Space Trader: Merchant Marine

2007 Action, Indie, Strategy

Windows 11Runs

MacNot sold

LinuxPlatinum

Gamicality score

Metacritic 535

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 501

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today4.5/5

Design today2.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mixed

50%

642 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Space Trader: Merchant Marine run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Sold for Windows today, no problem on record.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Played Space Trader: Merchant Marine lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

An indie space trading game in which you start as a small-time merchant and try to build a trading empire across the solar system under a heavy-handed ministry. You buy goods cheaply on one world and sell them on another against chapter deadlines, and you take bounty contracts that drop you into short first-person shooter arenas.

Released: 2007
Genre: Action, Indie, Strategy
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics gave it mixed reviews, with a Metascore of 53 from eight reviews. Players who enjoy it describe a simple, relaxing buy-low, sell-high loop that works as a time killer, especially at a low price. Most reviews call the trading shallow because prices move at random, the shooter sections weak and repetitive, and the graphics, sound and music dated. A long December 2025 review sums it up as a game with interesting ideas and unpolished execution.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The full single-player game is included and needs no servers (PCGamingWiki, GOG).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen is supported natively; ultrawide and multi-monitor need a field of view tweak (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
The game has no controller support (PCGamingWiki).
?Not confirmed yetSteam Deck Verified or Playable
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no known issues, and players report only minor bugs (PCGamingWiki, Steam Community).

Design today

2.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
There is no controller support, and players describe the first-person shooting as weak, with guns that feel underpowered and enemies that offer little challenge. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Players describe the menus and interface as clunky by modern standards, and 4K support is not confirmed; widescreen resolutions do work. Source: steamcommunity.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
The game keeps progress in a continue file, and a player who ran short on the chapter clock near the end could only rescue the run by editing that file; no source shows earlier saves to fall back on. Source: steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
The trading loop is simple to grasp, and each merchant lists how far below the normal market value each item is selling. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Each chapter repeats the same formula of raising a set sum before a deadline, missions recycle fetch and bounty tasks, and the shooter levels reuse a few maps, which players widely call tedious. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
The first-person view uses a default 90 degree field of view with adjustable mouse sensitivity, acceleration and inversion, and travel between worlds happens through menus. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.