Stellar Trader

Stellar Trader is a freeware role-playing game that places the player in the role of a freelance starship captain. The game begins in the year 2376 amidst a war between humanity and aliens, though there is not much of a narrative told in game. Non-player characters, locations, and missions are procedurally generated for the most part. The general gameplay is open-ended but is mostly comprised of commodity trading between planets and turn-based space combat.

The player starts with an entry-level spaceship and very little money, and the game mostly revolves around becoming more powerful by purchasing better ships, equipping more advanced weapons and systems, and completing missions for various factions. Through choice of attributes, ship types, equipment loadouts, hired crew, and faction affiliation, the player is free to specialize in either trade, combat, or a mix of both.

Trade is a simple matter of purchasing goods at one planet (hopefully for a low price), and traveling to another planet to sell them at a profit. In this game, the player's negotiation skill along with the skill of any hired helmsman will come into effect, along with the type, size, tech level and wealth level of the planet where the buying and selling takes place. Highly profitable illegal goods can also be bought and sold, though police ships may be on the lookout for carriers of contraband.

Combat takes place in a turn-based fashion between two opposing ships, until one is defeated, surrenders, or flees. Potential encounters include police, pirates, merchants, mercenaries, or aliens. Before the fight begins, the player is given the choice to engage combat, attempt to flee, attempt to avoid, or ignore an encountered ship. Once combat has started, several combat tactics are available, affecting the ship's attack, defense, and attempts to make or close distance relative to the opponent. Enemy ships have the same options available, and can change between them depending on the situation.