Approaching Infinity announced

Bob Saunders writes in to tell me about Approaching Infinity, a new sci-fi roguelike he’s developing.

Now, before you roll your eyes and say, “Geez, we already have, like, four indie science fiction roguelikes,” this one’s a little different. Approaching Infinity is more traditional than FTL, featuring turn-based play and fog of war; and it has greater scope than Sword of the Stars: The Pit, Steam Marines or Steel Knights, with both outer space exploration via spaceship and exploration of planets and derelict ships on foot.

The premise:

Take command of your ship and crew as you explore space, planets, shipwrecks, and other unique environments. Find, buy, and sell commodities, items, and mysterious artifacts. Defend yourself against aggressive space pirates and hungry planetary denizens. Try not to die! Complete quests for profit, or to change the very power structure of the galaxy!

Saunders states that there are five different ways to win the game. But you can apparently play indefinitely without claiming victory, as “there is no level cap, no limit to how far you can go, or how powerful your equipment can get, etc.”

This gameplay trailer should hopefully give you the right idea:

Approaching Infinity is currently on Kickstarter, where it is Approaching its funding goal of Infinity $5,000. Development will continue if it doesn’t make it, but it’s only $1,600 from its goal with 18 days left on the clock, so I have a hard time imagining it falling short. Head on over if you want to help push it over the hump.

In the meantime, Approaching Infinity is currently playable in alpha form–click here to try it out. The game is tentatively planned for an April 2014 release on Windows, with a Mac release possible but not assured.