Intro and Gameplay
Full disclosure here, I am not much of a TTRPG player. Yes, I’ve been dabbling on and off for years with various DnD type computer games ranging from casual to semi hardcore. Yes, I’ve just recently delved into my first foray into a live DnD game from a very good DM that filled the room with sound effect, music, and the perfect mood to fit a killer atmosphere that spoiled me from the start. So, when I recently dove in with the dev team at GDC and got my hands on experience with Sunderfolk, I was already pretty much sold. Playing the full game alone and with friends, really sealed the deal. Sunderfolk is not only the new gold standard for co-op RPGs, it’s a game changer for new and seasoned TTRPG players as well
With the ability to play 1-4 players either local or remote is just the icing on the cake. You can even play solo while controlling 2 players in game. All the interactions and controls are via a mobile app which I rolled my eyes at during our first introduction but quickly saw how intuitive and polished the experience was. The interactions with friends, enemies, the environments, treasures and more are an absolute delight. A big part of the fun is discovering the game for yourself so I will leave it at this. Sunderfolk is like a warm, cozy cup of tea wrapped on a cold day. It’s just absolutely stellar.
Graphics and Audio
If you can’t tell by the trailer above, Sunderfolk is chock full of charm and stylized graphics which not only calls back the devs’ roots but introduces a glorious new direction in this simple yet effective art style. Bright colors and animation really pop and I loved every character and background in the game. A beautiful work of art that shines in every moment.
Audio is also a treat with the DM narrating and voicing everything in the game. If there are game awards for voice acting, she wins. Everything in the audio department here is just polished to a shine. Music, sound effects, and especially the voice acting are top notch.
Feedback and Verdict
I don’t have many complaints about Sunderfolk but I did a have a few issues while directly scanning the QR code to launch the apps. I found that launching the app first and then scanning directly worked better than going through my iPhone camera first. Also, some of the move items during drawing a card slows down the action a bit but that’s a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.
Overall Sunderfolk is a triumph for gamers everywhere. It’s a bright light in an increasingly dark world. While that may seem a bit hyperbolic, I would argue its exactly what we need in the world today. It’s light, fun, polished, and has the ability to bring people together whether all in the same room or on a couch across the world. If Sunderfolk is any indication, the future of Dreamhaven is bright indeed.