Anno (series)

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 exploration of the region, diplomacy and trade with other civilisations 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 civilisations tend to be neutral from exact nations. The more recent titles focused upon future periods of Earth's history around possible "what if" scenarios based upon current issues.

This article is about the Anno video game series. For other uses, see Anno (disambiguation).
Anno
Developer(s)Max Design
Related Designs
Blue Byte
Keen Games
Kaiko GmbH
Publisher(s)Sunflowers Interactive
Ubisoft
Disney Interactive Studios
Creator(s)Wilfried Reiter
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Nintendo DS
Wii
Web browser
Android
iOS
First releaseAnno 1602
April 1998
Latest releaseAnno 1800
16 April 2019

Each game in the series is mainly a stand-alone title, featuring the same level of reoccurring gameplay mechanics, though with each installment amending existing gameplay mechanics and adding new features, with expansions packs adding in 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 in 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 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
Releases timeline
1998Anno 1602
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003Anno 1503
2004
2005
2006Anno 1701
2007
2008
2009Anno 1404
2010
2011Anno 2070
2012
2013
2014
2015Anno 2205
2016
2017
2018
2019Anno 1800

Main series
Title Year Developer Expansion Notes
Anno 1602: Creation of a New World1998Max DesignNew Islands, New Adventures (1998)
By Royal Command (1998)
Im Namen des Königs (1998)		 released in the U.S. as 1602 A.D.
Anno 1503: The New World2003Max DesignTreasures, Monsters and Pirates (2004) released in the U.S. as 1503 A.D.: The New World
Anno 17012006Related DesignsThe Sunken Dragon (2007)also marketed as 1701 A.D.
Anno 14042009Related Designs, Blue ByteVenice (2010)released in the U.S. as Dawn of Discovery
Anno 20702011Related Designs, Blue ByteDeep Ocean (2012)
Anno 22052015Blue ByteTundra (2016)
Orbit (2016)
Frontiers (2016)
Anno 18002019Blue ByteSunken Treasures (2019)
Botanica (2019)
The Passage (2019)
Seat of Power (2020)
Bright Harvest (2020)
Land of Lions (2020)

Spin-offs
A video game for the Nintendo DS, and spin-off of the series.
A video game for the Nintendo DS and the Wii, known in North America as Dawn of Discovery.
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
  • 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
  1. Staff (December 26, 2002). "Platin für "Anno 1503"". n-tv (in German). Archived from the original on November 30, 2018.
  2. Steininger, Stefan (January 21, 2004). ""Anno 1503" schlägt "Anno 1602"". GamesMarkt (in German). Archived from the original on November 30, 2018.
  3. 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.
  4. Staff (October 23, 2006). "Teuerstes Spiel aus Deutschland". n-tv (in German). Archived from the original on January 1, 2010.
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