Sunderfolk Plays Like A Long Lost Edition Of Dungeons And Dragons
One of the joys of tabletop gaming is the socialization aspect. Yes, you're telling a story playing Dungeons and Dragons, but you're also hanging out with your friends. A lot of memories get made during the downtime moments before, during and after the game session.
The same can be said for what are now called 'couch co-op' games. I built a lot of friendships during long sessions of Goldeneye, HALO and Super Smash Brothers. Games like Overcooked and Quiplash continue this fine tradition.
Sunderfolk, from Dreamhaven and their in-house studio Secret Door, brings these two aspects of gaming together for a game full of slightly silly adventures with very strong game play. They provided me with a review code for this article. I played the game with my family on our Nintendo Switch
Sunderfolk is a dungeon crawling adventure game where between one and four players get together to venture out of their sleepy little town to go on grand adventures. Players choose and customize a character and engage in short, tactical battles through an evolving story. Each character has their own strengths and as they evolve players can customize them to better fit their playstyle.
The console or computer running the game handles most of the things a Dungeon Master does such as enemies and developing the plot. Players control their characters via an app available for smartphones and tablets. Much like the games designed by Jackbox, players simply scan a QR code or enter a short one into the app and their device is connected, ready to play.
A lot of my fellow reviewers have compared Sunderfolk to being 'Jackbox, but D&D' It's an apt comparison because using someone's phone as their character sheet/action deck is very clever and removes a lot of the complexity in play. If a player is ever unsure about their next move, it's easy to quietly study options while other people take their turns.
There have been a few tabletop games that use an app as a central component to a game like this. Many of them stumble because they can't find the right balance of automated efficiency and narrative flexibility. Sunderfolk has an excellent balance between silly storytelling and serious mechanics.
Playing the game reminded me of my time playing D&D Fourth Edition. That version of the game focused on becoming a tactical, balanced board game. While it did that very well, many players thought it lost the storytelling flexibility that makes so many memorable D&D stories.
Here, the tightness of the tactical game shines. It's genuinely thrilling when the players coordinate their attacks and take out a threat as a team. I loved it when we were able to push, pull and bounce a bad guy around the battlefield before they had a chance to act.
The storytelling side of things also works well. It's just important enough for it to matter to the players but also full of goofy voices and opportunities for players to customize things. Anjali Bhimani provides all the voices needed to carry the tale forward with a wry tone that makes you think she's trying not to laugh at the awful names you've given her characters.
I recommend Sunderfolk for anyone who wants a taste of the D&D experience without getting wrapped up in the logistics. That includes the dice curious, gaming group that struggle to get the full crew together and board gamers who want a taste of role playing. This is also a great game for nerd families to get together and play for an adventure or two after dinner but before bed.
Sunderfolk is available now for Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch.
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