Sunderfolk Review – A Great Tabletop-Inspired Game With Friends

by

Sunderfolk shines most when you’re enjoying it with friends on a laid-back weekend afternoon, otherwise dull. It captures two elements I adore from tabletop role-playing games: collaborative strategy and entertaining stories. However, it can lack enjoyment when played alone, which seems counterintuitive for this game that mimics tabletop RPGs, turn-based tactics, and features strategic teamwork through combining unique perks and customized decks of card abilities to achieve objectives effectively. The experience truly thrives when various minds collaborate.

In the realm of Sunderfolk, players assume command of one of six character types: an enchanter crow, a flame-wielder axolotl, a forest guardian goat, a balladeer bat, a battle-crazed polar bear, or a trickster weasel. These characters, who have earned their stripes as tavern bouncers, later unite to shield their hometown, Arden, from increasing perils. Their mission is twofold: to defend Arden and find a solution to halt the spreading decay of the magical tree that serves as a barrier against encroaching darkness. At its core, Sunderfolk follows a familiar fantasy template where unlikely champions respond to the call of adventure when others won’t. For the initial stages, it doesn’t deviate significantly from current stories in the genre.

After getting acquainted with the NPCs, Sunderfolk’s tale becomes more captivating due to its diverse group of characters, each brought to life by voice actor Anjali Bhimani. Her impressive ability to modify pitch, tone, accent, and pace gives each character a unique flair, making the narrative feel lively and immersive. Characters like the charming, one-armed penguin orphan Amaia, who strives to keep Arden’s mines running, quickly became our favorites. Even her cruel and deceitful uncle added more depth to our investment in saving the village and uncovering the truth behind the mystery. With Bhimani’s portrayal, we felt deeply connected to Amaia and even hoped that her uncle would be revealed as the main antagonist so we could defeat him.

In a versatile fashion, Sunderfolk is playable on both consoles and personal computers. The game’s control mechanism involves downloading a free app onto players’ smartphones or tablets. While the game unfolds on your computer screen or TV, you use your mobile device to browse through your options.

The core gameplay revolves around heroes embarking on missions, primarily focusing on eliminating every adversary on the battlefield. However, additional objectives often surface such as defending a position, pursuing an ally to prevent capture, or exploring a location. Yet, each mission essentially boils down to combat.

Each character possesses unique skills, represented by cards on their mobile device. During each turn of a mission, players can play one card, using the touchscreen to decide movements and choose targets for attacks. On easier settings, you can make decisions freely, but on higher difficulties, coordination with allies is encouraged to strategize the optimal use of cards to counteract the enemies’ numerical superiority.

Once someone begins their turn, others are unable to act, but you can exit the turn if everyone agrees it’s beneficial for another player to go first. The party can move in any order they choose, except during active movements or attacks when you’re locked in. As far as I know, there’s no way to entirely undo someone’s turn after it has been initiated.

Sunderfolk’s main advantage lies in its emphasis on teamwork, as its true potential unfolds when you’re working with at least one other player to brainstorm strategies. In my review, I played the initial two-thirds of the game alongside others, opting for the arcanist class. This class could unleash potent lightning and gravity assaults, manipulate multiple targets with push and pull abilities, and transport itself, allies, or enemies, but most of these powers required a mana resource that I had to monitor closely. The arcanist passively builds up mana at the start of each turn, albeit not much, frequently compelling me to skip playing cards that consumed mana or specifically choosing one that produced it, so I could amass enough mana for my team in later turns. One of my favorite cards featured the arcanist teleporting, generating mana based on the number of creatures near the destinationoften, my companions and I would initiate combat with me moving a space or two first to stay close to the full party, thus triggering a large amount of mana for a powerful second turn.

Every hero possesses its unique qualities, allowing for individuality in gameplay. Yet, they never stray from their essential traits. Instead, each hero is optimized to perform exceptionally when fighting alongside others. Our team included a pyromancer, capable of inflicting widespread damage; a bard, who could heal, boost allies, and enchant enemies to follow them on the battlefield; and a ranger, skilled in delivering potent, piercing attacks from a distance. Our strategy was geared toward grouping enemies and dealing massive damage, a tactic we embraced as we unveiled new cards. For instance, I selected a card that gathered nearby enemies into a tight cluster before teleporting away, which synergized perfectly with the pyromancer’s card that allowed them to leap to a spot and ignite a fiery explosion, growing stronger with more affected enemies.

In the vibrant world of Sunderfolk, you advance rapidly, unlocking fresh abilities with each level-up. The excitement is palpable as everyone eagerly discusses their latest skill, only for a momentary hush to fall as players contemplate which existing card they’ll remove to make space for the new one. This dynamic, combined with single-use items found or traded, and upgradable weapons, maintains a persistent sense of progression and development in Sunderfolk. There’s almost always a fresh strategy to explore or a build to refine, and when you’re joined by three companions, the depth and complexity are amplified even further.

In their downtime, the team retreats to Arden, a central location that offers various activities. Here, players can explore different paths independently. Interactions with Arden’s residents unfold on your device as text conversations—though Bhimani’s writing enhances these interactions, making them more engaging. Your choices shape the dialogue and may influence your character’s relationships with others. You can also shop for items, dine at the tavern for temporary bonuses, customize your hero’s appearance or weapons, or contribute funds and resources to expand or improve buildings in Arden, offering additional options. Initially, Arden is quite bare, but as players contribute, more features become available. Sunderfolk imposes a limit of three conversations per visit to Arden to keep gameplay moving swiftly. Once this limit is reached, everyone votes on the next mission, ensuring you can’t complete every task or speak with every resident. This encourages replaying the story to uncover new experiences.

In simpler terms, Sunderfolk is a game with brief missions that can be easily started and stopped, making it an appealing choice for those who wish to explore tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG) without committing much time or money. This accessibility may explain the straightforward nature of its story, as one can join in at any point and follow along with minimal preparation if they’re familiar with high-fantasy narratives.

However, I find that this ease of access comes at the expense of the story lacking significant developments or unexpected twists. It occupies a unique space between being a party game and a narrative-driven game, neither fully embracing one role over the other. Compared to diving into Baldur’s Gate 3 or Citizen Sleeper 2 midstream, starting with Sunderfolk seems more manageable. Yet, I still wish for more depth in its storytelling.

In Sunderfolk’s tale, many unforgettable instances arise due to the actions of one player. At times, the game assigns tasks to players at random, such as naming buildings, reminding townspeople of rare ingredients, or giving names to encountered enemies. These players can input their responses, which then become part of the game’s lore and are reflected in other players’ interactions or future missions. While these elements have no effect on the game mechanics, they contribute to a feeling of connection and possession for Arden’s inhabitants. My companions and I put up a fierce struggle to protect the barking, insect-like guard dogs we named from being killed by enemies, and we rejoiced during subsequent missions when they reappeared. It was heartwarming when the frequently forgetful character I had romantic feelings for gave me an item I mentioned in conversation hours earlierthough I later realized it was a clever setup, at that moment, it still made me feel significant because they remembered my preferences. This sentimentality brought about a delightful surprise when we discovered that the gift provided a surprisingly beneficial gameplay aspect.

Experiencing games like Sunderfolk is at its best when played alongside my partner and friends on the couch. It seems the developers intended it for group play. Although you can play it alone, it loses some of its thrill, similar to attempting a tabletop role-playing game solo. The game’s diverse characters, each with unique skill decks, are designed for cooperative play. Brainstorming new strategies and experimenting with character builds with your friends is just as enjoyable as watching your carefully crafted plans unfold successfully. Sunderfolk effectively recreates the atmosphere of a tactical tabletop game session with friends, making it the shared moments we create together that stand out the most, rather than the story told by a Game Master.

Read More

2025-04-18 22:11