Choose Shadowrun Returns
Choose Shadowrun Returns if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89% positive across 6,718 reviews.
Shadowrun Returns vs Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown
Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown both land in Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam. Shadowrun Returns (2013) is 2 years older than Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (2015). Shadowrun Returns scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (55.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown
Choose Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown if you want the Multi-player and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown launched in 2015.
Both Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Shadowrun Returns |  Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2015 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 3.74 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 89% positive (6,718 reviews) | 55.2% positive (560 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Harebrained Schemes | Cliffhanger Productions |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Shadowrun Returns (2013) is 2 years older than Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (2015).
- Shadowrun Returns scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (55.2% positive).
- Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown has co-op; Shadowrun Returns does not.
- Steam Deck: Shadowrun Returns is Deck Playable, Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown is Deck Unsupported.
Shadowrun Returns vs Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown — FAQ
- Which is better, Shadowrun Returns or Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown?
- On Steam reviews Shadowrun Returns scores higher (89% positive) than Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (55.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Shadowrun Returns is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Shadowrun Returns or Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown first?
- If you want chronology, Shadowrun Returns (2013) came out before Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (2015). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Shadowrun Returns have multiplayer like Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown?
- No. Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while Shadowrun Returns is listed as single-player only.