Tabletop games and video games have always had an interesting, close-knit relationship. Some of the earliest RPGs adapted tabletop mechanics into digital form, and the importance of these mechanics and these worlds is obvious to this day.Baldur’s Gate 3is a prime example of a fantastic modern video game adopting tabletop mechanics, but at the end of the day, it is clearly a video game. It is understandably difficult, if not outright impossible, to recreate a genuine tabletop experience in a video game or to recreate a video game experience in a tabletop game. However,Sunderfolk’s approach to the world of video games and tabletop games blurs that line like none other before. ForGame Rant Advance, we spoke with several developers at Secret Door about the world and game design ofSunderfolk.
Not only doesSunderfolkhave something to offer fans of tabletop and video games, but it has its own unique worldbuilding and lore that is hopefully expanded over the game’s lifecycle. On the surface,Sunderfolkmay seem like a simplistic turn-based tactical RPG, but digging deeper reveals how well-designed all aspects of the Sunderlands are. Of course, we couldn’t help but ask about its unique game feel that takes the best of modern tabletop and video game design and recreates them in new ways.
Game Rant Advance Speakers
Your Mobile Device is Your Character Sheet, Your Guidebook, Etc.
The entire design ofSunderfolkfeels like it is geared toward a tabletop game, but with a video game presentation. The way players engage with the story, each other, and the various NPCs takes the best moments of playing at the table and gives them a makeover. As any tabletop fan knows, a session can often consist of little plot development, a few derailing moments, and plenty of shenanigans.Sunderfolkcaters to that exactly, while also paying homage to the classics in its class design and adopting anewcomer-friendly look and UI. That also means eliminating one of the worst effects tabletop games can have on new players: information overload.
One major way, though not the only, thatSunderfolkaccomplishes this specific game feel is its unique control scheme: your phone. It is a creative way to distill all the information a player needs before them, while also encouraging them to interact with the other players in tabletop ways. Players are encouraged to speak with one another and decide how to tackle combat together; while the game unfolds before them on a screen, their unique character abilities, Fate Decks, gear, and so forth are also handily available. Overcoming information overload is important, with Arshad speaking to how balance was often done so by asking: “Is this something that should be collaborated on or specific to the player?” She also added,
“For instance, we initially assumed that all combat information should exist on the main screen because combat is a collaborative activity. This approach made it difficult for players to remember what every monster did and limited the complexity of our game mechanics immensely. The game’s potential really opened up when we introduced the Mission Guide on the personal screen. Players can asynchronously reference what every character or object does on the board without interfering with their party’s experience.”
Now,Sunderfolkis not the first game to integrate amobile device into gameplay, and for various reasons, some would-be players may be hesitant about this “mobile device as a controller” approach. That description isn’t necessarily accurate though. It feels better to describe it as a “mobile device as your character sheet” approach. After all, it feels less like a controller and more like a valuable tabletop resource.
Once upon a time, tabletop players may have had to dig through various resources books to find certain rules. One big piece of advice then was to follow DM discretion and brush up on rules later, but now, any rule can easily be found with a quick internet search. It’s the right amount of information in the palm of your hands without needlessly digging throughresource booksfor an obscure rule. That’s exactly how it works forSunderfolktoo. When engaging in combat, all the info you need forSunderfolkabilities is on your mobile device as part of your “character sheet.” Movement? On your mobile device as part of your “character sheet.” DM passing a note just for your character? An alert on your mobile device as part of “your character sheet.” Reference pages from character sheets are gone, andSunderfolkprovides info players need when they need it. It doesn’t feel like playing a video game and replacing a traditional keyboard or controller; it feels like playing a tabletop game, one with all the strengths of a video game, with a well-maintained, all-in-one character sheet and guidebook.
The way the mobile device is integrated into the world ofSunderfolkmakes it feel asimmersive as the best tabletop and video games. Players can receive alerts that their character has noticed something, which they can then choose to share with their party…or not. Some players will be able to name enemies, which is a great way to leave their mark on their world ofSunderfolkor make a joke with your friends. Players can also build relationships with NPCs to similar effects. Speaking to the ways thatSunderfolkimmerses its players, Marek explained,
“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.”
The Secret Door devs also understand that some players may be initially put off by the idea of using a mobile device to play a standard video game. To those players, Sigaty said,
“We understand that some people initially are skeptical of the idea of phone controls, and that’s a challenge that we have to keep working to overcome. What we’ve found is once people give the phone controller a chance, they understand just how powerful it can be. One of my favorite comments from our recent Closed Beta was someone commenting on the fact that they were playing Sunderfolk as a family, and, for the first time in recent history, they were seeing the phone used in a positive way for social, in-person interaction. Those are exactly the sorts of moments we’re trying to create, and the phone controller really helps enable that.”
A Community of Storytelling
Of course, how the mobile device creates this “at the table” feel is only one part of the equation. All of this is in service to the greater world and storytelling ofSunderfolk. This is normally where a lot of video games andtabletop gamesdiverge because of the medium. In tabletop, your character can say whatever you desire; in video games, you are limited by dialogue options or on-screen text as but one example. That’s true enough for Sunderfolk too, but it continues to bring that barrier down in fun ways.
For example, there is aGame Master inSunderfolkplayed by Anjali Bhimani(Symmetra inOverwatch, Rampart inApex Legends), who is a staple in the tabletop community. She plays every character, giving them each their own little voices as a DM might instead of simply playing different characters. She is guiding players through this experience, as a real-world DM or GM would, and it invites that same sense of community and storytelling common in the tabletop space. Players are limited, of course, in what they can do on-screen, but when playing together, they can add all the intensity or levity they like. The character classes are essentially blank slates, so players can step into the minds of these characters the same way they can theirDungeons and Dragonscharacters. This approach also applied to the art style of these characters, of Arden, and of the Sunderlands. As Bader explained,
“We spent quite a bit of time exploring traditional dungeon crawling characters and styles, but wanted something a little more accessible and lighthearted. So we landed on a style with a touch of humor and a cozy vibe, balanced with a little bit of grit and atmosphere to keep the stakes palpable.”
InSunderfolk, players live in an underground world known as the Sunderlands where every sentient being is some form ofanthropomorphic animal. The village of Arden, under the protection of the Life Tree, is their home. Both Arden and the Life Tree find themselves under threat by Ogres, seemingly led by an Ogre Queen. That very plot speaks to the simple origins and importance of community often seen in tabletop games. That, and of course,Sunderfolkbegins in a tavern. It’s a simple tale of good versus evil, and minus the murder hobos of the tabletop world, that speaks to the essence of tabletop games.
It’s a world where players becomes heroes instead of just playing them, and in the world ofSunderfolk, players become those heroes too. The animal approach also helps fulfill one of the oldest but noblest of tabletop tropes: there’s going to be something cute, an offhand NPC, that must be protected at all costs. That’s not to say, however, that Sunderfolk relies on all common tabletop tropes. As Marek said,
“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!…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 within the world ofSunderfolk.”
Arden’s Mightiest Heroes
To protect Arden, players will embark on quests, upgrade and improve the town, befriend NPCs for rewards, and fine-tune their builds (Fate Decks, useable items, and equipment). Arden, meanwhile, serves as a hub and home for the players. They’ll encounter and meet NPCs, with The Grove Tender and Sinclair arguably being the most important characters. The Grove Tender (a tortoise) is the spiritual and political leader, responsible for the Life tree, and Sinclair (a mole) is a pillar of the town who runs the local tavern with seedier connections. Other NPCs include a noble guard bug, a spoiled penguin, an entrepreneurial puffin, and a hare who constantly forgets their own name and those of their family. By improving their standing with some NPCs, players may alsounlock a few romancessuch as one with Zuri, the dancer dog, who Marek describes as a “real tsundere.”
Arden is a home, but it also brings with it several engaging gameplay mechanics. Players are able to unlock and upgrade ten locations with gold and trinkets, for example. These locations open up new features, but they also unlock conversations, combat benefits, Fate Cards, and bonus content. Without going too far into spoilers, fans can expect to unlock and upgrade the following:
Summarizing Arden’s role in the game, Sigaty also added,
“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.”
Protect Arden
Centell-Dunk on Enemy Design & Variety
“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 lets us get specific about what kinds of creatures might stand in the player’s way.”
Centell-Dunk on Boss Fights
“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.”
Flores on Fate Decks
“Any good adventure has its ups and downs; the unpredictability of exactly when those moments happen is what makes the journey all the more fun. At its core, the Fate Deck is our opportunity to inject some chance into the gameplay during a critical moment: an attack and its damage. As part of an attack, you pull a Fate Card from your deck to modify the damage of an attack and even add additional effects. The randomness the Fate Deck provides guarantees that missions can never be “truly” solved: there is always a sense of risk — and hope — in your choices. Best-laid plans going awry and last-ditch efforts succeeding are some of the stories the Fate Deck helps create. To that end, we designed the Fate Deck to enforce a strict ratio of positive, negative, and neutral effects to provide those highs and lows in your quests throughout the Sunderlands.”
Gordon on Ultimate Abilities
“The approach behind determining the Ultimates was based on the class’ gameplay niche and fantasy. What does the character most want to do, and what does their team most want them to do? For the Pyromancer, the answer is simple — fire, fire, and more fire! The Ranger is also straightforward — snipe an enemy out of existence. For the Berserker, they want to tank for their team, and also make their team more tanky. The Arcanist wants to control the battlefield and prevent their team from being attacked, and the Rogue, well… they want to attack again, and again, until no one’s left standing. I hope these fantasies come across in the gameplay for maximum effect!”
Zhang on Trinkets
“Trinkets are items that let players add an extra action at any point after declaring their spell during an encounter. They open up new layers of strategy, either by synergizing with the player’s existing kit or acting as a clutch lifeline when health is low or things get intense. My favorite trinket has to be Chirp’s Whistle — it summons Chirp, the ever-determined Guard Bug, who jumps into the fight and battles alongside you.”
Gordon on Weapons
“Weapons definitely add a new layer of strategy to battles, allowing players to combo their abilities in new and interesting ways, or even react to enemies' abilities, changing the tide of battle, but only when the weapon activates. Weapons can activate from all kinds of things in battle, like taking damage or pushing enemies. Players will have to balance the weapon’s activation conditions with the weapon’s effect; a weapon that activates regularly won’t be as powerful as a weapon that only activates once or twice a battle. Select weapons that round out your team comp to beat tough battles and grant effects unavailable anywhere else. My favorite weapon is the Splatterspore, which allows me to gift my allies with Shrooms when they get walloped. Can I offer you a Shroom in this trying time?”
Become Your Hero
To complete all of this, players can choose between six classes, each sporting their own anthropomorphic animals. The beauty of this design is how much room there is to grow when adopting classic tabletop classes and giving them theSunderfolktwist. Personally, I hope to see aPaladin-style classwith an anthropomorphic lion some day, but the developers also have their own ideas: Sigaty wants another frontrunner class, while Gordon specifically wants a Wolf Warrior since he’s a Fighter main; Marek wants something more concretely Lizard-like; Centell-Dunk wants a round character, something like a hippo or a frog alchemist; and Flores wants to fulfill the gambler archetype, with a lucky creature like an elephant or rabbit. Those are all maybes and somedays, but the line-up ofSunderfolkclasses is already impressive.
Berserker (Bear)
TheBerserker is your Barbarian, who deals and takes damage on the frontline and protects the other party members. Fittingly, there is a rage mechanic for the Berserker. Their fantasy is pretty straightforward, but it is incredibly appealing, with Gordon explaining,
“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.”
NOTE: At a prior preview event,I played the Berserker classalongside a Screen Rant colleague who played Pyromancer and Marek who played a Bard. In one battle, I had lined up a way to get a bunch of gold for my character, who in my mind was very happy about that…just to have both the Pyromancer and the Bard take the gold before I could secure the bag, ensuring my poor Berserker would never trust again. I haven’t forgotten; it is a forever vendetta in my mind (playfully, of course).
Pyromancer (Salamander)
The Pyromancer is most akin to aDungeons and Dragons' sorcerer, one who focuses on elemental magic. They can spread flames around the battlefield and excel in area-of-effect magic, and they can buff themselves by stepping into their spreading fire. The Pryomancer is the kind of character who doesn’t really think about who else is in the room when casting fireball (if this wereDungeons and Dragons), with Zhang explaining,
“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!”
Ranger (Goat)
The Ranger taps into the world of Rangers andDruids inDungeons and Dragons. Not only are they able to deliver powerful ranged attacks, but they are capable of leveraging nature to debuff foes and support allies. They are a little bit of both worlds. Speaking to the Ranger’s gameplay fantasy, Gordon said,
“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.”
Rogue (Weasel)
Rogues are melee-focused characters who focus on delivering tons of damage and dipping out with their evasive abilities. They can also apply status effects, and of course, they have some gold-related abilities. An assassin at their heart, Gordon went into how players can expect the Rogue to play:
“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 in Sunderfolk is 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.”
Arcanist (Crow)
The Arcanist is your weird and one of the most complicated classes inSunderfolk, as they can control and manipulate the battlefield. They have a unique Mana mechanic that lets them deal damage, teleport friend and foe alike, and send out decoys, among otherWizard-like abilities. Speaking to the Arcanist’s key player fantasies, Centell-Dunk said,
“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.”
Bard (Bat)
The Bard, similar to theDungeons and Dragonsclassof the same name, uses music to deliver support magic. They can inspire, heal, and buff allies, while using repositoning abilities when a tactical retreat is necessary (…even if the Berserker doesn’t want to retreat). Luckily, it doesn’t seem this Bard will develop the same reputation asDungeons and Dragons’Bards. As Marek explained the Bard’s specific character fantasy,
“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.”
Rediscover Game Night
In many ways,Sunderfolkinherits 30+ years of tabletop and video game design. By taking more and more from the former and applying it to a video game, Secret Door is utilizing the strengths of both and removing their weaknesses. The end result is one of the most unique games of 2025. And it may not end there. WhileSunderfolkfocuses on the town of Arden, Marek spoke about two other existing animal cities known as Winter’s Nest and Saltshore. Players will have to check out the game to learn more, but it’s clear there’s more to the Sunderlands for players to speculate about and consider. Specifically, Marek said, “We left a few mysteries unsolved, with hopes of hinting at the larger world and future potential within the Sunderlands.”
Of course, it is the players who will defineSunderfolk’s legacy. It is the players who will engage in this digital community and expand into others. When Secret Door says one ofSunderfolk’s driving factors is for players to “rediscover game night,” it’s easy to also see how they approached reinventing it for players who love both facets of gaming.
