Sunderfolkwill be bringing TTRPG fans and novices alike together for a new digital experience inspired by tabletop fantasy. Dreamhaven’sSunderfolkwill also be taking advantage of mobile tech to deliver an asymmetrical gaming adventure, one that truly reflects being at the table.
Games likeBaldur’s Gate 3have been breaking new ground when it comes to translating TTRPG systems (such asD&D 5e) into the world of video games, butSunderfolkis taking a whole new approach.Sunderfolkis a class-based fantasy RPG where players use their phones as controllers, creating a digital equivalent to the character sheets of typical TTRPGs. Game Rant sat down withSunderfolk’s dev team—including game director Erin Marek, campaign designer Kara Centell-Dunk, studio head Chris Sigaty, and senior UX/UI designer Hasiba Arshad—who spoke more on creating the unique systems behind the title.
How Sunderfolk Will Turn Phones Into TTRPG Controllers
Sunderfolk’s Tabletop Inspirations
Q:Gloomhavenhas had a lot of influence onSunderfolk. Can you talk a little bit about that in concrete terms? In what ways hasGloomhavendirectly influenced decisions inSunderfolk?
Marek:We started makingSunderfolkbecause of our love of board games and TTRPGs. We spent timeplayingGloomhavenas a teamand thinking about what makes games in the tactics genre great, as well as the areas that can make it difficult for new players to get into these games. While I’m a huge board game fan, massive turn-based tactics video gamer, and have been game-mastering TTRPGs for 20 years, I found myself struggling to get friends committed to some of the bigger, more complex tactics turn-based board games. So that was always a voice in the back of our heads, reminding us to see not just what could be inSunderfolk, but how we could iterate those elements to entice those who normally would be intimidated by these kinds of games.
Very tangibly, we were inspired byability cards inGloomhaven. It was an elegant way to keep that board game feel inSunderfolkand lean into something that fans of the genre would be familiar with. But at the same time, we knew we wanted to take the spirit of these elements and try to simplify in the right places to make it faster to grok for new players. While some things inSunderfolkhopefully feel very familiar to a board game lover, we also hope we’ve struck the right balance of innovation and simplification to make those elements our own.
Q: What benefits of tabletop/board games did you feel were absolutely vital to capture inSunderfolk? Likewise, what trappings did you feel were vital to avoid?
Centell-Dunk:For me, some of the best parts of tabletop dungeon crawls are strategizing with my friends and the emergent moments of play where our senses of humor meet what’s happening in the game. It wasso important inSunderfolkto bring over opportunities for players to collaborate and build off one another, not just in the tactical sense but in storytelling, too. So you have a player’s skill combining with another player’s skill both stacking up against a challenging monster to create a fun tactical moment, but it’s made all the more sweet when you realize the big lug you’re fighting has been renamed “Evil Snot” by your friend.
One of the things we chose to leave behind from tabletop games is the need to know every rule at every moment. BecauseSunderfolkis a videogame, players can learn as they go more easily. As developers, we can create more reactive mechanics that will remind players of their existence when they’re relevant. Since the game can’t let players do things it wasn’t built to do, there’s no such thing as getting the rules wrong.
Q: Is there anything “new” that you hopeSunderfolksomewhat introduces into the tabletop/board space?
Centell-Dunk:For me, as both an avid tabletop designer and video game developer,I hopeSunderfolkcan introduce new playersto the tabletop and board game space. I hope there are people who play our love letter to tabletop dungeon crawlers and gain the confidence to try one themselves if they want to!
Sunderfolk’s TTRPG-Based Gameplay
Sunderfolk’s Classes
Q: For the less obvious classes, like Arcanist and Pyromancer, what would you say their closest analog class in a tabletop system is?
Marek:Arcanist is most similar to the feeling of playing a wizard. It has some quirky spells, it has to manage additional resources (mana), and it’s built with wizard players in mind! You’ll be able to do some tricky things if you play your cards right and access functionality that’s more niche and unique than some of the other classes.
Pyromancer is most similar to a sorcerer. It’s focused on high damage spells, especially area-of-effect damage. Pyro is also a little chaos gremlin, and that matches decently with most sorcerer players I’ve had the honor to game master for.
Q: For the other classes—Bard, Berserker, Ranger, and Rogue—what would you say their closest analog is system-wise? LikeD&D 5e,Pathfinder, etc?
Marek:Bard, Berserker, Ranger, and Rogue are most similar to their tabletop equivalents of the same name. Rogue is all about evading damage and dealing more damage when it’s in its evasion state, similar to how a rogue in most systems has a sneak attack state that, when triggered, provides extra damage and usually gets various dodge bonuses.Sunderfolk’s Rogue also has higher movementlike one might expect with a rogue class, but less expected is perhaps the skill card that engages with gold… playing more into its identity as a sort of “thief” class if you want to build your Rogue that way.
Berserker is a front-line tank that is begging to take a hit. Like its equivalent, it gains additional damage reduction and additional attack capabilities when it triggers its “rage” state. Unlike its equivalent though, we hope our Berserker gives a few more utility options than what someone in the class would typically see.
Ranger is definitely a ranger, but rangers can also occasionally have a mixed identity depending on the system. The Ranger inSunderfolkleans into the bow-wielding ranged attack expert who has also specced into a subclass that provides nice trap-based utility spells, more similar to a Legolas archetype than, say, a Drizzt Do’Urden archetype.
Last is Bard… which is still very much a bard… but it’s an interpretation that works best forSunderfolk. Bards are usually about inspiring and buffing their allies and providing jack-of-all-trade support. In our game, movement is key when it comes to being able to control the flow of battle. So our Bard leans heavily into the buffing you’d expect to see, as well as into movement control, which is more unique to our style of tactics game.
Asymmetric Mobile Gameplay
Q: Where did the idea to use a phone as a controller originate, and what benefits does it give players over a more traditional controller?
Sigaty:When we started Secret Door, we put together many different pitches that our first game might be. At the highest level, it wasD&DmeetsaJackbox-style game interface. After a lot of discussion and whittling down our pitches, this one was the one we were most passionate about that also leaned into our “Explorers” studio value.
The benefits of the phone controller are significant because it allows players to have information hidden from their party—an extremely common element of both TTRPGs and board games. For example, in most TTRPGs, players have a character sheet in front of them with their specific stats, equipment, backgrounds, etc. Game masters sometimes hand out notes or take individual players aside to tell them information only their characters might know. The phone controller allows both things to be supported seamlessly in a way traditional controller interfaces do not.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about its influence on that “at the table” feel ofSunderfolk?
Sigaty:The phone controller is mimicking what happens when playing TTRPGs and board games. You’ve got your specific information right in front of you, while sitting next to other players. The key is that you can sit in the same room without everyone needing their own computer or console, so it allows players to strategize, purchase equipment, get hidden information, name things, and talk to NPCs, while the TV remains available to see shared information.
The phone controller combined with the turn-based gameplay means players can strategize about the game itself, while also connecting over their lives and passions. This is what makes TTRPG and board game sessions so magical, and it’s part of what we’re striving todo withSunderfolkas well.
Q: Were there any unexpected challenges or successes when it came to incorporating phone-based gameplay?
Arshad:The control scheme took a lot of iterations. When the control scheme concept was in its nascency, we were skeptical of whether low network latency would ultimately kill the idea. To our surprise, early prototypes proved that the control scheme was fluid and responsive.
We also had the awkward challenge of mapping portrait-oriented phone screens to landscape-oriented main screens. Traditional computer mice, trackpads, and drawing tablets were helpful influences in this process.
When tuning the controls, we came across lots of conflicting feedback. Some people on our team played with large phones that felt tedious to drag across, while some had small phones that felt hard to be precise with. We also found finger size affected how people felt about control accuracy. For instance, if you had larger fingers but a small phone, you might struggle more with accuracy. The biggest takeaway we learned here was that the “one size fits all” approach was not the right way to tackle the problem. Every player is different, so we designed more tunable settings for players to adjust the game to suit their needs. We’re hoping to improve this area even further post-launch!
Q: The phone gameplay also works to make sure players have just enough info they need each turn. How did you approach that balance, making sure there was not too much or too little info?
Arshad:Any time we added something to the game, we always had to ask, “Does this belong on the main screen or the personal screen? Is this something we want people to collaborate on, or can this be done on your own?"
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.
Q: What would you say to players who were perhaps put off by the idea of using a phone for gameplay?
Sigaty:Yes, 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 playingSunderfolkas 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.
Marek:While it may be intimidating or give an ick, I’d love for players to still give it a try and send their feedback! It’s a new way of thinking about these games, and it’s attempting to streamline that couch co-op experience. The phone is truly like a hand of cards, or a character sheet you might see in a TTRPG or board game. Since this is our first go at this, we need as much feedback from players to know if it’s solving the right problems. If it does win you over, your feedback can help us improve the game and find ways to make it even better.
