The Sentinel
The Sentinel is a 1986 puzzle game developed by Firebird and designed by Geoff Crammond, a strikingly original strategy puzzle rendered in early filled-polygon 3D graphics. Played across thousands of procedurally generated surreal landscapes, the goal is to absorb energy and rise higher than the titular Sentinel in order to eventually absorb it and usurp its position atop the level.
Players cannot walk directly but instead create robot shells at chosen squares, transfer their consciousness into them, and absorb trees and boulders for energy, all while the slowly rotating Sentinel and its Sentries drain any player caught in their line of sight. Reaching a higher vantage than the Sentinel to hyperspace into a new landscape demanded patient, cerebral planning unlike anything else at the time.
The Sentinel became a cult classic praised for its eerie atmosphere and innovation. The original remains available through emulation and retro collections, and it later inspired a modern reimagining for those seeking its unique challenge.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to The Sentinel, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Manifold Garden Indie
€ 19,99An indie first-person puzzle game with mind-bending geometry and a meditative, surreal atmosphere.
Manifold Garden runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Superliminal Indie
€ 18,99Perspective and scale as the puzzle mechanic, a direct descendant of The Sentinel's line-of-sight thinking.
Superliminal runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Verified.
The Talos Principle 2
€ 28,99First-person puzzle solving in vast, silent architecture, with the same cerebral loneliness.
The Talos Principle 2 runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Antichamber Indie
€ 14,99An indie first-person puzzle game that plays with perception and impossible spaces.
Antichamber runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Sign in or create an account to add an alternative or vote.