Shrapnel Games announces Approaching Infinity, a science fiction Roguelike in development for Windows and OS X at Ibology. The game does not yet carry a release date, but its product section says it is "coming soon," and is accepting preorders, offering a playable demo for each platform to help decide. Here's the announcement with further details:

Science-fiction gamers should begin to clear their calendars, stock up on their favorite energy drinks, and prepare to lose themselves in a universe of endless gaming. It is with great excitement that Shrapnel Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Approaching Infinity from developer Ibology.

Approaching Infinity is a single-player, turn based graphical sci-fi rogue-like game set in a unique and truly infinite universe; no level caps, no map limits. Using the classic trope of a man and his starship the player begins with a captain and his vessel. Initially this vessel may seem like nothing more than a galactic scow, but over time components can be upgraded, skilled officers brought on board, and eventually fame and notoriety will follow.

The amount of adventures one can have is limited only by the player's desire. Within space itself asteroids can be mined, pirates evaded, SOS beacons discovered, and more. Even exploration provides a reward, as data on the unknown can be sold. Your starship will encounter planets, drifting derelict starships, and alien embassies. Planets can hold treasure or death (or both). Away teams can discover ancient star temples, ruined cities, or monsters in the darkened corridors of a floating hulk. There are twelve alien races to interact with, each with their own quests. A full crafting mechanic is included, along with a nifty 'pay it forward' feature whereas a player can invest credits into future games.

As a rogue-like Approaching Infinity contains procedurally generated content (meaning every new game is different), permadeath, the ticking clock of oxygen usage on hostile planets, and an achievement system. Yet Approaching Infinity is also amazingly approachable for newcomers to the genre. Permadeath can be turned off, there are in-game tool tips and a tutorial, and gameplay itself is smooth and intuitive.

"I love rogue-likes, especially their heavy use of procedural generation for maps, monsters, and items," remarked Bob Sanders of Ibology. "But true rogue-likes generally only appeal to a certain hard-core group of gamers, due to their inherent difficulty, huge list of commands, lack of graphics, and use of permanent death. I wanted to make a classical rogue-like that would appeal to modern gamers and let them enjoy the things that I find so rewarding about the genre. I set the game in space because that's the first place my mind goes, but also because there are very few sci-fi rogue-likes. I am happy to say that Approaching Infinity has met all of my initial design objectives and more!"

Thanks to the idea of a truly infinite design a single game can last as long as you want the story to continue. Multiple victory conditions also allow true endings, including one that should bring a smile to fans of the rogue-like genre.

Full modding support means that Approaching Infinity is really Approaching Infinity +1. Enjoy turning the game into your favorite sci-fi franchise, all without the need of coding experience.

The rich retro-graphics of Approaching Infinity are provided by David Gervais (famed author of many rogue-like tilesets) and a full original soundtrack by noted musician ectogemia.