Inspired by classic Dreamhaven's new co-op fantasy RPG Sunderfolk is inspired by classic Dungeons & Dragons and aims to offer a fun game night experience that Baldur’s Gate 3 did not quite capture.
The story of Sunderfolk happens in Arden a small animal village that lives safely under the Brightstone a magical rock that gives life to everything. Everything is great here except for a few noisy patrons, and your adventures have earned you the status of the town's resident hero. As you sit down at the bar after a long day of loitering a fight breaks out outside. Here? In Arden? What could go wrong?
Monsters that's what. A whole bunch of them have invaded the RPG's quaint little village and are ready to blow up the town's bridge with explosives. As you beat them to a pulp one of them fires a corrupted arrow at the Brightstone, shattering it. Your mission is simple: fix the Brightstone, save the townspeople and stop the evil wave. Sunderfolk is designed to feel like it is from the fifth edition DnD handbook and that's intentional.
Like Baldur's Gate 3, the journey is fully narrated. While Amelia Tyler's voice is hard to beat Overwatch 2's Anjali Bhimani brings a unique touch to the narration. Where Tyler's voice is almost effortless, Bhimani leans more towards chaotic human storytelling: she does silly voices and cracks funny jokes making everything feel raw and a little rough around the edges just the way DnD should be. This means that, right from the start there is a sense of spontaneity that I did not get in Baldur's Gate 3. Larian's Epic is a refined fantasy RPG experience while Sunderfolk has the silliness of a good DnD tabletop.
The beauty of it is that while the game runs on your screen all the action happens on mobile. You will use your phone to control your characters draw fate cards (more on that later) select destinations and choose missions. There is no controller: all you need is a QR code a comfortable chair and some capable companions.
The app is simple to use and made to help beginners learn DnD-style games. While it is a novelty. it encourages the spirit of game night and makes everything more accessible.
You feel that same brutality in the Sunderfolk characters as well. There are no humans and elves here instead you play as two legged cartoon animals based on your class. I immediately tried out the Otter Rogue as it is closest to my playstyle but eventually settled on the Bat Bard who casts pretty pink spells. I don't regret a thing.
But my partner had a harder time. Upon initially choosing a winged wizard Arcanist, our glass cannon high-DPS wizard/rogue team immediately struggled without any kind of frontline support. Luckily we had not progressed too far in the game so we could start the second campaign without missing much. However it looks like you will need a Berserker to finish many of the Sunderfolk's battles.
Unlike BG3, Sunderfolk is a mission-based game. You pick your adventure, go into the wilderness complete your task and return home. Then you can help Arden progress move the story forward unlock new abilities and grow your Fate card deck.
Although BeautifulFolk is essentially a turn-based RPG you draw a Fate card every time you attack. This is effectively a modifier that changes the way battles play out. There are damage boosts passive effects speed increases and shields that can turn a normal attack into a powerful game winning move.
On the other hand, some Fate cards weaken your character reducing their attack damage or slowing their movement speed. Thankfully your enemies also have to contend with Lady Luck who was captured while trying to save a cute but very angry little beetle.
Despite the effects of Fate cards combat is relatively simple. You move around a hexagonal grid chant spells or bludgeon enemies with your weapons and complete your objectives. There is no random attack system like Baldur's Gate 3, instead fate cards add a little risk. It keeps you engaged in the present moment while also theoretically offering enough flexibility to shape your approach if you want. Because the game is designed for a general audience, it feels like the best of both worlds.
Larian's game will always be one of the best DnD games, but BeautifulFolk does a better job of capturing the community feel of a tabletop RPG. Lately I have found it more enjoyable than BG3's multiplayer and BeautifulFolk will be released on Steam on Wednesday April 23.
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