The upcomingSunderfolkpromises to offer a fantasy RPG experience through a wholly unique means. Inspired by TTRPGs,Sunderfolk’s hybrid gameplay will open the door to a rich world and a varied range of character classes.
Sunderfolkaspires to translate the atmosphere oftabletop RPGs likeD&Dinto the world of video games. Using a phone-controller setup, one designed to replicate the at-the-table TTRPG experience,Sunderfolkwill fill its tactical RPG base with many of the trappings of a tabletop experience. Game Rant sat down with a few devs working onSunderfolk—including game director Erin Marek, campaign designer Kara Centell-Dunk, studio head Chris Sigaty, character designer Xavier Gordon, narrative designer Neo Zhang, and art director Darren Bader—who spoke about how the world and classes of the game have been brought to life.
The World of Sunderfolk Explained
Q: How deep does the lore ofSunderfolkgo? Will players see everything the world has to offer, or is this just a fragment of a larger setting?
Marek:Sunderfolkcovers just one animal settlementin the Sunderlands and its surrounding neighbors. But the world ofSunderfolkis something we’ve been very passionate about building as a team, and our first game only shows a portion of what might be out there!
When it comes to lore beyond the boundaries of Arden—the city the game takes place in—we drop references to two other animal cities known as Winter’s Nest and Saltshore. Talking to the denizens of Arden and reading the combat prompts that sometimes appear will give lore-seeking players more hints and tidbits about the world and even a rare comment or two about a long-ago event, known as the Sundering, which caused everyone to flee underground. We left a few mysteries unsolved, with hopes of hinting at the larger world and future potential within the Sunderlands.
Q: How heavily willSunderfolklean into TTRPG tropes?
Marek:When makingSunderfolk, there was a goal to reference the kinds of tropes you’d see in the classic fantasy TTRPG settings, but with our own twist to the expected. Our animal heroes are a great example of that!
The fantasy community has been going through a reckoning when it comes to the way that some historical tropes and staples of the genre can be harmful representations. InSunderfolk, we tried to stay very cognizant of these pitfalls while still remaining thoughtful about tropes that would feel familiar.
We tried to make these tropes our own by thinking about how they would exist in our world and what makes them different in the Sunderlands. The largest elements were the underground setting and animal creatures, both of which were used as a layer of differentiation when adjusting the tropes to fit withinthe world ofSunderfolk.
Q: Lore-wise, how would you define the “magic system” ofSunderfolk?
Marek:The world ofSunderfolkexists as a fantastical-medieval setting, where magic is plentiful in the natural world but not well understood by the inhabitants. While our heroes are empowered with unique skills that verge on magical, most animals do not have the same capabilities.
Magic is mystical and empowered in part by belief, which is why the Brightshard is at the core of faith and life in Arden. To those more informed and in the realm of magical study, there are several categorizations of magic: Arcane (studied magic like the Arcanist) vs. Innate (born with magic like the Pyromancer) vs Mystics (powered by belief like the Life Tree). While this doesn’t play a major role in the story of Sunderfolk, there are a few folks in town who can give a bit more context about this world-building point, such as Evelyn the puffin!
Q: There are a few features that get the players involved in the world, like the ability to name certain creatures. Can you talk about storytelling features akin to this in the game and what they add to the experience?
Marek:Naming things is one of those features that plays a dual role in the player experience. On one hand, it provides a moment of social levity for groups, where they can create in-jokes and leave little fun secrets for other players to discover. On the other hand, for those highly invested in the world, it provides an opportunity to contribute to it and build within its confines something unique to their experience.
A similar system in the game is the ability to build affinity with the Sunderfolk in Arden. You can begin to build relationships and feel like your hero is truly part of the village. That immersion can be meaningful to certain types of players and help them feel a greater sense of purpose and place in the plot. For others, it’s also a nice way to gain rewards and get more context about the world and stories within it.
Q: How many different enemy types are inSunderfolk? Given its underground setting, were there any unexpected challenges for enemy design and variety?
Centell-Dunk:There are fourteen types of common enemies and three boss monsters inSunderfolk. We also made a few enemies that are unique to certain encounters. So we really have a wealth of enemy types and combinations for players to test their skills against.
A lot of our enemy types relate to the specific environments players experience in the game. Those environments get delightfully different from each other, so our enemies do too. So I’d say no, the setting didn’t create unexpected challenges for enemy design. I think it let us get specific about what kinds of creatures might stand in the player’s way.
Q: Can you discuss the boss fight approach toSunderfolk? How do they differ from the other objectives/missions in the game?
Centell-Dunk:I really wanted bosses to feel scary and powerful, since they were going to be the target of an entire hero party. I also wanted bosses to increase the amount of strategizing players had to do together to be successful.
Throughout the game, in a round, all players take their turns, then all the monsters take their turns. This approach lets players collaborate with each other fluidly. Boss fights change this dynamic because the boss activates after each player takes a turn, instead of during the monster phase. It makes bosses more reactive, forcing players to more often change up their strategy on the fly as the boss takes actions around the board. Since the boss takes repeated turns, collaboration is just as necessary to save your friends from repeated attacks as it is to build up an attack together and let loose.
In turn-based, multiplayer games, it can be a real risk that a boss gets surrounded and attacked multiple times before they can take a turn; these interlacing turns keep bosses threatening no matter the hero count.
Unlike most other monsters, bosses also have multiple skill cards and use some decision-making logic to choose which to play on each of their turns. This makes them feel smart and threatening, and switching skills keeps the fight from growing repetitive, since boss monsters also have high health values.
The NPCs of Sunderfolk
Q: Can you speak to the NPCs of Arden a little bit? Who are the most important NPCs, and unrelated to them, who are your favorite smaller NPCs? What can you tell us about them?
Marek:The denizens of Arden are colorful and varied! We really tried to think about various archetypes and match them with animals that symbolically fit. Two of the most important characters in Arden are the Grove Tender and Sinclair. The Grove Tender is a wise, old tortoise who is the spiritual and political leader of Arden. She takes care of the Life Tree. The heroes are her guardians, and she is effectively their boss. The other is Sinclair, who is a pillar of the town, running and operating the local tavern. He’s also a mole who has some shadier criminal activities, namely smuggling. He’s a big proponent of the heroes and one of the most connected animals with the other factions.
Beyond those two, there are many other amazing characters to meet and befriend, including a nervous yet noble guard bug, a spicy and spoiled penguin, and an entrepreneurial artificer puffin. Personally, one of my favorites is a much smaller character, the hare. I don’t have a name to give because part of their story is how much they forget their name and the names of their numerous family members. They’re hilarious to interact with and rife with lots of naming opportunities!
There are also some characters you can strike up a romance with. So many favorites here, but the non-spoiler one I’ll mention is Zuri the dancer dog. She’s a real tsundere, and I love her for it.
[Spoiler warning]But among all the characters, my absolute favorite is Wurmsbait. He’s part of the ogre faction and joins a bit later in the plot, and for as many layers as he has to him, he’s also just a jock with four arms.
Q: With gameplay centering around defending a town, the town naturally needs to have a rich population of NPCs. How do you ensure the players connect with the NPCs and are motivated to care for them and defend them?
Gordon:We strive to have NPCs with big personalities so they come across as such when interacting with them in missions and speaking to them in town. Every NPC in town has a lot going on, and you can learn more about them by talking to them. We hope seeing their hopes, dreams, and quirks will make them and Arden feel like a living, breathing place that players want to stay and defend. I always have to check on Amaia to make sure her stinker of an uncle hasn’t gotten up to no good, and then I go check on him just to rub it in his beak.
Q: Mechanically, can you speak to the role that Arden plays in the gameplay loop? Can you also speak to the various locations within Arden, their role in the story, and how players unlock/improve them?
Zhang:As the central hub, Arden is where players can catch their breath between missions, spend hard-earned gold to upgrade gear, and build deeper connections with the charming denizens. As players progress, they can unlock and upgrade ten unique locations using gold and trinkets. These upgrades don’t just offer new features—they unlock NPC conversations, combat benefits, Fate Cards, and bonus content that enrich both the story and the gameplay.
The first of these is the Temple, where the Grove Tender watches over the Life Tree. It’s a sacred space that preserves the stories of the Heroes of Old and the rich history of Arden itself. Arden’s Gate, guarded by the stalwart Treak and his loyal companion Chirp, acts as the frontline defense, keeping threats beyond the light of the Brightshard out.
The Post Office, run by a hummingbird named Hermea, takes mail delivery very seriously, and ensures that everything gets to where it needs to go—on time, every time. It’s also where players can send and receive items and gold from each other. At the Workshop, players can upgrade and enhance their trinkets. Overseen by Evelyn, a caring puffin with big dreams, the Workshop is where Arden’s signature magic items are crafted.
The Smithy, run by the soft-spoken but courageous pangolin Zihao, is where powerful, one-of-a-kind weapons are forged. Each piece is made with care and has the potential to drastically shift the outcome of a tough mission in the Sunderlands. The Tavern, managed by the business-savvy mole Sinclair, offers a menu of luxurious meals that grant powerful combat bonuses. It’s also a beloved gathering place where Arden’s residents come to relax and connect.
As players meet more characters from beyond Arden, the Market becomes a bustling hub for trade, where players can purchase unique trinkets. Docked on the eastern side of town is the Oracle, a mysterious boat where Arden’s residents—and players—can have their fates read. It’s also the go-to spot for unlocking new Fate Cards that can shift your fortunes in future battles. For those with an eye for fashion, the Clothier offers customization options through chroma—because if you’re going to save the world, you might as well look great doing it.
Finally, the Bridge connects Arden’s east and west sides and serves as a record of all the characters you’ve interacted with so far. It’s also where you’re able to check your Affinity levels and track how close you’ve grown to each resident.
Q: Overall, how would you describe the town of Arden?
Bader:Hopefully, the cozy vibe of Arden makes players care about the townsfolk and want to keep them safe.
Sigaty:Arden is a very special part of the game. To me, what the artists achieved is nothing short of amazing. It’s a beautiful representation of the place the characters come from and is perhaps the single most important glimpse into the Sunderlands in the entire game. It’s like a living diorama that I still get blown away by when I stop and take it all in.
How Sunderfolk’s Classes Take Inspiration From Games Like D&D
Q: When designing the classes, did any particular tabletop system influence them the most?
Gordon:We drewa lot of inspiration fromD&Dwhen designing the core of a class because it’s a system that a lot of players (and ourselves) are familiar with. The idea that the Bard is a flamboyant support or that the Berserker is a straightforward frontliner will be recognizable to aD&Dplayer.
That said, not every class was inspired byD&D, like the explosive little Pyromancer. We also put a spin on existing classes like the Ranger to make them feel more collaborative in our gameplay environment.
Q: How did you decide which animals would represent each class in the game?
Bader:The variety of species in the animal kingdom offers many options for emphasizing each class. A huge polar bear as the Berserker or a graceful antelope as the Ranger are two examples of how we connected the animal’s characteristics with their class.
Arcanist
Q: What’s the driving player fantasy behind the Arcanist?
Centell-Dunk:Do you want to be a cool wizard? Do you want to outsmart, outplan, and outpower your enemies? Does the phrase “glass cannon” intrigue you? Then the Arcanist just might be for you. The player fantasy is a studied spellcaster archetype, right down to the character’s bespectacled glasses getting that anime-style threatening shine in their ultimate animation.
Q: Arcanist is one of the most complex classes, one with a mana pool. Why was this an important element to the Arcanist?
Centell-Dunk:The additional mana cost lets the Arcanist’s skills tap into more powerful or strange abilities. These abilities, were they able to be played every round like other heroes’ skill cards, would be game-breaking. By tapping into skills with varying power levels, players can feel more like reality-bending wizards who can do powerful things—at a cost.
The varied mana costs also reflect the idea of different levels of spell casting in the wizard fantasy of having many spells to choose from: you have the experience of basic spells (low mana) versus advanced spells (high mana). I mean this fondly as an Arcanist main myself, but wizards are also one of the more nerd-coded spellcasting classes. So the practical effect of having mana is the feeling of a wizard doing calculations and planning ahead, which is quite fitting.
Bard
Q: What’s the driving player fantasy behind the Bard?
Marek:The Bard can do a bit of it all, and perhaps most importantly, they’ll look good doing it. A real master of none, they’re the most support-pilled class in the game for those who want to set their friends up and be the orchestrator of some amazing plays for their allies! Plus…they’re a bat! In a cute little cropped tuxedo. With a butterfly lute.
Q: In some games, support magic can be the difference between life and death. What can you say about the role of support magic in the Bard class and how essential it is to any Sunderfolk party?
Marek:So much of the game is balanced on this thin wire of having nearly exactly enough to do the thing you want to do, but with one push or shove being able to turn that into an epic play, or having just a little under what you need to pull off your spectacular plan.
This space is where the Bard shines. Their buffs and repositioning abilities make that almost-possible plan possible! They provide the boost needed, the extra wiggle room to overcome elements of risk or unpredictability, or can set up the positioning of units to capitalize on the other classes' higher damage skills.
Bard, even as a support, has useful skills that keep you and your party alive long enough to get the enemies before they get you. In larger group sizes, this can be critical in helping manage numerous enemies, and in smaller groups, it can help get the objective completed faster, especially in harder difficulties when racing against the round timer. I’d also note that the Bard at its base is simple enough for most folks to pick up even if they aren’t familiar with the genre, but has a surprising level of depth and tactical skill that will make it that much more powerful in the hands of experienced players. I’d highly recommend the Bard for groups playing with three to four heroes, or for those who have a lot of experience in the genre and want to facilitate their friends having a great time playing their respective heroes!
Berserker
Q: What’s the driving player fantasy behind the Berserker?
Gordon:Do you enjoy smashing things with your bear—ahem—bare hands or giant hammer? Do you want to stand firm, shielding your allies, as your puny opponents break themselves upon you? Then the Berserker is the character for you. The Berserker is a straightforward frontline tank that soaks damage to become more powerful. They’re capable of withstanding multiple attacks in a single turn and offer utility to the team by throwing heroes and enemies around. They capture the “unstoppable force” archetype of players who just want to become enormous juggernauts by the end of the campaign—and I’m definitely one of them.
Q: Simplicity is often a driving factor behind melee-based tabletop classes (Barbarian, Fighter, etc.). Does that apply to the Berserker as well, and if so, how did you ensure that its simplicity is still fun compared to other classes?
Gordon:What’s fun? Smashing fools with a giant hammer. Getting stronger when your foes dare to attack you. The Berserker is a straightforward class, but that allows us to better focus their abilities down to their most fun aspects: smash, charge, throw! The Berserker has utility tools at their disposal just as the other classes, but their game plan is often simplified. They don’t have to worry about pesky mana, firepower, or spacing; all they have to concern themselves with is their Rage.
Pyromancer
Q: What’s the driving player fantasy behind the Pyromancer?
Zhang:Do you enjoy unleashing explosive fireballs with massive destructive power—while looking cool and cute doing it? Why settle for tactics and plans when you can incinerate your problems… and accidentally create a few more in the process?
That’s the Pyromancer for you—a fiery bundle of joy and chaos, harnessing the raw power of flames to roast foes to a crisp. If you’re the kind of player, like me, who fires first and worries later, this is the hero for you. With sky-high damage and a flair for turning battlefields into fire and chaos, the Pyromancer is your ticket to glorious mayhem!
Q: Can you talk a little bit about the differences between the Pyromancer and the Arcanist as the damage-dealing spellcasting classes?
Zhang:The Arcanist is like that friend who treats spellcasting like doing taxes—carefully planning every move, managing mana, and positioning everyone perfectly. They’re always thinking 10 steps ahead.
The Pyromancer? Total chaos bringer. Their strategy is usually “set everything on fire and hope for the best.” They deal massive damage, but their actions usually leave the battlefield covered in flames—sometimes helpful, sometimes a big problem.
Ranger
Q: What’s the driving player fantasy behind the Ranger?
Gordon:Do you want to snipe your foes from across the battlefield, splitting the bullseye down the middle? Are you at one with nature and want to twist its roots to snare your enemies? Are you the strategist in your party who loves it when a plan comes together?
The Ranger is a long-range attacker and support class, capable of dealing high single-target damage and laying traps to catch enemies and boost allies. They have an approachable kit, but have the greatest effect when wielded by a strategic player who can consistently activate their passive by staying back from enemies and utilize their unique supportive abilities by manipulating the map. Play the Ranger if you want to make a targeted impact, like an arrow in flight.
Q: The Ranger seems to fulfill tons of possible party roles (weakening enemies, powerful bow attacks). Would it seem fair to say that the Ranger is the jack-of-all-trades class? If so/not, why?
Gordon:The Ranger is a versatile class, but like every class, they have specialities. The Ranger’s speciality is dealing high single-target damage, and in lieu of that, debuffing or trapping opponents for their team to follow up on. The Ranger, like the Arcanist, is allowed to have a little more power in their kit because they must position carefully and always be aware of their surroundings to get the best out of their abilities and avoid being attacked. Think of them when it’s time to tackle a big boss!
Rogue
Q: What’s the driving player fantasy behind the Rogue?
Gordon:Are the shadows your friend? Do you pick the perfect chance to strike, always staying one step ahead? Are you a playmaker who never misses an opportunity to show your skills? Then the Rogue is a great match for you.
The Rogue inSunderfolkis primarily a shadowy assassin, excelling at dealing devastating damage from the shadows. The Rogue has several tools at their disposal to navigate the battlefield, but they must always return to the shadows to gain the ability to evade enemy attacks and dispatch their foes. Players familiar with the genre and those who embrace the shadow’s call will make the best use of the Rogue’s high-risk, high-reward playstyle while playing on the knife’s edge.
Q: Can you talk about the mobility aspect of the Rogue class? How does that help it stand out from the other classes? What makes it a good melee pick over the Berserker for some players?
Gordon:The Rogue is one of two characters who can teleport, allowing them to cross walls and barriers, and they are the only character who can dodge entire attacks, making them a great situational frontliner. Unlike the Berserker, the Rogue can only dodge one attack at a time, so they will need to be more strategic about their engagements than the Berserker.
The Rogue, however, boasts high mobility and higher damage output than even the Ranger. Parties who can bolster the Rogue with a secondary tank or supportive effects will make great use of the Rogue’s dodge ability and incredible damage. As their mustelid form would imply, the Rogue isn’t as bulky as the bear, but they are ultimately much more flexible in both combat and team comps.
Q: Overall, can you speak to the complexity of each class?
Centell-Dunk:Overall, the spread of complexities between classes is there to appeal to different types of players. The Berserker is probably our most straightforward class (hit and get hit), followed closely by the Ranger (stand far away and hit).
Then it’s probably the Pyromancer (collect fire and attack using different hex shapes). I’d say Bard (support other heroes) and Rogue (sneak around and do big damage) are pretty similar, but I’d give the edge on simplicity to the Bard. I think having access to healing makes any mistakes made during play more forgiving, whereas the Rogue’s stealthiness only prevents damage and has to be maintained more. Then, of course, our most complex is the Arcanist (gather mana and spend it to cast skills), who has access to some of the zaniest effects in the game and has to factor mana into their turns.
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