Getting people together for tabletop game nights is a pain. The more people it requires, the longer it takes to set up and explain the rules, and the more obscure the game is, the less chance there is that you’ll ever make it to session two. Online games are easier to book, but they don’t scratch the same itch as getting a group to squeeze in together on the couch for a good tabletop game. Launching on April 23, co-op tactical RPG Sunderfolk tries to answer the question of whether a digital game can capture that same kind of magic.
The answer, boring as it may be, is it depends on who’s playing. Sunderfolk is the first game from Secret Door, one of two studios formed by ex-Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime at Dreamhaven. When I attended a preview of Sunderfolk last year, the team was eager to explain that it’s intended to lower the barrier to entry for in-person tabletop-style games. Its rules are meant to be easy to understand, its light narrative is envisioned as an easy onramp for roleplaying, and its app-based controls are intended to lower the game’s learning curve.
