Mike Morhaime stepped down as CEO of Blizzard in 2018, more than 25 years after he co-founded the company (as Silicon and Synapse) with Allen Adham and Frank Pearce. Two years later, he launched a novel venture called Dreamhaven, and now, four years later, we finally got a look at his first project, a “tactical couch adventure” called Sunderfolk.
Developed by Secret Door – one of two studios at Dreamhaven – Sunderfolk allows groups of up to four players to embark on an adventure to save their village of Arden from the encroaching gloomy forces of the Sunderlands. Choosing one of six unique hero classes – Arcanist, Bard, Berserker, Pyromancer, Hunter or Rogue – they will explore forests, mines, caves and other famed fantasy locations, using a deck of cards to perform sequential actions… based on tactical combat.
This all sounds familiar, but it’s the way Sunderfolk is played that makes it extraordinary. Each player will control their character using a mobile phone or tablet, and the action takes place on a TV or monitor. The idea is to recreate the experience of board games in a more “efficient” and accessible way.
“The Secret Door team, and indeed everyone at Dreamhaven, is focused on bringing players together around interesting experiences,” said Morhaime. “Sunderfolk is a beautiful game, full of personality and charm, and creating epic moments where everyone interacts directly with each other to strategize or celebrate victories. There’s nothing quite like it and we can’t wait to see what players think.”
Secret Door boss Chris Sigaty, one of many Blizzard veterans who have joined Morhaime in his new outfit, said that “there is a group of dedicated board and tabletop game fanatics” who have been meeting regularly for game nights for years.
“As developers, we like to look at what inspires us and think about how we can make these types of experiences more accessible so that more people can enjoy them as much as we do,” Sigaty said. “With Sunderfolk, we’re excited to offer players a game that’s easy to learn and play, yet challenging to master, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
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It’s an interesting idea, but there are obvious challenges: As anyone who’s ever tried to organize regular D&D sessions will tell you, getting a regular group of players together for regular play sessions can be a real headache. Sunderfolk is intended to be played in an in-person group setting, but also offers options for days when people simply can’t make it. The host may choose to control a character belonging to the absent player, or that character may simply skip the evening’s action and join the party next time: they will lose any loot they have earned (though the other players can choose to share if they choose), but they will gain those the same levels and skill cards as everyone else, so they won’t be left behind.
Sunderfolk sessions can also be joined remotely, so you can socialize even if you’re not very social, and if you enjoy the game but can’t socialize with other players (or just don’t want to), you can play solo, controlling multiple characters at the same time.
Sunderfolk is currently scheduled for release in 2025 and will be available on Steam and consoles. For now, you can take a closer look sunderfolk.comand watch some gameplay in the video below.
