The player pilots a spacecraft through a network of star systems and visits planets, stations, and other locations. Missions and conversations provide objectives, while travel and exploration reveal further routes and assignments.

Core activities include navigating in space, fighting hostile vessels, buying and selling goods, managing equipment, and improving the ship and crew. Progress depends on completing missions and using acquired resources to reach more dangerous areas. The campaign is primarily single-player and structured around story progression rather than separate arcade stages.

Keep the ship supplied before leaving a safe station, and treat trading as an important way to finance repairs and upgrades. Avoid unnecessary fights when the opposition is stronger than the current equipment can handle.

Read mission text carefully and record destinations and objectives. Regularly review cargo, weapons, defenses, and available funds so that a promising contract does not become impossible because of poor preparation.