As a seasoned tabletop RPG enthusiast with a flair for storytelling, I find Sunderfolk to be an innovative and intriguing take on merging the best aspects of video games and traditional role-playing games. Having spent countless hours around the table with friends, creating immersive worlds and embarking on epic adventures, the idea of bringing that collaborative spirit to a digital platform while maintaining the simplicity of a video game is truly captivating.
Sunderfolk, a cooperative turn-based RPG designed for four players, seems poised to bring the excitement of tabletop gaming to more people. In this game, players collaborate to advance through a tale where both NPC and player decisions are narrated by a game master. This setup lets groups of friends organize weekly gaming sessions to progress together through a campaign.
In Sunderfolk, every player gets to choose from six distinct roles: the Arcanist, who wields spells, the Bard, who focuses on support, the Berserker, a frontline fighter, the Pyromancer, an area-of-effect specialist, the Ranger, a skilled sharpshooter, and the Rogue, who is slippery and agile. You assume control of Sunderfolk, anthropomorphic creatures living in the Sunderlands, which are currently under threat from the corrupting power of shadowstones. Whether you’re playing with friends in person or remotely with players in different locations, each player uses their phone to make decisions about their character’s actions, allowing for flexibility in where you control your character from. While the gameplay unfolds on a single TV or computer screen (requiring someone to stream if you’re playing online), interaction with the game is primarily through mobile devices, similar to a Jackbox Party game.
Sunderfolk draws significant influence from Gloomhaven and Frosthaven, two tabletop games, forming the foundation for its unique system as explained by game director Erin Marek.
At our studio, we hold a deep affection for tabletop RPGs and board games, particularly tactical, turn-based ones. However, we recognize that these games aren’t always easy for many people to get into due to factors like long setup times, extensive rule reading, and so on. What we aim to do is create an experience that encapsulates the magic of in-person gaming while making it more accessible – perhaps for those who are new to such experiences or have chosen to stay away for various reasons. This was our initial inspiration. Over time, we’ve evolved, but I believe you can still see traces of this concept in our design today.
One of those diversions is a relationship tracker, which allows each of the players to befriend and/or romance NPCs. “[We’ve made] some of the NPCs romanceable, and I think that that’s a particularly exciting feature if you’re somebody who loves dating sims and stuff,” Marek said. “We have this cast of NPCs in town that you can engage with, learn about them, and then choose to either go down a more platonic path or choose to go down a more romantic path. And you get some really awesome rewards too if you get all the way to the end of their path.”
Similar to Gloomhaven, Sunderfolk is structured around two recurring stages. Marek explained, “The first phase is the mission stage, which is action-packed, involving teamwork, taking turns, and battling monsters. This is where you might encounter cinematics or the game master’s voiceover. Story content provided by Anjali [Bhimani] is presented at the start and end of these missions. The second phase occurs in town, offering a moment of relaxation. Here, you can pause, explore personal stories, interact with characters, and even name things within the plot and game, which adds to the overall experience for each group.
In Sunderfolk, while the main storyline follows a set path, there’s some room for player choice in between these key moments. The game master guides this exploration, offering multiple mission options for the players to choose from. This way, players have a degree of control over their own adventure, with the game master filling in the reasons and consequences of their choices. However, it’s important to note that while there is some flexibility, the game remains somewhat linear, striking a balance between player freedom and a guided narrative. The game master also ensures that they don’t force players into specific actions or decisions.
In Sunderfolk, the game emphasizes that players have freedom to develop their characters’ motivations without interference from the game master. This means that player characters remain silent during the game. Instead, each non-player character is voiced by a single individual who also serves as the narrator, guiding the action and presenting the player characters’ decisions. Notably, Anjali Bhimani, a renowned voice actress known for her roles in Overwatch and Apex Legends, takes on both the role of narrator and game master in Sunderfolk.
As a passionate gamer, the idea that caught my interest the most about this job was the unique concept behind the game. When Chris from Dreamhaven reached out to me, we had a chat and he shared their vision for the project – essentially, they wanted to revolutionize game night for families and gamers worldwide by merging the effortless appeal of video games with the collaborative nature of tabletop games. I could relate to their struggle in getting friends to play traditional tabletop RPGs due to setup complexity and numerous rules. Their approach of creating an open-book test, where you don’t have to worry about all the rules, truly resonated with me. Sometimes, even that doesn’t convince everyone, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Marek stated, “We were seeking someone with expertise in the tabletop role-playing game (RPG) field. It’s challenging to articulate, but there’s a distinct quality when you’re narrating versus conversing with friends at a table. Those who play tabletop RPGs seem to grasp this difference instinctively because they’ve encountered it often enough. When we evaluated our script, we found instances where the narrator is merely a narrator, but there are also parts where they emulate a game master talking to their party at a table, and it’s tough to discern these transitions without being familiar with this domain.
Prior to our recording session, I requested a meeting with the team to preview all characters I would be voicing. This way, we could plan out the voices, and I could mentally prepare which voices I should use for each character. It wasn’t about perfecting each voice individually, but rather finding their unique places in my vocal range to ensure they were distinct from one another. You never know if all five characters will appear together in a single scene, right? We wanted to make sure that each voice sounded different. By examining all of the characters, we could determine which ones would be more prominent and interact with each other more frequently.
Even if you’re flying solo and can’t gather a crew for an old-school gaming session over Discord, fear not! Sunderfolk is designed for cooperative gameplay, but it can still be enjoyed alone. It might not be the optimal experience, but it’s definitely possible. To ensure everyone gets a taste of this game, we’ve made sure that you need to manage at least two heroes. You can’t just choose one hero to play solo. Instead, you control two characters simultaneously. And here’s the best part: if you start playing alone and someone else joins later, or leaves, you can simply take over their character. This flexibility ensures that even if something unexpected happens during your campaign, you can carry on playing without any hassle.
Sunderfolk is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC in 2025.
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2024-12-14 01:09