Anno is a real-time strategy, economic simulation video game series, conceived in 1998 by Max Design. The series focuses on players establishing colonies on a series of small islands, conducting an exploration of the region, diplomacy, and trade with other civilizations and traders while managing resources and engaging in combat both on land and sea. Most games in the series take place during Renaissance and Empire-building historical periods of Earth's history, with cultures, architecture, and customs based upon real-life elements from these periods, though in-game civilizations tend to be neutral from exact nations.
| Anno | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Max Design Related Designs Ubisoft Blue Byte Keen Games |
| Publisher(s) | Sunflowers Interactive Ubisoft Disney Interactive Studios |
| Creator(s) | Wilfried Reiter |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Nintendo DS Wii Web browser Android iOS PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S |
| First release | Anno 1602 April 1998 |
| Latest release | Anno 1800 16 April 2019 |
Each game in the series is mainly a stand-alone title, featuring the same level of reoccurring gameplay mechanics, though each installment amends existing gameplay mechanics and adds new features, with expansion packs adding further content. Initial games mainly focused on two modes of gameplay, with players able to operate in single-player or multiplayer over LAN or online connections, while later titles added a campaign mode of several missions, each featuring their own unique storyline - plots usually focus on players becoming involved in a major incident while beginning life as the ruler of a small island.
While primarily developed for PC, the series has also included a variety of spin-off titles mainly for handheld consoles, which in turn feature more simplified game mechanics to those of the main series. Each title over the series' history has featured a variety of different developers and publishers, with the most recent entries being currently developed by Ubisoft Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft. Most entries in the series have received average reviews from critics. The first title, Anno 1602, was Germany's best-selling computer game of all time as of December 2002, with sales of 2.5 million copies worldwide and 1.7 million in the German market.[1] Its sequel broke its sales-speed record, becoming Germany's fastest full-price computer game to reach 500,000 domestic sales.[2] It ultimately sold over one million units in German-speaking countries,[3] and, when combined with its predecessor, reached 4.5 million sales worldwide by October 2006.[4]
Titles
edit| 1998 | Anno 1602: Creation of a New World |
|---|---|
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | Anno 1503: The New World |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | Anno 1701 |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | Anno 1404 |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | Anno 2070 |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | Anno 2205 |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | Anno 1800 |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2025 | Anno 117: Pax Romana |
Main series
edit| Title | Year | Developer | Expansions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anno 1602: Creation of a New World | 1998 | Max Design | New Islands, New Adventures (1998) | released in the U.S. as 1602 A.D. |
| Anno 1503: The New World | 2002 | Max Design | Treasures, Monsters and Pirates (2004) | released in the U.S. as 1503 A.D.: The New World |
| Anno 1701 | 2006 | Related Designs | The Sunken Dragon (2007) | also marketed as 1701 A.D. |
| Anno 1404 | 2009 | Related Designs, Ubisoft Blue Byte | Venice (2010) | released in the U.S. as Dawn of Discovery |
| Anno 2070 | 2011 | Related Designs, Ubisoft Blue Byte | Deep Ocean (2012) | |
| Anno 2205 | 2015 | Ubisoft Blue Byte | Tundra (2016) Orbit (2016) Frontiers (2016) |
|
| Anno 1800 | 2019 | Ubisoft Blue Byte | Sunken Treasures (2019) Botanica (2019) The Passage (2019) Seat of Power (2020) Bright Harvest (2020) Land of Lions (2020) Docklands (2021) Tourist Season (2021) The High Life (2021) Seeds of Change (2022) Empire of the Skies (2022) New World Rising (2022) |
first game in the main series to release on consoles. |
| Anno 117: Pax Romana | 2025 | Ubisoft Blue Byte | Announced for consoles and PC |
Spin-offs
edit- Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery (2007)
- A video game for the Nintendo DS, and spin-off of the series.
- Anno: Create A New World (2009)
- A video game for the Nintendo DS and the Wii, known in North America as Dawn of Discovery.
- Anno Online (2013–2018)
- A free-to-play browser game (shut down in January 2018).
- Anno: Build an Empire (2015)
- For Android and iOS platforms.
- Anno 2205: Asteroid Miner (2015)
- For Android and iOS platforms.
See also
edit- The Settlers, a similar German real-time strategy and business simulation game
- Unknown Horizons, a game inspired by the Anno series
- The Patrician, a similar German game series focused on ships and trade, but also featuring Anno-like strategy elements
References
edit- ^ Staff (December 26, 2002). "Platin für "Anno 1503"". n-tv (in German). Archived from the original on November 30, 2018.
- ^ Steininger, Stefan (January 21, 2004). ""Anno 1503" schlägt " Anno 1602"". GamesMarkt (in German). Archived from the original on November 30, 2018.
- ^ Staff (May 15, 2017). "" FIFA 17" verkauft eine Millionen Units auf PS4 in Deutschland". GamesMarkt (in German). Archived from the original on December 1, 2018.
- ^ Staff (October 23, 2006). "Teuerstes Spiel aus Deutschland". n-tv (in German). Archived from the original on January 1, 2010.
External links
edit- Anno Ubisoft website (US)
- Anno Union, Anno development blog Archived 2020-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
- Anno at MobyGames