Similar gameplay?

[Fyre]

I don't really care much for story, but something about picking up stuff in one port, going to another and selling it for more in order to get a bigger ship to carry more cargo between ports really scratches an itch. When I was really young I remember I could just about barely wrap my mind around Escape Velocity but honestly Sunless Seas and Skies are the only games I've found that really satisfy the craving. What are some games with similar gameplay to this game and what I've described? The less story text in the game the better.

(Edit: A big problem I'm having with similar games is that so many focus on large ship battles and micro-managing a thousand ships and a billion little tweaks and upgrades you can do on each. Really looking more for a single vessel that I control and don't have to wrack my brain min-maxing a hundred little things on the ship.)

[.//slayer]

Take a look at:

-Transcendence (a space-based roguelite not unlike the Sunless series),
-Space Rangers (this game is a complex sandbox, but can be played in many different ways, including just being a trader),
-Starcom Nexus (more of an exploration focus),
-possibly Space Pirates and Zombies (focus on fighting instead of trading),
-Starsector (not on Steam, but still an amazing title - check out gameplay videos),
-possibly Starscape (a bit more casual and older).

The ultimate space trading simulator is quite possibly the X series (starting from X: Beyond the Frontier), but it's done in 3D and rather more complex than Sunless Skies.

[Morty2989]

Second vote for Starsector. Bit of a learning curve but it's great.

[Ser Pounce]

There's one game that immediatly sprang to my mind when I started playing Sunless Sea: Sid Meier's Pirates!

Actually, despite the first version of it being from 1987, I hadn't really played anything quite like it until Sunless Sea came out. And it's still considered a really good game here on Steam.

Drox operative is another great one but set in space, similar to Space Pirates and Zombies.

[Ryusui]

A House of Many Doors. Very similar in vibe to Sunless Sea/Skies.

[KnightwhosaysNi]

Weird, you're the one guy in the fanbase that enjoys the game for the gameplay! If you're okay with online stuff, supposedly EVE Online really rewards similar trade mechanics.

[.//slayer]

Space Rangers 1/2 were awesome back in the day, but didn't age that well in my opinion. Or maybe I didn't age that well. Still, planetary battles are superb.

I'd say the latest iteration - Space Rangers 2 HD: A War Apart - holds up extremely well due to its neat sprite-based graphics and tactical thoughtful gameplay. The amount of content there is also enough to last for a good hundred hours.

[DemKin]

One that comes to mind is Elite: Dangerous
Space-sim massively multiplayer game, I found it very repetitive myself after a while, but breathtaking visuals and very immersive. Haven't played in a while though, maybe it got better/less boring
Maybe you'll feel like checking it out

[Disorganic]

Originally posted by faijeya:

Vangers if you want something weird.

boyyyeeeegod DAMN that's a weird, awesome game.

[Nolo Contendere]

Originally posted by Ser Pounce:

There's one game that immediatly sprang to my mind when I started playing Sunless Sea: Sid Meier's Pirates!

I see you too are a sentient being of culture!

@OP i second this recommendation as well as the Elite: Dangerous ones.

[Maikel1309]

Space Pirates And Zombies 2! I found this post. I was looking for this sort of combat too and spraz2 is on sale and lots of fun. Btw i don't like spraz1 at all