Go anywhere, do anything. No story, no limits, and no rules. Experience the synergy of total freedom and boundless opportunity.

Reach beyond the usual drone of trading and mining. Build stations. Amass fleets. Explore planets. Make friends. Plan raids, ambushes, and even full-system assaults.

No hand-crafted assets. The universe is built procedurally - from the asteroids to the planets right down to the ships - so each game is completely different. Each universe is also infinite in expanse: you'll never finish exploring, learning, or conquering.

The people of the Ancient Colony believed that all limits - physical, technological, even cosmological - could be overcome with the mind. "You are your only limitation," they said. It was unrealistic, perhaps even childish. But it worked. This so-called 'limit theory' thrived in the minds of the people. Idealism drove overwhelming progress. Far-fetched aspirations became concrete realities. Wide-eyed dreams fueled breakthroughs in all fields. Limit theory prevailed, and it took civilization from the surface of one planet to the farthest corners of the universe.

You are part of this great lineage of idealists. You, like your ancestors, are free of limitation. You, like your ancestors, see exploitable potential in everything around you. You, like your ancestors, are a limit theorist, and you will carve your own story in this radiant universe.

Even though Limit Theory has a successful kickstarter campaign, raising $180k out of a $50k target, developer Procedural Reality has run out of money and thrown in the towel.

It is with a heart of lead that I write this announcement. Not in my darkest nightmares did I expect this day to ever come, but circumstances have reached a point that even my endless optimism can no longer rectify. I can not finish Limit Theory.

After six years, I am finally at the end of my means. Financially, I am beyond the initial investment and have exhausted most of my personal savings. But significantly more troubling is that I am entirely out of energy -- emotionally, mentally, even physically. Every year that passes sees me becoming more desperate to make good on the dream with which you all entrusted me, but each such year I grow less and less capable of doing so as my mindset falls further away from that bright, beautiful hope that powered me from the beginning. I am not what I once was.

Despite what felt like an incredible amount of progress in the last year alone, Limit Theory remains frighteningly far from feature completion. It is my own fault, for having underestimated at every turn the amount of work that goes into such a creation. It is my own fault, for having overestimated my own cognitive resilience and for believing that no number of setbacks would ever inhibit my ability to bring a passion project to life.

I don't know how to make this right. For years now, I've been running on pure loyalty to you all -- it has been quite a long time, if I'm honest, since I was actually working from a place of inspiration -- yet even with the purest of intentions and the deepest desire to honor my commitment, I find myself unable to bring about miracles. No matter how hard I try, it's not enough to bring LT to fruition, and this pattern of failure has evicted all self-confidence and hope from my mind, leaving only doubt, anxiety, and despair. Some days I think to myself "how absurd that a game should make me feel this way," and I realize just how unfit I have become to build a source of joy. I wanted so, so badly to make you all proud. To bring you all joy. There are no words to properly convey how sorry I am that I have failed you all.

I imagine I could go on and on with this gushing of negativity -- the years have left me with no shortage of it. But I don't think much good will come of it. Those of you who have followed the project closely, you already know how much I have put into it; how I have given 110% of myself. Trying isn't the same as doing, so I don't expect any thanks for it, but I hope you all do know just how hard I've tried. I've simply got nothing more to give.

So, what now?

Well, I will prepare the source code for release. It's not a working game, and in my frenzy to get things working I've left huge swaths of code in a half-refactored or half-complete state. But releasing it is the least I can do. I don't imagine it will be of any use to anyone, other than as a monument to a failed dream. Perhaps those who are interested in game engines will glean a thing or two from the engine, as it is a fairly solid piece of engineering, much more solid than the Lua game code.

For the moment, though, I wanted to get this off my chest as soon as possible. It has been the most painful, difficult decision of my life, and I'm sure that there will be no shortage of blowback. But I simply cannot continue to destroy myself in search of a feat of which I am not capable. When I began this project, I felt that anything was possible. Here now, at the end, I must swallow the painful reality that: I, too, am human. I am limited by time, I am limited by finances, and I am limited by mental & emotional stamina.

One last time, I would like to thank everyone who contributed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in Limit Theory. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try for something wonderful. One last time, I am so sincerely sorry for having let you down. I hope, at the very least, that some of you have enjoyed the ride as I've pitted my brain over the years against one challenge after the next.

I'll be in touch when I have readied the source code for release.

~Josh

Key Features:

• Infinite, Open World: Each universe generated by the Limit Theory Engine has an infinite number of star systems to explore. As far as your journeys take you, you will never encounter the edge of space. Truly, you can never exhaust the possibilities of this universe.
• All Things Procedural: All of the content that populates each universe is generated by the computer, using a technique known as procedural content generation. This means that next time you start a game, not only will the universe be different - but all things therein as well, including factions, goods, weapons, ships, mission opportunities, stations, planets, AI pilots, and more. Each universe is a totally unique experience without end.
• Large-Scale Combat: Encounter epic battles between massive fleets with hundreds of ships. Take sides and join the fight, or earn enough wealth to purchase and command your own fleet to crush your adversaries.
• Dynamic Economy: You won't find fixed prices here. The Limit Theory economy is dynamically driven by supply and demand. Moreover, events that occur in the universe - raids, blockades, factional takeovers, and so on - may change the entire dynamic of a region's economy. Your actions are no exception. As you become more influential, you may find your operations to have a significant impact on the surrounding systems.
• Immersive Mining: Actively search for ore in asteroid fields, then physically extract it using weaponry or, even better, specialized mining beams. While scanning may be necessary to ascertain the exact contents of an asteroid, ore-rich asteroids can be spotted visually from afar.
• Planetary Interaction: Land on planets and visit distinct locations. Look for the best deals or interesting jobs at trade hubs, or visit factories, ship dealers, faction headquarters, mines, and more. With the right connections, you may even become privy to secret, less-than-legal locations on planets. The planetary interaction system makes each planet a small adventure in and of itself.
• Living Universe: You aren't the center of the Limit Theory universe. AI players live their lives as well, and throughout your journey in the universe you will see factions fall, planets overrun, wars waged, treaties signed, and so on. Inevitably, you will cross paths many times with the NPCs trying to forge a life in the universe - for better or for worse.
• Ownable Fleets, Stations, and Planetary Buildings: Not only can you purchase more than one ship, but you can also expand your operations to include any number of custom space stations, as well as buildings on planet surfaces. The game isn't over just because you've acquired the best ship and weapons...far from it.