Sunderfolk, from aged World of Warcraft boss, is streamlined tabletop D&D by Closing Myth Crystal Chronicles and some is hidden on your cell

Video games have drawn considerable inspiration from tabletop games for a long time, but recently we have observed this trend reversing. Numerous tabletop adaptations exist for various video games, but the abundance of unique character cards and tokens, long setup durations, and extensive campaigns can make them less convenient to enjoy.

Sunderfolk aims to change this dynamic by bringing the experience to a larger screen (via PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S) while allowing controls through your mobile device. It resembles a streamlined D&D campaign reminiscent of Square Enix‘s ill-fated Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. The developer, Dreamhaven, hopes this will transform your cozy game nights.

Dreamhaven was founded by former Blizzard executive Mike Morhaime, renowned for his contributions to the MMORPG World of Warcraft. The company is composed of two studios, Moonshot and Secret Door, and features an array of former Blizzard employees, with Sunderfolk being developed by the latter. In short, there is an abundance of expertise here to ensure the game’s success.

Accessibility is fundamental to the game. It features animal characters to ensure appeal across various communities, along with mobile controls. You simply download an accompanying app, scan a QR code displayed on the TV, and you’ll be connected to the game with personalized information on your own screen. Gameplay on the TV is controlled through swipes and taps across touch-screen menus that felt intuitively responsive during my hands-on session at the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

Together with two of the game’s developers, we quickly dove into a turn-based battle against a horde of goblin foes. This mission required us to eliminate a specific number of enemies, although other mission types will include tower defense and more puzzle-oriented challenges like helping a certain character escape. Initially, however, we needed to choose a class. Three options were available: the berserker (essentially, a bear), the bard (a musical bat), and a ranger (a nimble deer). Each option possesses its own set of abilities represented by cards, meaning players must strategically fine-tune their deck ahead of combat.

Interestingly, unlike many other tabletop games, Sunderfolk doesn’t rely on dice rolls; instead, players need to incorporate fate cards into their setup. These cards are randomly selected after each ability card is played for additional effects, both beneficial and detrimental. This could modify the damage dealt or introduce location effects to attacks, adding a new layer to the deck-building process—perhaps a fate card will reduce damage, while another might align perfectly with your chosen strategy, making such cards pivotal to gameplay.

The developers are fostering cooperation through some clever design choices. Not only are ability cards private on each player’s phone, but there’s no initiative roll like in D&D (or Baldur’s Gate 3, for a video game reference). Instead, it’s up to players to communicate and attack in any order they prefer, based on strategy. Every ability card consists of a sequence of actions, including movement and attacks, that must be executed in order. Consequently, players need to discuss the team’s movement plan during their turn to optimally synergize abilities. Simply swipe up on a card to activate it, then use the touch screen to draw a path for movement or target across the game’s hex-based maps. There’s also a cursor to hover over the area, or simply get up from the couch and point at the screen the traditional way.

I selected to play as the bard, whose abilities generate musical notes that can enhance the health, defense, and attacks of other players. Thus, it became crucial to strategize our moves to create these buffs, enabling the robust berserker to restore health, or the ranger to reap attack enhancements before sniping from afar. Additional classes may be integrated into the final version of the game, offering even more synergies. And with the swift pace of the gameplay…