SENTRY
Fireblade Software
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Lead Designer
Project Overview
Taking on the Lead Designer role at Fireblade Software, I became responsible for the overall design of SENTRY, an action-defense first-person shooter where players defend their spaceship against a relentless alien threat. Using traps, turrets, and environmental destruction, players repel invading hordes through a combination of defensive strategy and fast-paced FPS action.
As the project’s sole designer, I have been responsible for shaping the gameplay of SENTRY from its core combat mechanics through to its campaign and progression systems.
Working within a small team has meant taking ideas from initial prototypes through to implementation, balancing the demands of fast-paced FPS combat with the strategic decisions of a defensive game.
Lead Designer
Fireblade Software
Unity
Early Access: 25 March 2024
PC
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Responsibilities
As the project’s only designer, my role spans both high-level design direction and hands-on implementation.
I oversee the creative vision and gameplay quality whilst designing the core FPS and defensive combat systems, including weapons, deployables, enemies and environmental hazards, alongside the game’s levels, encounters and mission content.
Working within a small team also requires close collaboration. I work directly with art and programming to develop features from concept through implementation, ensuring that gameplay and presentation remain consistent with the wider creative vision.
- Sole designer responsible for the game’s design direction and gameplay quality
- Designed the core FPS and 3Cs alongside defensive combat systems including weapons, deployables, enemies and environmental hazards
- Designed and implemented the game’s levels, encounters, mission content and cutscenes
- Designed the campaign, progression and supporting game systems
- Worked directly with programming and art to develop features from concept through to final
- Balanced and iterated the game through internal playtesting and Early Access player feedback
Throughout Early Access, I have continued to balance and iterate on the game through internal playtesting and external player feedback, adapting and refining the player experience as new systems have come online and the game has reached a wider audience.
Design Work
Feature: Combat & Defense
The core combat of SENTRY combines fast-paced FPS action with defensive preparation, challenging players to make effective use of their weapons, deployable equipment and the environment.
My focus was on ensuring these systems complemented one another, allowing players to establish defensive positions whilst remaining actively involved in combat. Enemy behaviours, environmental hazards and deployable equipment were designed to create opportunities for different approaches to each encounter.
Feature: Campaign & Progression
I designed the dynamic campaign of SENTRY around a strategic layer known as the Navigator, where players choose their route through a series of encounters whilst managing the escalating threat to their ship.
Between encounters, players develop their loadouts through new equipment, upgrades and tech, creating opportunities to experiment with different combinations of weapons and defensive tools. These systems connect the moment-to-moment FPS combat with longer-term strategic decisions throughout each run.
Feature: Level & Encounter Design
I designed and implemented every level and mission encounter in SENTRY, creating environments that support both direct FPS combat and defensive preparation.
This required balancing player movement, enemy navigation and deployable placement within each space. Levels needed to provide opportunities for players to establish effective defensive positions without restricting their ability to move freely, respond to threats and engage enemies directly.
In addition to my design work on the project, I have also been responsible for a large portion of SENTRY’s promotional material. I scripted, captured, and edited every trailer and video devlog produced for the game.
Game Trailer
Reception
SENTRY launched into Early Access on 25 March 2024 and continues to evolve through ongoing development and player feedback.
SENTRY is available on Steam, where you can find the latest updates and information about the game.