This is excellent. Most of the answers here are what game to play, in other words, what mechanics can be used to force the horror feeling. This is purely about narrative, which can apply to any system. Thank you for sharing.
That paperclip looks about as handmade as the map!
Convoy escort is a good one. It's the sci-fi equivalent of caravan guard of fantasy trope fame.
I'm mostly in the same boat as you. I have tried several times to get into Critical Role since everyone raves about it, plus a few others. It's not for me. I suppose it's because I don't have any emotional connection with the actual play where I would have that investment with my own game. I will say that I did enjoy Dungeons & Daddies though, but that show is more like listening to a comedy podcast about fantasy rather than an actual play.
I go to try out different systems or to play systems my regular group doesn't play. Also, to remind myself why I have a regular group and how fortunate I am that they are mostly sane and adjusted people.
I really enjoyed the D&D 3rd Edition days, with the popcorn of d20-based games. Star Wars d20, d20 Modern, and the Sword & Sorcery Ravenloft were all great fun. The best part is that it was super easy to get your group to try new things, because the mechanics were all similar, if not exactly the same. People like to hate on D&D, but it's consistently been a great base to start from and inspiration for a multitude of other games.
I think they look great but I would have a problem with the variable length. If my DM gives me magic item cards, I will for sure buy a binder with card sleeve pages to put those cards in (no matter if they are cards or just paper). Having the variable length would keep me from doing that. I would prefer the text be variable font size with the card sized fixed to the standard 3 1/2" x 2 1/2".
Edit: I thought more about this and, if the main feature of your design is the variable length, maybe make that more obvious in the title/description. While it might not be to my liking, others may love it. Also consider adding some example 11" x 8 1/2" pages showing the layout you're going for using these cards. Marketing is (almost) everything.
Objects that convey cover or height would be what I would like. Assuming they are made to a 1" grid scale, I think that would be most useful to support immersion during combat. Boxes and barrels always seem to come up. Also, a chest, wagon, sarcophagus/coffin, stone table, and a generic macgiffin (however you choose to represent it) would be the most useful at my table.
I am a real, semi-functional human.
I'm confused. Do you normally try to keep your players from talking and metagaming between sessions?
I am learning Traveller as well but have not taken on the starship combat yet. This looks much better than similar designs I've seen. I also like the general aesthetic. I will try it out with my group and see how it works. Thank you for sharing!