Sunderfolk is fun, fresh and a new take on couch coop.
Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
Article Summary
Sunderfolk launches today, 23rd April, for 49.99$ on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.
It’s a co-op, turn-based tactical RPG where your phone is the controller.
Designed for couch co-op or remote play, no complex tabletop setup required.
Features six unique heroes, skill card decks, handcrafted maps, and evolving missions.
It’s something genuinely new and perfect for game night with friends.
I’ve played an early build with my friends, and we really enjoyed it.
Disclaimer
This is not a full review. These are my personal impressions after some early hands-on time with Sunderfolk pre launch, shared as a reflection on what makes the game feel special, it’s ideas and game design.
This is not verdict on the full game experience.
Today, April 23rd, Sunderfolk launches (49.99$ on Steam)—and I can’t stop thinking about how smart and different it is from games we’ve seen before.
My first impressions are that Sunderfolk brings something new to the table. I really hope Secret Door succeeds, and that this is the starting point for a whole new genre of games.
What Makes Sunderfolk Different
Sunderfolk is a shared turn-based tactical RPG adventure where your phone is the controller. It is a tabletop-like, fantasy-themed 4-player co-op game.
Heard that before? What Sunderfolk is doing differently is that the game is designed to be played with the players together in the same physical space. Just like a normal pen-and-paper tabletop game like Frosthaven, Pandemic, Risk Legacy, to name a few.
It is built for couch co-op, where the ideal is to sit around one TV or monitor, have the game running on one machine (PC, Xbox, PlayStation or Switch). Then, all players join the game via their phones. Every player controls their own character, choices and cards using their own phone.
It’s a legacy game, meaning the game evolves over time. The players continue to explore the same story, questlines and characters from session to session.
A Game Built for Couch Coop
Gamers play a lot, and many gamers are social during those sessions. However, being physically in the same place with friends, playing a fantasy game of Sunderfolk’s caliber is truly unique.
It is also possible to play Sunderfolk remotely with a player group; you just have to share the screen running the game. This is easily done with services like Discord, where screen sharing is built in. In that case, the other players would scan the QR code seen on screen, download the app, and voila, they are in the game.
We have seen shared-screen games, or local multiplayer games, before. Browser-based games like Kahoot, or games like the Jackbox Party Pack series, Buzz, Drawful, to name a few.
What Sunderfolk is doing differently is that it is bringing a high level of polish in gameplay, mechanics, environments and character design to a local multiplayer, fantasy-themed, turn-based RPG while being in a shared screen experience.
Swimming Against the Current
Think of it; in a time when the games industry is under pressure, with studios laying people off left and right, Secret Door, the developer behind Sunderfolk, is going against the tide.
First, they are launching a game that only one of the four players in a player group has to buy, immediately reducing their potential sales numbers.
Second, they are taking on an immense piece of work. Not only supporting a live game on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, but also supporting mobile apps on Android and iOS.
Third, they are taking a complex game type, a turn-based tactical hex-based RPG, and adapting that to a shared screen experience, with your phone as the controller.
:mindblown.gif:
Players controlling Sunderfolk on their phones.
Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
How the Game Plays
In Sunderfolk, you play as one of six distinct heroes:
Arcanist – A wizard who manipulates magic to control the battlefield and support allies with powerful spells.
Bard – the classic whimsical flamboyant strategist who buffs friends and disrupts enemies using charm and musical mischief.
Berserker – The frontline hero, the big badass. Thrives in the thick of combat, dealing massive damage to surrounding enemies.
Pyromancer – A hot, fiery glass cannon. The Pyromancer unleashes explosive AoE attacks that can brun the tide, or scorch the team with firendly fire.
Ranger – A precise, nimble and deadly fighter. The Ranger excels at… ranged attacks, has high mobility and range.
Rogue – and lastly, the deadly Rogue. Sneaky, deadly and hidden. Hits you where it hurts the most (from behind)!
Each one brings unique abilities and strategic roles to your party. You level up, gather gear, and tweak your skill card deck. Slowly and steadily, you shape your team into something that fits your group’s playstyle.
Missions are laid out across handcrafted maps, and in typical tactical RPG fashion, positioning and turn order matter a lot.
Sunderfolk also has “Fate Cards” that introduce a bit of random unpredictability. They are similar to the modifier deck from Gloomhaven. Fate cards affect how effective your moves and attacks are.
Fumble or crit? Fate cards decide.
To the right you see a… A MINUS 1?!? Darn it. Rather typical fate card outcome in my opinion. Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
Your home base, Arden, starts out small but grows as you progress. You unlock new shops, befriend NPCs, and expand your options between missions. It’s a cozy little hub that gives the game structure and continuity.
All of it is played through your phone while looking at the TV or monitor. Movement, combat, inventory—it’s all there. No setup, no rulebooks, no monster deck, no tokens. Just launch the game, scan the code, and you’re in.
Arden, the main player and NPC hub, will continue to evolve over time. Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
It’s clearly made by people who love tabletop gaming but also recognize how hard it is to get a group together every week. Sunderfolk is the kind of game that meets you halfway.
The narration and all in-game character voices are performed by Anjali Bhimani, known to me as Symmetra from Overwatch, and Rampart from Apex Legends. She’s appeared in a number of games, including Starfield, Diablo IV, Avowed, and more. In Sunderfolk, she voices the Game Master and every NPC you meet, a daunting task, I imagine. Hopefully, she manages to gives the game a cohesive and lively tone across all characters.
What a Sunderfolk Game Night Looks Like
I’ll paint you a vibrant and cozy picture of what an in-person game session of Sunderfolk could look like.
You and your game friends are looking for a game to play on this Friday’s game night. But the “self-appointed game master” doesn’t have time to set up Frosthaven this particular Friday, due to a “wardrobe malfunction” at work.
What about testing out this new game, Sunderfolk? Says the player who always chooses the Rogue.
All players agree and gather around the TV with snacks and your favorite fermented beverage (seltzers count as well) while your console boots up Sunderfolk.
What greets you first, after choosing either continue or to start a new game, is a QR code that when scanned opens up the game on your phone. If you don’t have the free game companion app, you are asked to download it.
What’s the Wi-Fi password, I’m out of data… says the tank-instapick.
Then, on each phone, the players play the game. You choose a character, vote or preferably discuss who should do what in each situation. Just like any tabletop tactical RPG. The graphics, menus, cards and game assets render natively on your phones GPU.
As the game evolves, you will also manage your card deck, items and actions, control your character’s actions, and handle other game mechanics—all on your phone.
My First Impressions
I’ve tested out the early game with a group of friends with whom I normally play in-person, turn-based, tactical, fantasy-themed RPGs.
This Sunderfolk session was however online. We were streaming the game on Discord, not gathered around the hearth (i.e., the TV).
We had a great time! The game mechanics were easy to understand for us, coming from games like DnD, Gloomhaven / Frosthaven and that ilk of games. If you are used to things like hex-based movement, actions, monster initiative and the like, you will have no issues understanding the game. My group had a blast testing the game and playing the early phase of the game.
Hex based movement and throw range is seen in this image. Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
We did not have the time to get to mid or late game, but as for this opinion article, that does not matter. The fact that Secret Door was able to pull this game off stands as its own achievement, and the game is good. Especially good for the group of players who are into turn-based, tactical fantasy games—either digital or physical but for reasons unknown are not able to gather as often as they wish. For me these reasons are travel expenses and free time.
The game also plays into, and enables, the friendly (and sometimes rather hostile) energy that happens when a group of friends are gathered. Maybe one player took the loot, right in front of another. Or maybe the Rogue, at the very last minute, decided to do something more ideal for them than for the team. All these things are part of what makes game nights fantastic, and Sunderfolk plays into them in a way I’ve rarely seen in video games.
To me, it is really refreshing to see a game of this scope and caliber be the first release from a studio like Secret Door. I adore that people have the guts plus the development -and monetary means to bet on games like this, and I truly hope they are successful.
That Secret Door continues to iterate, adjust, take community feedback, and develop games like these.
Sunderfolk is truly something new, and like the fermented beverages hopefully placed on your dining room table during game night, refreshing.
This article serves as a love letter to Sunderfolk and the care that went into crafting it. If you found it interesting, consider picking up the game, it’s out now, Steam link attached.
Sunderfolk Hands On – My Thoughts and Impressions
Article Summary
Disclaimer
This is not a full review. These are my personal impressions after some early hands-on time with Sunderfolk pre launch, shared as a reflection on what makes the game feel special, it’s ideas and game design.
This is not verdict on the full game experience.
Today, April 23rd, Sunderfolk launches (49.99$ on Steam)—and I can’t stop thinking about how smart and different it is from games we’ve seen before.
My first impressions are that Sunderfolk brings something new to the table. I really hope Secret Door succeeds, and that this is the starting point for a whole new genre of games.
What Makes Sunderfolk Different
Sunderfolk is a shared turn-based tactical RPG adventure where your phone is the controller. It is a tabletop-like, fantasy-themed 4-player co-op game.
Heard that before? What Sunderfolk is doing differently is that the game is designed to be played with the players together in the same physical space. Just like a normal pen-and-paper tabletop game like Frosthaven, Pandemic, Risk Legacy, to name a few.
It is built for couch co-op, where the ideal is to sit around one TV or monitor, have the game running on one machine (PC, Xbox, PlayStation or Switch). Then, all players join the game via their phones. Every player controls their own character, choices and cards using their own phone.
It’s a legacy game, meaning the game evolves over time. The players continue to explore the same story, questlines and characters from session to session.
A Game Built for Couch Coop
Gamers play a lot, and many gamers are social during those sessions. However, being physically in the same place with friends, playing a fantasy game of Sunderfolk’s caliber is truly unique.
It is also possible to play Sunderfolk remotely with a player group; you just have to share the screen running the game. This is easily done with services like Discord, where screen sharing is built in. In that case, the other players would scan the QR code seen on screen, download the app, and voila, they are in the game.
We have seen shared-screen games, or local multiplayer games, before. Browser-based games like Kahoot, or games like the Jackbox Party Pack series, Buzz, Drawful, to name a few.
What Sunderfolk is doing differently is that it is bringing a high level of polish in gameplay, mechanics, environments and character design to a local multiplayer, fantasy-themed, turn-based RPG while being in a shared screen experience.
Swimming Against the Current
Think of it; in a time when the games industry is under pressure, with studios laying people off left and right, Secret Door, the developer behind Sunderfolk, is going against the tide.
:mindblown.gif:
How the Game Plays
In Sunderfolk, you play as one of six distinct heroes:
Each one brings unique abilities and strategic roles to your party. You level up, gather gear, and tweak your skill card deck. Slowly and steadily, you shape your team into something that fits your group’s playstyle.
Missions are laid out across handcrafted maps, and in typical tactical RPG fashion, positioning and turn order matter a lot.
Sunderfolk also has “Fate Cards” that introduce a bit of random unpredictability. They are similar to the modifier deck from Gloomhaven. Fate cards affect how effective your moves and attacks are.
Fumble or crit? Fate cards decide.
Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
Your home base, Arden, starts out small but grows as you progress. You unlock new shops, befriend NPCs, and expand your options between missions. It’s a cozy little hub that gives the game structure and continuity.
All of it is played through your phone while looking at the TV or monitor. Movement, combat, inventory—it’s all there. No setup, no rulebooks, no monster deck, no tokens. Just launch the game, scan the code, and you’re in.
Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
It’s clearly made by people who love tabletop gaming but also recognize how hard it is to get a group together every week. Sunderfolk is the kind of game that meets you halfway.
The narration and all in-game character voices are performed by Anjali Bhimani, known to me as Symmetra from Overwatch, and Rampart from Apex Legends. She’s appeared in a number of games, including Starfield, Diablo IV, Avowed, and more. In Sunderfolk, she voices the Game Master and every NPC you meet, a daunting task, I imagine. Hopefully, she manages to gives the game a cohesive and lively tone across all characters.
What a Sunderfolk Game Night Looks Like
I’ll paint you a vibrant and cozy picture of what an in-person game session of Sunderfolk could look like.
You and your game friends are looking for a game to play on this Friday’s game night. But the “self-appointed game master” doesn’t have time to set up Frosthaven this particular Friday, due to a “wardrobe malfunction” at work.
All players agree and gather around the TV with snacks and your favorite fermented beverage (seltzers count as well) while your console boots up Sunderfolk.
What greets you first, after choosing either continue or to start a new game, is a QR code that when scanned opens up the game on your phone. If you don’t have the free game companion app, you are asked to download it.
Then, on each phone, the players play the game. You choose a character, vote or preferably discuss who should do what in each situation. Just like any tabletop tactical RPG. The graphics, menus, cards and game assets render natively on your phones GPU.
As the game evolves, you will also manage your card deck, items and actions, control your character’s actions, and handle other game mechanics—all on your phone.
My First Impressions
I’ve tested out the early game with a group of friends with whom I normally play in-person, turn-based, tactical, fantasy-themed RPGs.
This Sunderfolk session was however online. We were streaming the game on Discord, not gathered around the hearth (i.e., the TV).
We had a great time! The game mechanics were easy to understand for us, coming from games like DnD, Gloomhaven / Frosthaven and that ilk of games. If you are used to things like hex-based movement, actions, monster initiative and the like, you will have no issues understanding the game. My group had a blast testing the game and playing the early phase of the game.
Credit Secret Door / Sunderfolk
We did not have the time to get to mid or late game, but as for this opinion article, that does not matter. The fact that Secret Door was able to pull this game off stands as its own achievement, and the game is good. Especially good for the group of players who are into turn-based, tactical fantasy games—either digital or physical but for reasons unknown are not able to gather as often as they wish. For me these reasons are travel expenses and free time.
The game also plays into, and enables, the friendly (and sometimes rather hostile) energy that happens when a group of friends are gathered. Maybe one player took the loot, right in front of another. Or maybe the Rogue, at the very last minute, decided to do something more ideal for them than for the team. All these things are part of what makes game nights fantastic, and Sunderfolk plays into them in a way I’ve rarely seen in video games.
Sunderfolk is truly something new, and like the fermented beverages hopefully placed on your dining room table during game night, refreshing.
This article serves as a love letter to Sunderfolk and the care that went into crafting it. If you found it interesting, consider picking up the game, it’s out now, Steam link attached.
Thanks for reading.