Dreamhaven and Secret Door announced Sunderfolk, a couch co-op RPG that has players using their phones as controllers with a shared screen TV. Sunderfolk is launching in 2025 on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox X/S.
Sunderfolk is heavily inspired by tabletop RPGs (such as Dungeons & Dragons), as well as tactical board games (such as Gloomhaven). Secret Door’s goal is to recreate the tabletop experience on a digital screen, but integrating phones as the controller.
Using their phone or tablet, up to four players can manage all their character information, including inventory, skills, and interaction with NPCs. During battle, they’ll play cards and issue commands in tactical battles. By scanning a QR code on the TV screen, players can easily join in with couch co-op (online is also possible, by sharing the QR code).
Like a tabletop campaign, a campaign of Sunderfolk takes place over many sessions, with players going on missions and then returning to town.
Players can choose between six different classes in the original, animal-based fantasy world, including bard, rogue, arcanist, and berserker. Check out the gameplay trailer below.
“We have a bunch of dedicated board and tabletop game fanatics on the team at Secret Door—getting together for game night has been a regular highlight for many of us going back years and years,” said Chris Sigaty, studio head, Secret Door. “As developers we also like to look at what inspires us and think about how to make those types of experiences easier to get into, so that more people can enjoy them as much as we do. With Sunderfolk, we’re excited to offer players a game that’s easy to pick up and play, while still challenging to master, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
As a big fan of playing D&D and board games, I’ll be keeping a close eye on this one.
Sunderfolk will release (hopefully!) in 2025.
