Sentinel Core (Playtest)

A downloadable Windows strategy game (playtest version)

Sentinel Core is a symmetric tower defense / RTS game where you must not only defend with towers, but also spawn units that march toward the enemy base. Unlike a full RTS, units are automated, freeing you from micromanagement so you can focus on building a strong defense and strategically placing your buildings to balance offense and defense.

The game is currently in early playtest. You may encounter some bugs or usability issues, but we want your feedback to help us refine and add features as development moves forward. We're also trying to gauge interest to know how much more time to invest in the project. The more people interested in a complete version, the more motivated we are to finish it!

You can play the game for free and send us feedback about what you liked and didn't like here (this link is also available in game)

Currently, most basic towers and fabricators are implemented. However, there are a few extra features planned in the near future:

■ Three factions

Although there is only one playable faction at the moment (The Last Bastion), the final game will feature:

◆ The Last Bastion: A military force with the only goal of destroying the evil AI, Sentinel Core.

◆ The Evolutionaries: A cult-like group of zealots that modify their bodies with cybernetic implants. Their mission: become one with Sentinel Core

◆ Sentinel Core: A rogue AI system that wants to wipe humanity from the face of the Earth.

■ Heroes

Unlike automated units, the Hero will be a unique unit that can be controlled freely. Each Hero will feature a default automated attack (think of it as a tower with legs) and a few special skills. Each faction will feature 3 playable characters, each with their own special skills. You can use Heroes to break a stalemate and tilt the battle in your favor!

Heroes are part of an upcoming feature as soon as the base gameplay is stable enough.

■ Controller Support

Only Mouse and Keyboard for now, but full gamepad support is on the roadmap!

■ Campaign

Right now there are only a handful of maps (all in the desert), but we're planning a full campaign mode, featuring 20 or so missions per faction, in 3 (possibly 4) different locations: Death Desert, Forgotten Outskirts, Destroyed Cityscape and AI City Core.

First, you must select a human faction (The Last Bastion or The Evolutionaries) and play their story. Once you've cleared both human factions, you can play a short after-story for Sentinel Core.

■ Progression

In this playtest version, all towers and fabricators are unlocked to use, but we need to come up with a progression to ease players in. This will be tied with the Campaign.

■ New Resource, Towers and Fabricators.

We plan to add a new resource (Radioactive Waste Material), to make high powered units and towers. Right now there is a placeholder for the resource, but you won't find any on the map :)

■ Better Visual Effects

Current particle effects and explosions are very basic, so those need reviewing down the line.

■ New Sound and Music

We're using free assets for the sound and music. We plan to commission original music and invest in higher-quality sound effects.

■ Optimizations

Right now the the models aren't well optimized. This is quite evident near the endgame, where there are hundreds of units on screen. We need to rework the 3D meshes to be a bit lighter and run faster.

■ Multiplayer

The game has been designed with multiplayer support in mind, but multiplayer will only be pursued if there's a strong enough player base to support it. Let us know if this is something you'd want!

You can learn more, and subscribe to the newsletter at the official website:

https://illogic.games/games/sentinel-core/

We also have a discord channel if you want to say hi. We also post updates there whenever a new version is up.