch)

The campaign is linear and story-heavy, with a hub bar between jobs where you rest, shop, talk and hire runners.

• Before every job: shop for upgrades and consumables, check who's available to hire, and read the job briefing to see if a decker, shaman or rigger will open extra routes.
• During jobs: explore side rooms. Optional objectives give extra karma and nuyen.
• Conversations: Etiquettes and high attributes open alternate lines. When a talk-your-way-through option appears, it often saves a whole fight.
• Endgame: stock up heavily before committing to the final stretch; the last missions are the hardest fights in the campaign.

Dragonfall and Hong Kong

• Dragonfall (set in Berlin) was released as a Shadowrun Returns expansion on February 27, 2014, then relaunched as the standalone Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director's Cut on September 18, 2014, with five new missions, a redesigned interface, combat improvements, new endings and music. The Director's Cut is a separate game.
• Shadowrun: Hong Kong is the third game in the series.
• The three were later released on consoles as the Shadowrun Trilogy (June 21, 2022).
• If you're choosing where to start: Returns is the shortest and simplest; Dragonfall and Hong Kong refine the systems. Many players play Returns first for the story and to learn the rules.

Editor and Steam Workshop

Shadowrun Returns ships with a full editor, and the Steam Workshop hosts a large library of community campaigns — including fan remakes of classic Shadowrun stories and many original adventures. Workshop campaigns are a big reason to keep Returns installed after finishing Dead Man's Switch.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Spreading karma too thin. A character with average skills everywhere misses shots and fumbles spells.
• Heavy cyberware on a caster. Essence loss hurts your magic.
• Ignoring hireable runners. Filling a role (healer, decker) changes how hard missions are.
• Standing in the open. Every turn should end in cover.
• Not checking for jack-in points and summoning spots. They're easy to miss and can swing a fight.
• Relying on checkpoints. Save manually now that you can.

Advanced Tips

• Flanking breaks cover. Moving one character to an angle can turn a 40% shot into an easy hit for the whole team.
• Alpha strikes win. In a tough fight, spend your first turn killing the most dangerous enemy rather than spreading damage.
• Decker protection: park the decker's body in full cover before jacking in, and have a teammate guard it.
• Spirit management: summon early so the spirit gets as many turns as possible, and use it to absorb enemy attention.
• Karma planning: decide your final build early and put karma in the attribute that raises your main skill's cap.
• Workshop: some community campaigns are longer and harder than the main story — good once you've mastered the rules.

FAQ

Can I save anywhere? Yes. The original release used checkpoint saves only; save-anytime was added in a later update.

Is Dragonfall included in Shadowrun Returns? Dragonfall began as an expansion for Returns, but the definitive version is the standalone Dragonfall – Director's Cut, a separate purchase.

What's the best starting archetype? Street samurai is the easiest to play; decker and shaman offer the most unique content.

Can I change class later? There are no fixed classes — any character can learn any skill with karma.

How long is Dead Man's Switch? It's the shortest campaign in the trilogy — a good weekend-length game.

Are there mods? Yes, the built-in editor and Steam Workshop host many community campaigns.

Sources

• Shadowrun Returns — Wikipedia
• Shadowrun: Dragonfall — Wikipedia
• Shadowrun Returns — Steam store page
• Shadowrun Returns news (1.2.7 release, April 2014 save-anytime note) — Steam