This simulation and strategy (managment) video game for one player was developed by David Braben and Ian Bell, published by Firebird Software Ltd., and released in 1984.

Commander Jameson has 100 credits and Cobra Mark III, the lightly armed trading ship, to start with at Lave Station. The credits Jameson has got can be mounted up through a number of means: piracy, trade, military missions, bounty hunting and the mining of asteroids. With bigger amount of money the player can upgrade the ship with better weapons, shields, increased cargo capacity, an automated docking system, and some more. Well, what is there for a player to do: take the ship and trade among the different star systems. It is safe to trade on razor-thin margins. Or, you can take the risks and trade with anarchic systems. But you will also have to watch out for pirates.

Buying a fuel and flying near the sun you may save on fuel scoop, but you will have to be careful and look out for pirates. Also you can be a pirate yourself and raid all the other ships. In this case you will have to be careful not to get a bad rep – the police will follow you.