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[nosferathoo]

CYBER SENTINEL is on Steam Greenlight!
You can go here to show your support
But before anything you can download and play DEMO version


Steam Greenlight | Thunderclap | homepage | presskit | Demo version

Introduction

Near future. Information is the most precious of resources. International corporations fight a data war for access to new medical, government and military patents and contracts. In an ongoing arms race talented individuals find a way to earn money...

Experience the hacker's side of cyberpunk in Cyber Sentinel! This design-based puzzle game features a complete visual programming kit for designing your own viruses.

Features:

• addictive puzzles - be a godlike hacker observing his creations come to life
• quick to learn, hard to master - more elegant solutions are rewarded with more points
• feeling of 80'/90' cyberpunk movies
• 36+ levels with increasing difficulty and grading system
• level editor and option to play and rate other players' levels

History

In college I was introduced to the works of Alan Turing - great British pioneer of computer science, logician, cryptoanalyst and philosopher who helped decrypt nazis' Enigma. To be specific I was interested in diagrams of his universal state machine. Right away I started to thought if it could be used as game base but I didn't got into gamedev in that time. Years later when I decided I want to make games instead of working in corporations I started from making games during game jams. One of them was itch.io's CyberPunk Jam and this was the time I got an idea how to implement those diagrams - you're a hacker in 80/90' cyberpunk future using them to program viruses/trojans that steal data and avoid detection.

Team

idea, design, code, art, level design: nosferathoo
additional level design: Bahiana
graphic novel actors: Monika Typel, Krognal, Bahiana, nosferathoo
playtesters: Bahiana, Aidenn, Dark Archon
music: Matthew Le Blanc (SynthR)

Trailer

Gameplay

You start each level with the cyberspace view of system you have to hack by uploading viruses/trojans. Light glowing cubes represent your viruses, rotating document icons represent data you have to steal:

First thing you have to do is to mark special places on the map using different colors so your viruses can react when they reach it. In this example our virus need to change direction after collectiong first file. Then you need to open design view and create program - don't worry you don't need to know any programming language:

GRAY transition means virus will exit start state if it stands on GRAY tile, first tile it stands on is gray so virus will exit start state immediately and enter state with arrow facing NORTH and... it will go north. Upon reaching tile marked with RED color it will enter the state with arrow facing EAST because of RED transition from NORTH state and EAST state. You can use as many states you want but elegant solutions will be graded with better final score:

More gameplay footage

[nosferathoo]

Level Editor

Creating level in full version is as simple as painting on canvas, you just click on grid and new elements will appear. Game is automagically creating all necessary walls, corners etc.
If you want you can watch adding more details to level, configuring active elements and testing here:

[nosferathoo]

Experiments with gameplay part 1

Essentially what you do in Cyber Sentinel is programming behaviour of viruses in 2D space based on data read from the floor (represented with colors) and states they are currently in. Additionally viruses can also write data (colors) on the floor they're standing on. This way I could create special level with 2D looped canvas and then create programs that just draws (writes) color on the floor. Random states and transitions between them result in some interesting "images"

[nosferathoo]

Experiments with gameplay part 2 - Calculator!

If gameplay in Cyber Sentinel is essentially visual programming (without code) so I was wondering what can be done with it beside completing game levels. I've created another simple level and I made program/virus that adds two numbers coded in binary using colors on the floor. So gray means 0, and red means 1. First number is coded in first row, second in another and result of summing up is "written" by virus in third row:

Longer version (turn on annotations if you want more info):

[jctwood]

This looks very intriguing reminds me of the TIS-100, are you planing to release for mobile?

[nosferathoo]

This looks very intriguing reminds me of the TIS-100, are you planing to release for mobile?

I started doing it for PC but after small changes it is now very touch friendly so yes, I would also like to release it on mobile. But currently PC/Steam is my priority

[nosferathoo]

Graphic novels

In-between game chapters I've placed animated graphic novels with game's plot. Video below shows how I made in-game graphic novels starting from really simple drafts above transformed into photo-shoots done with my friends. In the end I'm showing end result - one animated frame from graphic novel - not giving away much from game's plot.

[nosferathoo]

Level design timelapse

Timelapse of designing and testing new level called "Lasermania". On this level preprogrammed computer programs turn on and off lasers, player's trojans must avoid them to reach data block and finish level. Creating level took about 10-15 minutes

Timelapse video:

[a-k-]

Nice drawing canvas demo, I guess with enough states you could simulate cellular automata like Conway's Game of Life (maybe make it a level...)

[nosferathoo]

Nice drawing canvas demo, I guess with enough states you could simulate cellular automata like Conway's Game of Life (maybe make it a level...)

Thanks!
I think it could be done, maybe will try to do it in next video

[nosferathoo]

Level design timelapse II

Timelapse of designing and testing second version of level called "Lasermania". In this version of level instead of computer controlled programs that were steering lasers player needs to program three different programs that synchronize their work in order to avoid lasers and get all data blocks.

Timelapse video:

[nosferathoo]

Community solutions

When you have hard time solving specific level you can always get help by downloading other users' solutions. After using it you can even rate this solution with 5* or less if it's not optimal in your opinion.
On the other hand if you come up with ingenious solution you can also share it and get all the glory! This applies both built-in levels and those created by users (did I mention Cyber Sentinel has those?). You made hard level? You can instantly post solution for all non-believers that say it's unbeatable.

Community levels video (with extra sample of new background music):

[nosferathoo]

New level "Gang of four"

I've created new level called "gang of four". It's perfect example of how user viruses/programs must cooperate with each other sometimes even sharing the same "code". In video below I'm also showing off new feature: sharing puzzle solutions and then downloading it from server straight in the game.

Community levels video (with extra sample of new background music):

[DarthTrae]

Looks great!!! Im getting an 80s 90s vibe. Was that your intentions or am I far off

[nosferathoo]

Looks great!!! Im getting an 80s 90s vibe. Was that your intentions or am I far off

Yes, that was my intention . It started of as an entry to Cyberpunk Jam and 80s/90s sci-fi movies like Blade Runner was my first thought.

[nosferathoo]

New level "Beam me up Scotty"

Showing off new level created by my fiancée "Beam me up Scotty" - great example of creating teleports working two-ways. I'm sure there will be no limits when users get their hands on builtin level editor.

Video of me solving this puzzle:

[nosferathoo]

Big suprise for everyone!

Hi! I have a big suprise for everyone waiting for Cyber Sentinel - since today until 2nd of June game can be purchased and downloaded early with other games for a really small amount of cash in Build A Greenlight Bundle! Just don't forget to vote for all those games on Steam Greenlight and after they will be greenlit you will also receive Steam Keys for them!

[bittwyst]

Looks cool, going to check out the demo! I'm glad your game is cross-platform, but none of the other fuckers in that build-your-own-bundle thing are. Oh well, for a buck I might just suck it up.

[nosferathoo]

Looks cool, going to check out the demo! I'm glad your game is cross-platform, but none of the other fuckers in that build-your-own-bundle thing are. Oh well, for a buck I might just suck it up.

Hey and thanks The demo is a little out-dated but gameplay is the same. The changes in full version are:
- new (I think better fitting) music
- bugfixes
- more levels (obviously) + level editor and community levels

I'm planning to update demo version also and will inform about it here also

[nosferathoo]

Looks cool, going to check out the demo! I'm glad your game is cross-platform, but none of the other fuckers in that build-your-own-bundle thing are. Oh well, for a buck I might just suck it up.

Hey and thanks The demo is a little out-dated but gameplay is the same. The changes in full version are:
- new (I think better fitting) music
- bugfixes
- more levels (obviously) + level editor and community levels

I'm planning to update demo version also and will inform about it here also

As promised I've updated demo versions for everyone to check out here:
http://gamejolt.com/games/cybersentinel/23819 (PC, Mac, Linux and Android builds with 12 levels)

You still have more than 10 days to buy, download and play full version of game early here: https://groupees.com/bagb44 .
You can also vote for the game on Steam Greenlight here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=500277747

Everyone who buys game in Greenlight bundle will also receive free Steam Key when game goes through Greenlight! Remember to also vote for other games in the bundle to help them and receive keys afterwards!