Project Moon Lore (And How to Get Into It) - UPDATED DEC. 2024

Have recent game events got you confused? Don't know who half these characters or places mentioned in the game are? Are you invested in the story but not enough to play a brutally punishing management sim or deckbuilder? Are you more capable of reading than the average coomer gacha addict? This guide is for you.

INTRODUCTION

EDIT: UPDATED DEC. 2024 WITH MORE LINKS AND RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

The Project Moon series of games and tie-in works are a vast and rich landscape about the horrors of unfettered capitalism and, well, just horrors in general.

However, it's also a notoriously hard series to get into, partly because of the brutal difficulty of the previous two games, partly because so much of it is scattered and not really in any one central place for easy access (especially if you are an English speaker).
For many people, Limbus Company is their first step into the series, and they probably have NO IDEA where to start with trying to dig into the more overarching backstory and lore of both it and the others in the series.

That is where this guide comes in. This guide will detail how to read/watch PM's media, in what order, and provide links to pretty much everything so as to get the most out of Limbus Company and so *you* don't have to go trawling through YouTube/Reddit/wherever to try and find this stuff yourself.

NOTE: There may be spoilers for the various games and other works in this series, as well as upsetting material (as this is a dystopian horror game), so you *are* warned.

WIKIS

Decided that the wikis deserved their own section for convenience. I strongly recommend bookmarking these links, as they will effectively be your best references for everything else not mentioned in this guide.

• >>Cogitopedia[projectmoon.miraheze.org] - A WIP wiki run by members of the community, working on adding in-depth content for all of the games and supplementary materials.
  
• >>LobCorp Wiki[bw.artemislena.eu] - Has data on every character and Abnormality, including lore-relevant ones (such as Bloodbath) or inaccessible/cut ones (such as Don't Touch Me and Price of Silence).
  
• >>Library of Ruina Wiki[bw.artemislena.eu] - Has relevant character and world lore from key pages, and also has cut content like the CGs from the original planned ending.
  
• >>Limbus Wikigg[limbuscompany.wiki.gg] - Has ID Uptie stories and info about Mirror Dungeon encounters as well as expansions on certain lore that is only briefly alluded to in other games. (DO NOT USE THE LIMBUS FANDOM WIKI, IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED/VANDALIZED.)
  
• >>Library of Project Moon[libraryofprojmoon.tumblr.com] - A WIP fan blog whose purpose is to consolidate translations of the literary source novels and related works for Limbus Company and the PM games as a whole.

LOBOTOMY CORPORATION

Summary: Lobotomy Corporation is the first game in the series. It is a roguelike management sim where you play as "Manager X", tasked with handling employees and various monsters known as Abnormalities in order to generate daily quotas of a power source substance known as Enkephalin and a mysterious "Seed of Light" project. You are aided by an alleged team of AIs known as the Sephirot, and your very own personal assistant AI, Angela. It's often been likened to "anime SCP Foundation."

This is the game where everything begins, and without it, we wouldn't have the plot of Limbus (or anything else for that matter). This is where the Golden Boughs come from, this is where Abnormalities come from, this is even where Distortions come from - but we're getting ahead of ourselves on that front.

LobCorp is known to be brutally punishing even by PM standards, and while I have played and enjoyed it myself, I cannot personally recommend it unless you are really, *REALLY* invested in this series. Playing it is a lesson in perseverance through frustration, and even modding to make it marginally more accessible is a Herculean task.

But, there is good news!

>>This playlist<< has all the cutscenes for LobCorp in proper order, right up to the true 100% Seed of Light Ending.

>>This video<< also has the cutscenes, albeit not in order, HOWEVER, it does have the alternate, non-canon endings A and B (which are timestamped in the link for convenience).

There is also a summary by one WordsmithVids, in case you find even the cutscenes daunting in length. Some people dislike him, I think he does a fine enough job, decide for yourself.

>>And this site<<[tiphereth.zasz.su] contains transcripts/text of the entire game, albeit not in order. It also has WIP sections for EGO weapons, gear, and other useful info, in case one doesn't want to have to sit through the cutscene videos.

WONDERLAB (WEBCOMIC)

Summary: Wonderlab was a webcomic by the artist MIMI/Whitezombies, originally posted on the >>Project Moon Postype account.[www.postype.com] It follows the adventures of several employees - often called "nuggets" in fan parlance - Catt, Taii, and Rose, in a Lobotomy Corporation branch facility as they go about their day to day activities.

Wonderlab is no longer considered canon, if it ever technically was, as it was was taken down after the Summer 2023 Incel Controversy, when incels stormed the Project Moon office in Korea and made enough credible threats that the former Limbus CG artist known as Vellmori was fired, and it is currently part of a second conflict and controversy over copyright as of Summer 2024 alongside Leviathan.
But as it is our first introduction to Distortions and the concept of Aberrations of existing Abnormalities, as well as featuring the "missing" member of the Magical Girls group of Abnormalities (Servant of Wrath) who later appears in Library of Ruina, it still provides some very good foundations and flavor to the overall PM world.

As such, efforts have been made to archive the comic and ensure it is still available to read for those who missed out on it before the scandal.

• >>Internet Archive version.[archive.org] This has just the comic in an on-site readable format.
  
• >>A backup archive on Google Drive.[drive.google.com] This features the individual pages, a downloadable .zip of the archive, and a readable Google Docs version.

There is also a summary video, once again by WordsmithVids, in case some people take issue with the ethical ramifications of reading the taken down comic.

LIBRARY OF RUINA

NOTE: So, this is the point the lore starts getting messy. Allegedly, Distortion Detective and Library of Ruina actually take place at the same time in the story, post-LobCorp, though I personally think it's better to get through Ruina before DD. There's also some debate on whether or not Distortion Detective in its current form is actually meant to still be canon since Project Moon wants to make a DD game, which is what Limbus' gacha revenue is allegedly funding, yet it's also referenced *in* Limbus as of the Blade Lineage event-...look, I don't know, the even *more* hardcore PM lore nerds can go argue it out in the comments.

Moving on.



Summary: Library of Ruina is set a few months after Lobotomy Corporation, after Angela partially sabotages the Seed of Light project for her own uses and causes the White Nights and Dark Days. An alleged "Grade 9 Fixer" known as Roland finds his way into the mysterious, tower-like Library that has sprung up in place of the former main facility of L Corp, where he encounters Angela and the other Sephirot (all now Librarians). He begins assisting her in finding "the perfect book", which requires the sending out of curious invitations to various groups of people to entice them to the Library, which then culminates in fighting off their guests, various Fixer Associations, and Distortions alike - as well as the mysterious group known as the "Reverberation Ensemble."

Now, unfortunately, there is not a playlist that splits up the cutscenes or puts them in order for Ruina that I have been able to find.

>>These two videos have them all in compilation.

HOWEVER. A wonderful and dear friend of mine (the one who got me into this game in the first place by dangling that sad PTSD-having bug ass in front of me) has allowed the guide they sent me to be reproduced/copied.

>>As such, there is a guide[docs.google.com] on how to watch the cutscenes in the order that makes the most sense, utilizing the timestamps of the previous two videos. It is not a perfect system, but it works at least.

>>There is also[tiphereth.zasz.su] a written transcript archive for Ruina, by the same person who did the one for LobCorp, which also includes useful info regarding things like cards and keypages as well.

>>WordsmithVids also has at least two summary vids out.

Unfortunately, WordsmithVids has not finished his summary of Ruina owing to financial issues. The first two parts will be linked here, for convenience if nothing else, and this guide will likely be updated if/when further parts are released.
>>I also recommend WordsmithVids' Patreon,[www.patreon.com] if you would like to try and help support him to get more of the vids worked on and made.

>>There is also an almost FOUR HOUR LONG video essay by hydrojoy that delves into Angela's character specifically after the events of LobCorp and Ruina. It is not required viewing like the rest of the materials here, however, I think it still deserves a mention just for the amount of effort and care that went into it.

Ruina sets up a lot of things we run into in Limbus as well, so it's essential to the story. Here we have the Library that's been mentioned by Dante, the various Fixers and Associations, many characters that show up as IDs or otherwise make appearances in the Cantos of Limbus, and again, more of the Distortion phenomenon and their origins. Which leads us into...

DISTORTION DETECTIVE (WEBNOVEL)

I finally read this one!

Summary: Taking place at roughly the same time as Library of Ruina, two Fixers known as Ezra and Moses and an N Corp. Taboo Hunter known as Vespa investigate the Distortion Phenomenon that is rapidly starting to spread across the City after the events of the previous games.

Originally released as a webnovel on Project Moon's Postype, Distortion Detective has 42 chapters and is technically incomplete/on hiatus. Project Moon, surprised at how popular the webnovel was, decided they wanted to potentially make an entire game based on the story. As of this writing, that has not happened (yet), but at least one character from the novel has appeared in Limbus Company, so there is still hope yet.

• >>The DD series in its original form on Postype.[www.postype.com] This version was posted chapter-by-chapter, on Project Moon's Postype account and is (as of this writing, at least) still readable there.
  
• >>A backup archive on Google Drive[drive.google.com]. This has the entire webnovel in a single document format (both Docs and downloadable PDF) featuring the artist NishikujiC's official chapter illustrations up to Ch. 26, and includes the now-cut comic adaption of Ch. 19 by the artist Monggeu/koug99.

LEVIATHAN (COMIC/WEBNOVEL)

(Oh boy, if you thought Ruina was a rough one, this was the *really* messy entry.)

Summary: After the events of Library of Ruina, and operating as a direct prequel to Limbus Company, Leviathan follows the Color Fixer Vergilius (aka the Red Gaze) as he grapples with his own personal traumas and comes into conflict with the Ring Syndicate, before being recruited as a guide for the LCB.

Leviathan originally started as a webcomic by the artist Monggeu/koug99. Health issues with the artist resulted in the comic being discontinued and turned into a webnovel, whose translation was never completed and had to later be finished by fans. The comic portion has since been taken down as of the Summer 2024 copyright conflict and controversy, much like Wonderlab was. Once again, however, this has been mirrored for archival and reference purposes.

>>Someone else also already wrote up an excellent guide on how to read Leviathan, so I recommend you use that, as their efforts deserve to be rewarded. Give them a thumbs up and a favorite for putting in the legwork on this particular mess, because despite its vital importance to the story of Limbus, Leviathan's half-translated, half-comic-half-novel state is just that: a mess.

However, in case their guide gets taken down as a result of the 2024 controversy, archival links are provided here, just in case:

• >>Original source of Leviathan on Postype.[www.postype.com] Due to the copyright conflict and the translation hiatus, the only chapters available are Ch. 12-15. The link is still included for posterity reasons and just in case the copyright conflict results in the chapters being restored.
  
• >>A backup archive on Google Drive.[drive.google.com] This link includes the comic chapters, as well as the SnakeskinFS English fan translations for the last five chapters that were never completed, all in PDF form.

LIMBUS COMPANY

You are currently here.

Summary: After all the events of the previous games, a mysterious up and coming business known as Limbus Company has taken it upon themselves to send a group composed of 12 "Sinners" and their mysterious clock-headed Manager Dante to delve into the now-abandoned L Corp facilities in search of mysterious artifacts known as Golden Boughs.

Finally we come to the end of the shrubbery maze. Limbus Company is the latest chapter in the currently unfolding story of Project Moon and the City, a gacha game being used to fund other projects under the company umbrella.

Many people, once again, have ethical concerns about patronizing a gacha game. I for one agree with them, even as one of those patrons, and PM difficulty is still just that - PM difficulty, even if Limbus is the 'easy' game in the series so far. If the hooks hadn't gotten in me deep, I would never have played Limbus. As such, for my fellow casuals:

>>There is this site,[retcons.github.io] which operates as a pure datamined text archive of all the story content.

>>And there is this site,[limbus-logs.vercel.app] which operates as an archive of all the Observation logs from the Sinners, of enemies and Abnormalities as found in the game.

>>This playlist features all of the cutscenes for each part of the game story released so far (up to Intervallo 6.5-2/Murder on the WARP Express as of this writing).

BONUS/SUPPLEMENTARY

This section, liable to be updated at any given time, is for links to materials or fan-creations that don't necessarily fit with the strictly canonical story materials found in the games and webnovels themselves but which otherwise provide useful resources or analysis. Note that the vast majority of material here is supplementary and not required, but recommended.

(Except the literary sources. You will read those, and that is a threat. I can't take another Wings-forsaken illiterate opinion on Canto 6, I'm going to start Distorting and biting people if YOU PEOPLE DON'T READ THE DAMN SOURCE NOVELS.)

YouTubers and Video Essays:

• Frey Chaqma - Frey has done lots of work for the PM community, such as spearheading the Absolute Pride Resonance charity event for Pride Month 2024 as well as discussing the lore of the games and the City as a whole.
  
• Tsunul - Another YouTuber who discusses lore but who also often delves into more interpersonal matters relating to the fandom and controversies that can affect the game community as a whole.
  
• Esgoo - Although Esgoo does not necessarily get into lore so much, they are often tauted as one of the biggest names in the fandom for, if nothing else, their meta-analysis and basic gameplay/strategy material, as well as their community involvement.
  
• DMrLeeds - Although some of his videos are (comparitively) quite old, it can still provide a good jumping off point for anyone who is utterly lost on what's going on in Limbus.
  
• hydrojoy's essay on Benjamin - In addition to Angela, hydrojoy also did an in-depth analysis on Benjamin, aka B, aka Hokma, from Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina and their impact on the story.
  
• MetiNotTheBadGuy's PM Character Essays - Meti has done several excellent character breakdown videos on some of PM's most notable villains/characters, including Roland, Kromer, and Dongrang.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank the following for making this guide possible:

• My very good friend E, a fantastic artist whose persistence not only got me into this nightmare (affectionate) of a franchise, but who also made and allowed me to duplicate their guide for viewing the Library of Ruina cutscenes.
  
• MIMI/Whitezombies[x.com], Monggeu/koug99[x.com], NishikujiC[x.com], and Vellmori[www.patreon.com]. Although several of these artists have left PM and the community on bad terms, I still think their efforts should be appreciated and supported, now more than ever.
  
• Folex, Bek, WordsmithVids, hydrojoy, and the Lobotomy Corporation Archive. For posting their cutscene and summary/analysis videos.
  
• NeedsMoreDoge, the Steam user who provided the original guide and backup on how to read Leviathan that I myself utilized.
  
• SnakeskinFS.[x.com] For finishing Leviathan's English translation.
  
• The various Limbus Discords I am in, which encouraged me to do this so that other people might be able to get into the series and understand the story more easily.
  
• Certain Limbus Company Steam forum and subreddit users for their...particularly *charming* brand of hospitality to new players that made me want to spite them by offering story alternatives for newbies/casuals in the first place.

And of course, readers like you, who stuck it out through a lot of the long winded explanations and the many links. You guys make me proud.

If you liked the guide, feel free to leave a like or favorite.

If you can think of ways to improve it, or have questions about things mentioned or that you'd like to see added or possibly expanded on in another guide (such as a breakdown of a lot of the literary references/works that are in this series), leave a comment or two below.

...and if you wanna leave hatemail, good luck f*cko.

[Pootis]

@Froggy B
It's misleading to simply say "Some people dislike him." without saying why. If you also can't see the oversimplification of Ayin for comedy purposes then I don't know what to tell you man.

[Froggy B]

ALSO: Thanks to yet ANOTHER Twitter controversy, because god forbid we go one summer without one of those, there may be some problems with Leviathan soon, so I strongly suggest downloading that one ASAP from the link provided as of the date this comment is posted.

[Froggy B]

@Pootis I don't think there was anything wrong with how Ayin's character was interpreted, I know there were issues with how Enoch and his motivations were interpreted with Wordsmith's summary.
I also said "watch it for yourself and decide" rather than just throwing it out as explicit gospel. You know, let a viewer form their own opinion. I also agree that it isn't perfect. There also aren't really a lot of good summary vids in English for this series. So if you have alternatives, by all means, provide them.

[Pootis]

It's not just that people dislike wordsmith. It's that his video is straight up innacurate at times and massively distorts Ayin's character. I'd at least make sure to clarify that before telling newcomers to watch it and be done with it.

[Lemogus]

How to be Don next

[jgirlxtreme]

W

[Spockus]

W guide.