Tabletop role-playing games can be difficult to organise. A full group, a willing game master, a grasp of the rules and a night that suits everyone are all needed before the adventure can begin.
Sunderfolk offers a more convenient alternative: a video game that borrows the structure and social feel of a tabletop campaign while managing the rules, bookkeeping and combat systems for you.
A free Xbox trial for a few days
Created by Secret Door, a studio formed by former Blizzard developers, Sunderfolk is a turn-based tactical RPG built around party play. It will be free to play on Xbox from August 13 to 16 through Xbox Free Play Days. Sunderfolk is free to play on Xbox during that window.
For Australian players, the exact local start and finish times may be worth checking on Xbox before arranging a group session. The limited trial nevertheless provides a straightforward opportunity to test the game with friends without committing to a longer campaign.
How Sunderfolk turns a campaign into couch co-op
Players select from six animal heroes and travel from the town of Arden to missions staged on hex-based battlefields. The roster includes a powerful bear Berserker, a bat Bard and a Pyromancer who attacks with fire.
Combat involves much more than surrounding an enemy and attacking. Scenarios include hazards, objectives and environmental opportunities, such as pushing foes into pits. One memorable mission can even send enemies into the path of giant beetles being used as mine carts.
Phones become the players’ character sheets
The game runs on a shared television or monitor, while each participant uses a phone or tablet as a controller, character sheet and hand of ability cards. Players aim attacks and movement on the main display, then review abilities, equipment and monster information on their own device.
This arrangement keeps the large screen focused on the battlefield rather than filling it with menus. It also gives the group a central play space that resembles a board on a table, with each player retaining private information where appropriate.
Fate Cards add a deck-building layer
Instead of traditional dice, abilities draw from customisable Fate Card decks. That system adds a light deck-building element to the tactical battles and gives players another way to shape their characters.
Between missions, the party returns to Arden to upgrade its heroes and speak with local residents. Some conversations and decisions are delivered privately through individual players’ phones, reinforcing the shared campaign structure without requiring anyone to manage a rulebook.
A tabletop-style game night without the campaign planning
Sunderfolk aims to capture the appealing parts of a tabletop RPG — party roles, quests, loot, monsters and meaningful choices — while removing much of the preparation. It is approachable, but still offers enough tactical detail to satisfy players who enjoy more involved combat.
Its short Xbox Free Play Days window makes it particularly suited to an informal group session. Gather a few friends, choose your heroes and see whether Secret Door’s phone-assisted approach can deliver the feel of a tabletop campaign in a single game night.
If the shared-screen format appeals to you, explore RETROCADE’s arcade news and gaming coverage, browse arcade machines for a dedicated home setup, or compare options in the arcade machine buying guide. For compact rooms, the bartop arcade range is another space-conscious option.
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