Cyberpunk Terminology
Welcome to the Glossary, your guide to the language of the streets. Whether you're a fresh-faced newbie or a seasoned runner, this reference will help you navigate the jargon of Chatsubo's neon-lit world.
A
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Self-aware computer programs that operate in the Matrix. Most AIs are tightly controlled by mega-corporations, but rogue AIs exist in the digital wilderness. Some are helpful, some are dangerous, and all are unpredictable.
Augmentation
Any cybernetic enhancement or body modification. Can range from simple dermal plating to full-body conversions. The more chrome you have, the more you blur the line between human and machine.
B
Bioware
Organic enhancements grown in vats and implanted into the body. Unlike traditional cyberware, bioware is biological tissue engineered for enhanced performance. Less obvious than metal, but just as effective.
Black ICE
See ICE (Black).
Braindance (BD)
Direct neural recordings that let you experience someone else's memories and sensations. Popular entertainment in the sprawl. Can be addictive. See also BTL.
BTL (Better Than Life)
Illegal, unregulated braindance chips that offer enhanced, often dangerous experiences. Highly addictive and can cause permanent neural damage. Street term for hot-wired, unfiltered sensory recordings.
Burn
- (verb) To betray someone, usually for profit.
- (verb) To die or be killed, especially from Black ICE in the Matrix.
- (adjective) Damaged or finished, as in "burnt out."
C
Choom
Street slang for friend, buddy, or trusted associate. "Hey choom, watch your back out there."
Chrome
- (noun) Cybernetic implants or augmentations.
- (adjective) Cool, impressive, high-quality. "That's some preem chrome you got there."
Combat Zone
The most dangerous areas of the sprawl where law enforcement rarely ventures. Gang territory, ruins, and anarchic wastelands. If you're not armed and aware, you won't last long.
Console
See Cyberdeck.
Console Cowboy
See Netrunner.
Corporate Zone
Gleaming districts controlled by mega-corporations. Clean streets, private security, and surveillance everywhere. If you're street-level, you don't belong here unless you're doing a job.
Credentials (Creds)
Your digital identity and credit rating. In a world where everything's connected, your creds are everything. Lose them, and you're a ghost.
Cyberpsychosis
Mental deterioration caused by excessive cyberware installation. Symptoms include loss of empathy, violent outbursts, and dissociation from humanity. The more chrome you pack, the higher your risk.
Cyberspace
See Matrix.
Cyberdeck
The hardware interface used by netrunners to access the Matrix. A sophisticated computer system optimized for Matrix navigation and intrusion. Your deck is your life when you're jacked in.
Cyberware
Electronic or mechanical implants that enhance the human body. Can include neural processors, weapon systems, enhanced senses, or limb replacements. Chrome is power, but it costs you something human.
D
Datafort
A heavily protected node in the Matrix, typically guarding valuable corporate data. Surrounded by layers of ICE and monitored by security spiders. Only the best netrunners dare to crack them.
Deck
Short for Cyberdeck.
Dermal Plating
Subdermal armor implanted beneath the skin for protection. Provides physical resistance without the bulk of external armor.
Dorsodeck
A cyberdeck that's been permanently installed in your body, usually in the spine or skull. No external hardware needed—just jack in and go.
E
Edge
- (noun) That indefinable quality that keeps you alive. Skill, luck, awareness, and attitude combined. "She's got edge."
- (noun) Advantage or superiority in a situation.
Eddies (Eds)
Slang for NuYen or any form of currency. "That'll cost you 500 eddies."
F
Fixer
A middleman who connects people who need jobs with people who can do them. Every runner needs a good fixer. They know people, they know opportunities, and they take a cut of everything.
Flatline
- (verb) To die, especially from Black ICE in the Matrix.
- (verb) To kill someone.
- (noun) A dead person. "He's a flatline now."
Fortified Zone
Corporate-controlled territories with heavy security presence. Checkpoints, cameras, drones, and armed guards. You need proper authorization or serious stealth to get in.
G
Ghosting
Moving through secured areas without being detected—whether physical or digital. The art of being invisible when you need to be.
Gonk
Derogatory term for an idiot, fool, or incompetent person. "Don't be a gonk, watch where you're stepping."
Gutterpunk
Street-level individuals who survive outside the corporate system. Living in the margins with cobbled-together tech and determination.
H
Hack
To break into computer systems, typically in the Matrix. The bread and butter of netrunners everywhere.
Hopper
A hover-vehicle, typically referring to taxis or personal transport. See HoverTaxi.
HoverTaxi
Flying vehicles that provide fast travel between different zones of the sprawl. Expensive but efficient. Popular among those who can afford it or need to move quickly.
Humanity
A measure of how much of your original self remains after installing cyberware. The more augmentations you get, the more of your humanity you risk losing. Balance chrome with consciousness.
I
ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics)
Defensive programs that protect systems in the Matrix. Can range from simple alarms to lethal Black ICE that can kill a netrunner. Every secured node has ICE—the question is how deadly.
ICE (Black)
Military-grade or illegal ICE designed to kill intruders. Attacks the netrunner's brain directly through their neural interface. Flatlines are common when you encounter Black ICE unprepared.
Input
Street slang meaning "What do you think?" or "Got any ideas?" Often shortened from "I need your input on this."
J
Jack In
To connect your neural interface to a cyberdeck or computer system, accessing the Matrix directly with your mind. The ultimate human-computer interface.
Jack Out
To disconnect from the Matrix. Usually voluntary, but can be forced by ICE or system security. Emergency jack-outs can cause neural shock.
L
Lead Poisoning
Humorous term for being shot. "He got a bad case of lead poisoning."
Link
Short for Neural Interface or the connection between your brain and cyberware.
M
Matrix (The)
The global computer network that netrunners navigate. A digital landscape of data, programs, and ICE. Reality in the Matrix is subjective—it's shaped by code and imagination.
Meat
- The human body, especially when contrasted with cyberspace or AI.
- Derogatory term for unaugmented humans.
Megacorp
The massive multinational corporations that effectively run the world. They have their own laws, armies, and territories. More powerful than most governments.
Merc
Short for mercenary. Anyone who sells their combat skills for profit. Could be a bodyguard, assassin, soldier, or enforcer.
N
Netrunner
A hacker who accesses the Matrix through direct neural interface. Console cowboys who navigate cyberspace, crack ICE, and steal data. High risk, high reward profession.
Neural Interface
Cybernetic implant that allows direct brain-computer interaction. Essential for netrunners but common among many augmented individuals. Your gateway to the Matrix.
Nova
Adjective meaning excellent, amazing, or high-quality. "That was a nova play, choom!"
NuYen (¥)
The primary currency of the sprawl. Accepted everywhere, from corporate towers to street vendors. Your buying power and often your survival.
O
Operative
A professional who takes on various jobs—espionage, infiltration, wet work, or protection. More refined than a merc, more flexible than a specialist.
P
Preem
Short for premium. Adjective meaning excellent, top-quality, or first-rate. "That's preem hardware."
Program
Software tools used by netrunners in the Matrix. Can include attack programs, defensive utilities, stealth tools, and more. Your arsenal in cyberspace.
Puppet
Someone being remotely controlled through their neural interface. Either by hacking or voluntary remote operation.
R
Razorgirl/Razorboy
Heavily cybered combat specialists, usually featuring retractable blades, enhanced reflexes, and combat implants. Living weapons who sell their skills.
Rig
- (noun) A cyberdeck or vehicle.
- (verb) To set up or modify equipment.
Rockerboy
Musicians and media personalities who use their art and fame as weapons against the system. Cultural revolutionaries with guitars and attitude.
Runner
- Short for Netrunner.
- Anyone who operates in the shadows—operatives, mercenaries, or criminals doing jobs outside the law.
S
Samurai
See Razorgirl/Razorboy. Street warriors who live by a code, even if it's their own.
Scratch
Slang for money or currency. "I need to earn some scratch."
Simsense
Simulated sensory experience delivered through neural interface. Can recreate or fabricate any sensation. Entertainment, training, or torture depending on application.
Skillsoft
Chips or programs that temporarily grant knowledge or abilities through neural interface. Plug in combat training, language fluency, or technical expertise. Convenient but expensive.
Smartgun
Weapon with integrated targeting systems that link to the user's cyberware. Point and click—the gun handles ballistics. Higher accuracy and faster reaction times.
Smartlink
The cybernetic interface between a smartgun and the shooter's nervous system. Provides targeting data, ammo count, and weapon status directly to your brain.
Solo
A freelance mercenary or combat specialist who works alone or in small teams. Self-reliant, heavily augmented, and deadly. The warrior archetype of the sprawl.
Spider
A security netrunner employed by corporations to defend systems from intrusion. The enemy of every runner trying to crack corporate ICE.
Sprawl
The massive urban zones where most people live. A chaotic mix of corporate towers, slums, markets, and decay. Home to millions struggling to survive.
Street Level
The lower levels of the sprawl where most people live and work. Neon signs, crowded markets, small-time crime, and everyday survival. Not as dangerous as combat zones but still rough.
Street Samurai
See Solo.
Syndicate
Organized groups operating in the shadows—gangs, crime families, or ideological factions. They control territory, run illegal operations, and provide community in a corporate world. Loyalty to your syndicate is everything.
T
Tech
- (noun) Technology or equipment.
- (noun) A technician or engineer who specializes in maintaining, building, or modifying equipment.
- (adjective) Technical or technologically advanced.
Techno
See Tech.
U
Uplink
To establish a connection to the Matrix or a computer system. Similar to jacking in but can refer to wireless connections.
V
Vendetta
A personal grudge or ongoing conflict, usually violent. Common in the streets where reputation and revenge matter more than law.
Virus
Malicious software designed to damage systems or steal data. Used by netrunners as weapons in cyberspace.
W
Wetware
- The human brain and nervous system.
- Biological components integrated with technology.
- Living tissue used in computation or systems.
Wire
To have cybernetic enhancements, especially reflex boosters or neural augmentations. "She's wired for speed."
Wiz
Adjective meaning great, excellent, or cool. Often used sarcastically. "Oh wiz, we're surrounded."
X
XP
Experience points earned through actions in the sprawl. Complete jobs, survive combat, develop skills, and you'll level up. Progress is everything when you're trying to make a name for yourself.
Z
Zero
- (noun) A nobody, someone of no consequence.
- (verb) To kill or eliminate. "We need to zero that target."
Zone
A district or area of the sprawl. Can be corporate zones, combat zones, fortified zones, or street-level areas. Know your zone, know your threats.
Common Phrases
"Chrome don't make you special" - Having expensive implants doesn't make you better than everyone else. It's how you use them that counts.
"Flatline fast, burn slow" - Die quickly in action rather than waste away slowly from failure or addiction.
"Never cut a deal with a dragon" - Don't make agreements with entities vastly more powerful than you. You'll lose.
"Stay sharp, choom" - Watch your back and keep your edge. The sprawl is dangerous.
"Trust your crew, doubt everyone else" - Loyalty to your team is paramount, but assume everyone else will betray you.
"Watch your back, shoot straight, conserve ammo, and never, ever cut a deal with a dragon" - Classic runner wisdom covering survival basics.
Tips for New Players
- Learn the slang: Understanding the terminology helps you communicate and fit in with the sprawl's culture.
- Know your zones: Corporate zones are dangerous for the wrong reasons, combat zones for the obvious ones.
- Respect the chrome: Cyberware is powerful but comes with risks. Balance your humanity with your capabilities.
- Matrix basics: Even if you're not a netrunner, understand how the digital world works. It affects everything.
- Find your role: Whether you're a Solo, Netrunner, Fixer, Tech, or something else, embrace your specialty and get good at it.
This glossary is a living document. As you explore Chatsubo, you'll encounter more terms, more slang, and more secrets. Stay curious, stay sharp.
For more information, see: - Character Basics Guide - Learn about roles and character development - Game Systems - Understand the mechanics behind the terminology - FAQ - Common questions answered
Need help? Use helpdesk in-game to submit a ticket or staff to see who's online.