Gloomhaven Fans: Don’t Miss Sunderfolk’s Board Game Magic!

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The innovative game called “Sunderfolk” is set to blend tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and video games in a unique fashion, leveraging the best aspects of both platforms. Notably, the creators of “Sunderfolk” have drawn inspiration from the popular game “Gloomhaven“.

Title “Secret Door’s Sunderfolk” is a forthcoming fantasy game that draws inspiration from tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. In this game, players will employ their smartphones as controllers, mirroring the way traditional TTRPG players manage their individual character sheets. The game will also feature a narrator similar to a Game Master, voiced by Anjali Bhimani, who brings all non-player characters to life. During an interview with Game Rant, members of the Sunderfolk team, including game director Erin Marek, discussed the title’s connection to games like Gloomhaven.

How Gloomhaven Inspired Secret Door’s Sunderfolk

Gloomhaven is a tabletop board game that offers a unique dungeon-crawling adventure for 1 to 4 players, using a hexagonal battle system influenced by contemporary eurogame mechanics. The game features various character classes, strategic combat, a fantasy setting, and character records, which may remind you of D&D. However, Gloomhaven presents a distinct gaming experience due to several factors. Unlike traditional tabletop games like D&D, Gloomhaven manages its campaigns without the need for a Dungeon Master (DM). Moreover, instead of using dice for random events, it employs ability cards to manage RNG (Random Number Generation) mechanisms.

Regarding these aspects, Sunderfolk shares many characteristics with Gloomhaven. While Sunderfolk doesn’t have a traditional dungeon master, it does feature Bhimani as a narrator. Additionally, Marek mentioned that the concept of ability cards, which are a key element in Sunderfolk, was incorporated from another game system.

As a gamer, I drew inspiration from the ability cards in Gloomhaven, finding their design to be both intuitive and capturing the essence of a board game. To maintain this vibe in Sunderfolk and cater to fans of the genre, we decided to incorporate similar elements. However, we also recognized the need to streamline these features for ease of understanding by newcomers to the game, aiming to make it more accessible while preserving its core spirit.

One key advantage of virtual tabletop games is their ability to streamline intricate rules often found in traditional tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), which can be quite challenging for new players due to extensive rulebooks that require frequent consultation, potentially disrupting the flow and causing confusion during gameplay with friends. The decision made by Sunderfolk to embrace the user-friendly nature of its video game design is a smart choice indeed.

Sunderfolk Stands Out With Its Board Game Influences

In addition to shaping it, Gloomhaven significantly influenced the strategic components found in Sunderfolk. Marek shared that he and his team spent some time delving into Gloomhaven to understand what makes tactical games exceptional while also identifying challenges faced by novice players. This analysis, combined with their expertise, greatly impacted the development of strategic aspects in Sunderfolk.

Despite being an avid enthusiast of board games, turn-based tactics video games, and a seasoned game master with over two decades of experience in tabletop role-playing games, I’ve often encountered difficulties convincing friends to engage with the more intricate, complex turn-based strategy board games. This challenge has always left us contemplating not only the potential of Sunderfolk, but also how we could refine its aspects to attract those who might find such games intimidating.

Additionally, the application of cards in the game “Sunderfolk” is tailored towards board game enthusiasts, many of whom might be equally or more accustomed with cooperative games played from the couch, compared to tabletop RPG (TTRPG) aficionados, due to the surge in remote play. This differentiates “Sunderfolk” from games that modify existing TTRPG systems, as these games tend to emphasize dice mechanics, reflective of their origins. Instead, “Sunderfolk” develops its own unique gameplay mechanics.

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2025-04-22 19:35