R. Talsorian Games
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Role-playing games |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Mike Pondsmith |
| Headquarters | Renton , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mike Pondsmith (Chairman) |
| Products | Cyberpunk, Mekton Zeta, Castle Falkenstein, The Witcher: Role-Playing Game, Bubblegum Crisis, Armored Trooper Votoms, Dragonball Z RPGs, Dream Park |
| Website | rtalsoriangames |
R. Talsorian Games (abbreviated as RTG) specializes in designing and publishing role-playing game manuals and related accessories. Established in 1985 by Mike Pondsmith, the firm relocated from Berkeley, California to Renton, Washington in 1997. Their flagship offerings encompass the Cyberpunk franchise along with several RPGs inspired by anime, with the Fuzion system currently serving as their main product line.
Chairman Mike Pondsmith, also known by the nickname "Maximum Mike," oversees the company’s operations. Prominent releases include Cyberpunk 2020, the anime-themed Mekton Zeta, the sorcery and steampunk RPG Castle Falkenstein, and The Witcher: Role-Playing Game, which draws from the works of Andrzej Sapkowski and adaptations by CD Projekt Red. Their catalog also includes licensed anime titles such as Bubblegum Crisis, Armored Trooper Votoms, and Dragonball Z. Additionally, they released the brief-lived Dream Park.
History
Following the success of his indie game Mekton, Mike Pondsmith launched R. Talsorian Games in 1985 and issued a second edition of Mekton in 1986. Subsequent releases included Teenagers from Outer Space (1987) and Mekton II (1987), which introduced their comprehensive Interlock System. Their second title utilizing Interlock was Cyberpunk 2013 (1988).
R. Talsorian Games was among the pioneers in adopting desktop publishing technology, beginning with Mekton II in 1987 and advancing to more refined products such as Cyberpunk 2020 in 1989. The overwhelming success of the Cyberpunk line shaped much of the company’s focus for a significant period.
After withdrawing from GenCon in 1998 due to disputes regarding dealer space allocation, RTG halted major new releases until a semi-regular publishing schedule resumed in 2006. During this interval, they continued supporting licensed anime RPGs under their ANimechaniX imprint and reissued classics like Mekton Z and Cyberpunk 2020.
On January 4, 2006, RTG introduced The Chrome Berets demo team, spearheaded by David "Knighthawk" Simpson, founder of a well-known Cyberpunk fan community. This team promotes RTG’s products and participates actively in playtesting efforts.