Abyssal Guardians

Abyssal Guardians

Producer
Smoothie Studio | Team of 7
ProductionSchedulingOutsourcingTeam ScalingCo-op Shooter

A 1 to 4 player co op survival shooter set on humanity's last oil rig. Fuel the elevator, unlock the rig, and descend until the platform gives way to the ocean floor.

My Role & Contributions

As Producer on Abyssal Guardians, I came into a 5 person founding team and rebuilt how work is organized and scheduled, then put staffing and onboarding in place to grow the team to 7 and scale the project toward its public reveal.

  • Restructured the organization of tasks and scheduling around a 2 week cycle
  • Grew the founding team from five to seven, onboarding all new hires
  • Manage a rotating roster of freelance artists and audio contractors, including sourcing an audio designer who has been an outstanding fit
  • Supporting the public reveal and the start of the marketing push for the game

Production Management

I brought a clear, repeatable rhythm to a small and fast moving team:

  • Restructured task organization so priorities are visible and actionable
  • Moved the team onto a 2 week scheduling cycle for steady, predictable progress
  • Balanced scope and timeline to keep the team focused as it grew from five to seven

Outsourcing & Staffing

With a lean core team, getting the right help at the right time is essential:

  • Manage outsourcing and freelance relationships to maximize value for the studio
  • Onboard new interns and employees and integrate them into the workflow

Screenshots

Abyssal Guardians key art
Reviving a downed teammate
Reloading a scavenged weapon
Running from a mimic enemy
Squadmate holding a rubber chicken weapon
Face to face with a teddy bear enemy
The rubber chicken weapon in first person

Reveal Montage

A short montage cut for the game's public reveal and wishlist push.

Reveal & Marketing

The project is moving from internal development into the public eye:

  • Supporting the public reveal of the title and the launch of its recruit portal
  • Helping coordinate the start of the marketing effort as the game goes public