Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Shadowrun Returns

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Smart but mature strategy RPG has sex, swearing, and blood.

Game Mac , Windows 2013
Shadowrun Returns Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Shadowrun Returns Game: Screenshot #1
  • Shadowrun Returns Game: Screenshot #2
  • Shadowrun Returns Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

underscorex
underscorex Adult
March 5, 2015
age 14+

Entertaining futuristic film-noir adventure, but not for kids.

In this game, the player takes on the role of a futuristic mercenary who can use magic or technology to fight various ne'er-do-wells. It is absolutely not for the younger set. Much like the film noir tales that inspired it, Shadowrun Returns is a complex game with a very grey system of morality. Players can opt to shoot their way through a problem or talk their way around it. References to drugs and sex are fairly common, but again, part of the milieu of the game - the protagonist is essentially a futuristic Sam Spade, hired to solve a grisly murder. To that end, the player encounters sex workers, drug addicts, and various other questionable characters, some of which are very thinly sketched, others are given motivation and explanation for their actions. There's blood and guts and carnage and some body-horror type content, but for a sufficiently mature player, the experience is overall extremely rewarding, with a thoughtful (if extremely linear) plot and challenging action sequences. To that end, I wouldn't say there's "too much" sex/violence/swearing, because again, this is absolutely not a children's game. If you're interested in a game in the style and tradition of the Baldur's Gate series (or the first two Fallout games), then this is absolutely worth the money. But I wouldn't give it to anyone under 15, for sure.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

The result of one of the most successful crowd-funded game development campaigns yet, SHADOWRUN RETURNS is a mature strategy role-playing game set in a dark future in which the world is inhabited not only by humans but also trolls, elves, and dwarves. Players take on the role of an underground freelancer investigating the death of a friend. About half of the game is spent exploring the game's richly realized world and chatting with non-player characters in an attempt to dig up clues or complete side-missions. The other half of the game is spent in combat, where the player takes turns moving his or her character(s) around a grid and attacking enemies with guns, melee weapons, and even magic. Everything is presented from an overhead, isometric perspective, with players using naught but a mouse to control most of the action.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

It's clear that the team of indie game makers who built Shadowrun Returns put a lot of love and effort into this game. The futuristic world is loaded with bits of detail, and the many-branched dialogue trees are bursting with interesting conversations and ideas. Time spent exploring and investigating is rarely dull, thanks to no shortage of objects to investigate and interesting characters to chat with. That players get to mold their character as they like through the decisions they make is the sugar on top.

The combat doesn't quite live up to the conversations, but it's still pretty fun. Battles tend to be a little too short and easy, especially at the start, but as the game progresses and players earn more abilities and additional gear and weapons it slowly grows more sophisticated and satisfying. It's not quite up to the lofty standard set last fall by XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but Shadowrun Returns is nonetheless multifaceted and enjoyable little game of role-playing and turn-based tactics.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about developing a character. Do you tend to make dialogue selections that give your character a heroic personality, or do you like to explore your dark side and make him or her seem more villainous? What are your reasons?

  • Families can also discuss the depiction of women in games. Do you think games set in the future do women a disservice by presenting them in the same degrading roles -- such as sex trade workers -- some women have historically occupied? Should writers of speculative fiction pay greater heed to the growth and evolution of women's rights, or ought they have free license to create whatever sort of world they care to imagine?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended game lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate