PLAYISM revealed on August 27 that the combined sales figures for Marfusha: Sentinel Girls and Snezhinka: Sentinel Girls 2 (both entries in the Sentinel Girls series) have recently exceeded 500,000 units. This milestone comes alongside the fifth anniversary of the first game, where its creator, hinyari9, expressed gratitude to all players.
Disclosure: PLAYISM, the publisher of these titles, is a subsidiary of Active Gaming Media, which operates this platform.
Crafted by Japanese indie developer hinyari9, the Sentinel Girls franchise is a dystopian 2D shoot-‘em-up series that follows young female soldiers defending the borders of Kazormia from mechanized enemy forces. Marfusha: Sentinel Girls introduces players to the game world and protagonist Marfusha, while the follow-up, Snezhinka: Sentinel Girls 2, continues the story with Marfusha’s adopted younger sister, Snezhinka.
Marfusha’s gameplay combines straightforward tower defense mechanics with a card purchasing system that follows each battle. These cards include stat-boosting power-ups, enemy-slowing barricades, new weapon unlocks, additional allies, random event generators, and even canine companions that join you at the border.
The core gameplay involves facing progressively tougher enemy waves. The first game challenges players to endure 40 days of service, while the sequel ramps up the difficulty to 100 days. A separate challenge mode tests your survival skills by pushing you to last as many days as possible.
Between battles, players can interact with fellow child soldiers (and any pet dogs acquired). These interactions reveal deeper insights into their personal histories and daily lives.
Marfusha: Sentinel Girls currently holds a “Very Positive” Steam rating, with 93% of 3,102 reviews labeled “Positive.” Snezhinka: Sentinel Girls 2 boasts an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating, with 96% of 2,415 reviews being “Positive.”
Marfusha: Sentinel Girls is available on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows (Steam). Snezhinka: Sentinel Girls 2 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows (Steam).
Related: Marfusha: Sentinel Girls’ source code is messy, but it gets the job done