In this review, we are going to discover the official RPG of Cowboy Bebop, in which we will play space bounty hunters who live to the sound of music.

The game was created by Don’t Panic Games and Mana Project Studio under an official license from SunriseINC. We thank Mana Project Studio for providing us with a physical copy for the review. We recommend that you follow them on their website, Facebook and Instagram pages to discover their new projects.

You can find the basic manual in Italian for 49.90 euros on the official Mana Project Studio store. Otherwise, here you will find the deluxe edition for the 25th anniversary for 99.90 euros. The nuts, on the other hand, can be purchased for 15.90 euros on the dedicated page of the store.

Cowboy Bebop Structure and Aesthetics Review

Cowboy Bebop is a role-playing game created for the 25th anniversary of the release of the anime of the same name. The care to re-propose the tones is remarkable, starting with its aesthetics. Many elements, including the background of the pages, will be instinctively familiar to those who know the anime.

This effect is also amplified by the excellent use of scenes taken directly from the anime as illustrations; they are inserted wisely, avoiding the risk of fan service in favour of a more reasoned use. There is also no lack of original images used as background or in other reasoned points of the manual. These elements, together with a perfectly readable and thematic font, make the manual very readable.

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Another great point in favour of the manual is the writing: simple, effective and smooth. Careful use of bold and italics reinforces the feeling of being in front of a manual in which the information is well organized.

I also appreciated the presence of a glossary containing all the game terms. This, together with the abundance of examples, makes it easy to learn the contents of the manual.

So, to recap, Cowboy Bebop only for the structural and artistic aspects is a recommended purchase; an anime fan will pick up many more references, but even those who do not know it can appreciate it without any problem.

Big Shot Screen, Custom Dice and Chips

Along with the basic manual, Mana Project Studio has provided us with the Big Shot screen (the narrator in Cowboy Bebop), custom dice and chips to use in the game; we also find the already completed cards of the protagonists of the anime and many empty character cards.

The Big Shot’s screen is truly durable, as well as being eye-catching and useful. In front, we find an illustration in which all the protagonists of the anime are present, while in the back there is a summary of the rules, the structure of the sessions and many tables to support the narrators.

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The dice are very simple, but they catch the eye and are a pleasure to roll. They are red d6s with white numbers, with the peculiarity that, instead of the number 6, we find the Swordfish IIstylized; surely it is a detail that will please many fans.

Let’s conclude with the chips, related to the mechanics of Rhythm points that we will talk about later in this review. They are in every way similar to normal poker chips and are collected in an elegant cardboard box. Here too, quality abounds and having them at the table will be an extra asset for your playing sessions.

Music Rhythm Bounty Hunters

To start playing Cowboy Bebop, the first step is to create your team’s Mothership; this will be the operational base and will be useful to describe the themes and topics that will be of interest to the game. In the manual, we find many suggestions, as well as tables to generate captivating names.

Creating a Bounty Hunter (BH, the player’s character) is an intuitive and quick process, but it can create deep characters.

First of all, you will have to choose the Groove, that is, the special ability of the BH. Each one is special in its way and allows various situations to take place. An interesting feature is that each Groove has a specific impact on the narrative level; consequently, the manual also suggests for which type of character is most suitable.

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Then you will have to write the Concept, that is, a small sentence that describes the BH. If in agreement with the group, I appreciated the possibility of playing enhanced animals, such as the corgi from the original animated series.

The next step is to pick a Memory, a game element linked to one of the most interesting mechanics (which we will discuss later). In particular, it concerns the past from which the character is trying to escape; in the manual, we find various suggestions on how to create it, as well as some already ready for those who have less imagination or familiarity with this narrative universe.

One of the last things to include is the Traits, that is, aesthetic elements or skills that we can use to succeed in the Trials. During the creation phase, we will have a maximum of 4 Traits.

Finally, we will have to determine the name and personal shuttle of the Bounty Hunter.

Cowboy Bebop Session Management Review

To faithfully replicate an episode of the anime, there are several original and interesting mechanics in the game.

Let’s start by saying that the session is called Session (to replicate the anime) and is divided into three turns. These are the acts of history, and each has its own goals, threats, and rewards.

The Tabs are:

• G.E.S.T. : the first time, in which the protagonists will collect all the equipment and begin the hunt.
• 3, 2, 1… : the second act, in which things become complex but exciting as we approach the goal.
• Let’s Jam! : third and final part, in which there will be the final clash with the Bounty and the Session will end.

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Each phase has its Difficulty that will be applied during the relevant Tests. Each Turn is also characterized by Riffs, special effects common to all the characters; they are activated by spending the Rhythm, a resource that each loss generates at the beginning of the Session or in special conditions. Risk is also very interesting, a resource that the Big Shot generates in a similar way to Rhythm; it can be spent to make BHs difficult and create interesting situations.

The turns become very important in developing the plot that will lead (or not) to the achievement of the Size. The latter is in fact the opponent of the entire Session and the objective that the characters must be able to capture. However, it must be taken into account that the Bounty can only be captured after discovering its Secret; this will only emerge from the second Turn. Another very interesting detail is that the Turns can generate Session Traits; these are for all intents and purposes extra Traits that the characters can put into play during the Trials.

Session Types

To further replicate the structure of an anime, there are multiple types of playable Sessions. It goes from the Classic, and more frequently, to the Personal one referring to a particular character; then we have the Session Fillers and of course the Final.

Each type of Session brings with it new ways to generate Rhythm and Risk, special conditions, a different structure of turns and many other distinctive details. In short, they are given every opportunity to build their own series from the ground up.

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Another very interesting element is the Genre of the Session; each can be associated with a musical genre: Rock, Blues, Jazz, Dance and Tango. These are also the approaches that BHs can use, and if they coordinate with the Session Genre, they will be able to gain various benefits.

I find it very useful that, for each type of Session, the manual proposes an example to learn how to set it correctly. In addition, for fans of the anime (or for those who want to recover its contents), we find the entire animated series brought back in Session to be staged; definitely a good idea to propose a ready-made adventure ready to play!

Cowboy Bebop System Review

Cowboy Bebop presents a truly simple and narrative game system.

When a BH has to perform an action with an uncertain outcome, he faces a Test; obviously, the manual advises to resort to the Tests only when there is a goal to be pursued and interesting consequences to be put into play.

The player must first choose the Approach with which to face it; then he creates a pool of d6 by adding as many dice as the current Tab, a die for each Trait he brings into play and any extra dice given by specific Advantages; if instead he will be subject to Disadvantage, he will have to remove a die. Here too, examples abound and clarify any doubt.

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In a Test, a BH can only achieve two Hits; one if the total of the roll is equal to or greater than the difficulty of the Turn and one if at least two 6s have been made on the dice. Successes can be spent in a variety of ways, such as running a clock or lowering the difficulty for subsequent trials.

A very targeted and engaging mechanic is that, for every 1 obtained on the dice, Shock is generated. It is a resource that the Big Shot can use to complicate the situation immediately, or it can turn it into a Risk and keep it for a later situation.

Wounds, Cartridges, Shocks and Burdens

If CTs want to avoid accumulating too much Shock due to a very unlucky shot, they can decide to absorb it. They can absorb a maximum of two Shocks and doing so implies Injuring a Stroke or Scoring a Cartridge; in the first case, the Stroke will not be usable in subsequent tests and will not be able to absorb another Shock.

The alternative for 6 times the character can score a Cartridge before having to deal with their past. This mechanic is very interesting and has a strong impact, but only for adventures lasting several sessions; when the sixth and last Cartridge is scored, the Turn ends negatively and the next Session must be of a Personal type; in it the BH will have to face his past.

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When a Session ends negatively, BHs will accumulate a Burden, that is, an emotional weight that they carry with them. In the event that that character solves them during a Personal Session, there will be a positive evolution of the same; this is an excellent narrative engine and pushes the player to accumulate Fardelli in order to then positively solve these situations and see their BH evolve.

Cowboy Bebop World Review

The world of Cowboy Bebop is deep and varied; the chapter in the manual dedicated to its exhibition is very detailed and gives the right insight to the key elements.

It begins with a precise description of the themes and concepts on which the setting is based; this explanation is fundamental for those who do not know the anime because it allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere in a few sentences. Then we find an extensive and in-depth explanation of the technology, political organization and many other elements of the game world; the level of depth is such as to eviscerate even topics that had remained in the background in the anime, making these pages useful even to those who have already seen its episodes. In addition, we find various Factions that present ideas to create intriguing and varied Sessions.

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Subsequently, we are presented with various archetypes of Sizes, each with its own motivations, plot hooks, Secrets and dedicated Grooves. The archetypes are varied and range from the Terrorist to the Mad Scientist, also passing through the War Force. They are excellent tools for basing your Sizes without having to start from scratch.

Finally, we find a detailed map of the solar system; each planet has its own dedicated section where places of interest, dangers, customs and more are listed.

Thanks to these features, the chapter is valuable for all lovers of anime and futuristic settings in general.

Cowboy Bebop Review Conclusions

To conclude this review, I can safely say that Cowboy Bebop is a great product, both artistically and at the gaming table. In fact, it offers us a series of truly well-made mechanics that restore the feelings and atmospheres of the soul; to them is combined with a truly impactful artistic sector, which resumes the tones of the soul. In addition to all this, there are also excellent accessories such as nuts, chips and Big Shot screens, all characterised by high-quality materials.

In short, Cowboy Bebop is a well-made role-playing game, born out of passion and to have if you are a fan of science fiction or anime; having said that in the next review and… See you space cowboys!

 

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