Starsector. It’s pretty much exactly what you described!
this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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How much of the game is combat? I’m looking for a similar game but I’m really not that interested in combat. I’d rather play like the Millenium Falcon and have to run away whenever things got heated.
No Man's Sky seems to fit that description
There is an old Super Nintendo game called Uncharted Waters that isn’t “indie”, but you can emulate it and it will play on a wristwatch with an entire global map and trade economy.
Elite Dangerous might scratch that itch for you. No Man's Sky also has some of that.
Seconding the overwhelming urge to spreadsheet trade routes in No Man's Sky.
Have you looked into HALCYON 6? Not quite buying and selling goods, but it might be a good spot to get your feet wet before diving into something super complicated. You do have space station and fleet and need manage resources (and upgrades) while scouting/ developing/ defending a broader galaxy. The end game can get a little repetitive, but overall it's a pretty solid indy game with colorful characters, fun pixel art, and Star Trek vibes (plus it's a little older, so goes on sale pretty regularly).
Kenshi may be something worth looking into.
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Horizon's Gate is this with a tactics RPG on it, and is one of my favorite indies. Merchant of the Skies is this with a floating island theme, which I enjoy.
Merchant of skies was fun. Too short though.
Port Royale 2.
Why 2?
Because it's twice as good as 1
Is combat focus a deal breaker? If not: Faster Than Light Volcanoids (early access) Darkest dungeon (kind of) Xcom
If you step away from the ship, things like mass effect and outer worlds come to mind. If the ship can be a base there's a whole world there. Astroneer, planet crafter (early access), Starbound, terraria, Subnautica If exploration/colony sim is cool you're looking at factorio, rift breaker, frostpunk, ixion (hardcore!), satisfactory
I expect I've stayed from your prompt at this point. It's a tough niche. Good luck with your search!
Edit: on mobile, don't know why my line breaks didn't work. Forgive the formatting.
Rebel Galaxy X4: Foundations
Freelancer
It's literally free abandonware
You might look into Vagrus - The Riven Realms. It's a game where you manage a trade caravan and deal with resource management and random events. Also, Elite Dangerous or something like Euro Truck Simulator could be good.