Arcadium 1 is about as linear as it gets. Its kind of like that game Aero Fighter from the 90s, mixed with Space Invaders. Just shoot the aliens and dodge their shots. On the way, there are gems and power ups that can make your future forays more rewarding.

This is a mobile game – it’s available on iOS and Android.

If you have an android, there are two games that did a great job with 2d space combat and trading - spacerpg3 and spacerpg4. 3 is definitely inspired by EV Override, while 4 is very much its own thing.

I have played all of those except for Ur-Quan. I didn’t like the combat or trade mechanics in Naev, but the storyline and the planet art is cool. I played endless-sky a lot, but at this point I just want to see the main storyline for it finished, but that will have to wait until MZ has the time to dedicate to it again. I have starsector, but it looks more complex than I would like.

Star Valor looks cool as hell. I can’t actually run it, since it’s Windows-only, but one of y’all might like it. If you liked the classic Escape Velocity games or endless-sky, this looks similar.