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A World Designed for Collaboration
In our last blog, we talked about the inspiration behind Sunderfolk and how we set out to capture the magic of playing tabletop games with friends. Now, we want to dive deeper into how we designed the game to encourage collaboration, making sure that every player has a role to play.
Designing for Collaboration
One of the ways we help bridge the gap for players new to traditional roleplaying games is through animal characters. For example, someone unfamiliar with RPG archetypes might not fully grasp what a tank does, but if they’re playing as a bear character, they might assume it can take a strong hit. This makes the gameplay intuitive while still offering depth for seasoned players.
At its core, Sunderfolk is about teamwork. Every hero has strengths and weaknesses, and pulling off the best turn often means working together—whether that’s maximizing damage on a tough enemy or ensuring the party’s survival through strategic ability use. No hero is good at everything, and that’s by design.
The challenge—and the fun—comes from analyzing the turn and debating the best approach as a team:
➡ “What if we try this?”
➡ “Maybe this ability will help.”
➡ “Oh, I’ve got something that could make this even better.”
From the very beginning, we designed the game around these moments, encouraging players to collaborate and problem-solve together.
Storytelling with Player Creativity in Mind
This emphasis on collaboration extends to how we tell the game’s story. We don’t want to give players all the answers about the world, characters, or NPCs—because that leaves space for your own interpretations and storytelling.
For example, imagine a fire pill bug who has been ostracized by his town. Your band of heroes can show him he’s worthy of his duties. These moments—where you and your friends create your own stories within our world—are what make Sunderfolk special.
Translating Tabletop to Video Games
One of our biggest challenges was recreating the physical experience of playing a board game in a way that felt natural in a digital format.
Early iterations of Sunderfolk experimented with mechanics that felt too detached—like having players rely on personal screens rather than interacting with a shared board.
The entire hex grid was replicated on the phone for combat, meaning players spent most of their turn looking down, missing the action and those fun, shared moments. We found that constantly shifting between the phone and the main screen created a “head-bobbing” effect that pulled players out of the experience. That realization led us to completely revamp our control scheme.
Through trial and iteration, we landed on the system you see today: a personal screen that acts more like a controller. This allows players to stay focused on the main screen while using their phone as a cursor, making interactions smoother and more intuitive.
Beyond that, the personal screen helps manage character and inventory interactions without slowing things down for the group. It mirrors the feel of traditional tabletop games, where players have their own character sheets or cards to reference while others take their turns.
Our goal? To rekindle excitement for tabletop games—even for those who might be new to the genre.
From Closed Beta to Now
One of my favorite parts of the closed beta [back in 2024] has been watching players experience the game firsthand—whether they love it, struggle with it, or find something frustrating. Seeing real reactions and knowing that every piece of feedback, positive or critical, helps us improve has been incredibly rewarding.
One of the biggest takeaways has been feedback on the control scheme—some players found it uncomfortable based on how they use the personal screen. We’re already exploring alternative options because, at the end of the day, we want as many people as possible to enjoy Sunderfolk.
Beyond the feedback itself, one of the most inspiring aspects of this beta has been the community—how supportive and positive players have been toward each other, the dev team, and the game itself. It’s not something we take for granted. Sunderfolk is about cooperation, and seeing the community rally around that vision has been amazing.
Hearing what players have to say and understanding what they want not only improves this game, but also helps shape everything we create in the future. The more we understand our players, the better we can make games for them.
So, to everyone who’s played, shared feedback, and been part of this journey—thank you. Your input is shaping not just Sunderfolk, but the future of what we create. We can’t wait to keep building with you.
- Erin Marek, Game Director for Sunderfolk
