Star Traders: Frontiers is a huge stellar sandbox with an evolving galaxy that moves forward with or without you. It s liberating, not being on the hook for every little problem. As a free-wheeling captain, you can ingratiate yourself with the most important galactic players, becoming embroiled in the highest level of politics, or you can just enjoy the life of a scoundrel, smuggling and stealing your way through space.
It s a chimera, stitched together from bits of RPGs, strategy games, roguelikes and space sims, but it s miraculously cohesive. The multitude of systems and invisible paths can be initially daunting, but the ability to carve out your own little niche means that it s as manageable as you want it to be. That s how it gets you. You re merrily ferrying legal goods between worlds for a small profit, staying within your comfort zone, and then an hour later you re smuggling illegal artefacts, spying on royals and fighting the space cops.