Cosmonautica mixes trading, life sims and funky music in space

On a platform where Euro Truck Simulator 2 can be celebrated as a compelling mix of trade and A-roads, you don't need the romanticism of space to sell your economic simulation. Still, it doesn't hurt - especially when you're also simulating the close-quarters claustrophobia of your spaceship's crew. That's Cosmonautica's aim: a mixture of space management, trading and combat, that, if this trailer is anything to go by, is all backed up by some cheery tunes.

"Cosmonautica is about space, trading and a crew from hell," write developers Chasing Carrots . "We love trade/management-simulations and space-games like Elite II, Patrician or Transport Tycoon. But we also dig humor, characters and emergent stories. So we put in some personal touches like in the Sims."

As well as trading and crew management, players will also have to tackle ship-to-ship combat, and ground missions. The team also want to include public challenges: special scenarios that let you compete for a high-score.

Cosmonautica is only at the pre-alpha stage, with no release date announced. You can keep track of the project at the game's website .

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.