Half-Life (stylized as HλLF-LIFE) is a science fictionfirst-person shootervideo game developed by Valve, released in 1998 by Sierra Studios for Windows. It was Valve's debut product and the first in the Half-Life series. Players assume the role of Dr. Gordon Freeman, who must fight his way out of a secret research facility after a teleportation experiment goes disastrously wrong, fighting enemies and solving puzzles.