Similar Games?

[Big Blue Dude]

Recommendations greatly appreciated. Sandbox space games where you upgrade your ship that don't really have an endpoint.

[Kackstift]

Eve online (mmo with real money stuff)
elite dangerous (near dead mmo)
X4 (singleplayer space "sandbox" with story plots around the factions(real ingame economy)
but none of them are this arcade like Rebel galaxy

maybe "rebel galaxy outlaws" is the 2nd title from them. but you dont pilot bigger ships.. more small fighter

[Kackstift]

Space Pirates and Zombies 2 is the most similar game

[Mr Fox]

there is a little known game called Vegastrike thats free to download and play from sourceforge. it has alot of the same mechanics but is much less arcade paced.

[doomspike]

Space Pirates and Zombies 1:
Top down. "Turn Based" RNG universe. Like.

Endless Sky:
Is top down as well. Trade, explore, shuttle and fight. Quests, multiple story lines, aliens, lore. Open source. Real gud when u get into it. Can be very atmospheric.

Avorion:
This is a weird one. All sorts of good and some bad stuff going on. Has nuclear weapons. Very large galaxy. Has economy of a sort and manufacturing. Multiplayer with your own servers and modding! Needs couple of mods to fix UI and QoL. "Flight assist off" combat with capital ships at over 9000G.

X4:
Most functional modern space sandbox? Has a learning curve to it but can be pretty nice whenever you are not fighting UI. Capital ships feel gud. Feed your inner megalomaniac.

[Geek]

Stqpoint Gemini 2 is the closest in my opiinon.
Open world capital ship flying with some RPG elements.

[Waterjoe]

Just check out Everspace 2

[hibbidy_jibbidy]

the x4 series?

[hibbidy_jibbidy]

freespace?

[z5z]

Freelancer 2003

[ShoGunOni]

Between the Stars

[Northy]

Astrox
Between the stars
Star point gemini 2