– Sunderfolk emphasizes co-op play and a couch-friendly, smartphone-controlled interface that feels like digital pen-and-paper sessions.
– The game supports up to four players (including up to three friends) with turn-based, hex-grid battles and strategic party customization.
– It’s currently at an all-time low price: free weekend through May 25, followed by a 60% discount to $19.99 until June 4, after which price may vary.
Sunderfolk: A Cooperative Journey
In Sunderfolk, players travel to the Shardlands and face orcs, monsters and other dangers together with up to three friends. The debut title from Secret Door, a studio founded by former Blizzard developers, normally costs around $50 on Steam. Thanks to the free weekend, interested players can try the game completely free of charge until Monday, May 25. After that, the RPG will be available with a 60% discount for $19.99 until June 4. According to SteamDB, the previous highest discount was 50% at the beginning of March, so the current deal marks a new all-time low.
Gameplay and Co-Op Emphasis
There are six different classes to choose from, each represented by a different animal – including a ram-like berserker, a salamander-like pyromancer and a roguish weasel. Battles are turn-based and take place on hex grids, with a strong focus on teamwork and the right turn order. Players combine abilities, support allies and have to adapt their party tactically to enemies and boss fights. The control concept is also unusual: in couch co-op, the smartphone serves as controller, hand of cards and character overview. This makes Sunderfolk feel more like a digital pen-and-paper evening than a classic role-playing game at times. Although the game can also be played solo and with mouse and keyboard, the focus is clearly on co-op and shared team tactics.
Critical Reception
Swiss gaming magazine Games.ch seems to agree: the editorial team praised Sunderfolk above all for its intuitive smartphone controls and strong co-op experience, while the atmospheric narrator also made a positive impression. Another clear plus point is that only one copy of the game is required for couch co-op – other players can join for free via the app. Criticism was mainly directed at the rather generic story, limited character customization and sometimes repetitive missions. In the end, the testers awarded Sunderfolk 85 out of 100 points.
Scores and Platform Experience
Metacritic lists Sunderfolk with a Metascore of 79 and a User Score of 7.8. On Steam, however, the role-playing game has been received much more warmly: 91% of almost 2,000 user reviews are positive. Although the RPG is classified as “Verified” on Steam Deck, it is unlikely to fully play to its strengths there – those clearly lie in a shared couch co-op evening with friends.
Disclaimer: Note that price changes and deals may vary by retailer and over time, and the discounted price mentioned here reflects the situation at the time of writing. The discounted price or deal may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
