Anno 1800

Anno 1800 nails its gameplay loop with aplomb while adding plenty of new features to expand it further. From the grand aesthetic to the rich atmosphere and gameplay depth, Blue Byte's latest is a return to form for the franchise.

80%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

stability, grinding

80% User Score Based on 14,636 reviews

Critic Score 82%Based on 23 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $5.63

Buy NowGet on Steam $14.99 Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store Buy NowGet on Epic Games Store

About

Anno 1800 is a single player and multiplayer economy city builder game with economy, historical, business and kids themes. It was developed by Ubisoft Mainz and was released on March 31, 2019. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Anno 1800 is a city-building real-time strategy game set in the industrial revolution. Players must balance economic growth, resource management, and political alliances while developing their own unique empire. With a focus on detailed city-building and intricate trade routes, Anno 1800 offers a rich and immersive gameplay experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 14,636 reviews

gameplay467 positive mentions

stability118 negative mentions

gameplay
1,178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay of "Anno 1800" is widely praised for its intricate mechanics, engaging city-building elements, and stunning visuals, offering players a deep and rewarding experience. While the game features a steep learning curve and some mechanics can be overwhelming or poorly explained, many players find the complexity adds to its charm and replayability. Overall, it successfully combines historical authenticity with addictive gameplay, making it a standout title in the city-building genre.
- “There's layers and layers of added complexity, making games much more engaging and there's potential for many more hours of gameplay.”
- “Set during the dawn of the industrial age, it combines stunning visuals with deep, intricate gameplay.”
- “The gameplay in Anno 1800 strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and complexity.”
- “The grid mechanics and lack of any real road rules makes the city building part very unsatisfactory.”
- “The tutorial needs to be way more robust, the conditions of defeat are unknown and not divulged to the player (literally if you lose the screen just pops up with 'defeat' and that's.... it. no analysis, no reason why you lost. nothing. game over. wtf), and the mechanics are an exercise in frustration.... I'm angry I wasted money on this game.”
- “Unfortunately, gameplay is dry.”
graphics
909 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
31%
1%
The graphics of Anno 1800 have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, detailed environments, and vibrant cityscapes that effectively capture the essence of the industrial age. Players appreciate the attention to detail, dynamic weather effects, and the overall aesthetic appeal, which enhances the immersive gameplay experience. However, some users have noted performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, where high graphics settings can lead to lag and frame rate drops.
- “The graphics are amazing and the historical vibe is on point.”
- “Stunning visuals and detailed environments create a mesmerizing world with calming ambiances of bustling cities, serene countryside, and tranquil oceans.”
- “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is phenomenally deep, and thus far I have encountered zero bugs (or any issues).”
- “It feels like a game from the early 90s but just with updated graphics.”
- “The graphics are worse than Age of Empires 2 even when maxed out.”
- “This is a classic example of why graphics don't make a video game - the graphics in this game are spectacular, but the story and the gameplay is seriously lacking.”
story
836 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The story in Anno 1800 is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its engaging campaign that explores themes of family and perseverance, while others find it convoluted and filled with repetitive fetch quests. Many reviews highlight the campaign as a decent introduction to the game mechanics, but also note significant bugs that can hinder progress, leading to frustration. Overall, while the narrative has its moments, it often feels secondary to the gameplay, with some players preferring the sandbox mode over the story-driven experience.
- “Anno 1800 is an amazing game with an interesting storyline and an experience unlike any other.”
- “The game's visuals and story, along with the many layers of gameplay, are just awesome.”
- “The campaign story is actually kind of interesting, and it does a great job walking a new player through a good portion of the base game progression.”
- “Within 5 minutes of starting this one, I unknowingly encountered a progression-breaking bug with the main story quests.”
- “I like the game, but I can't progress it anymore because there is a game-breaking bug in chapter 4 where the queen's ship was destroyed carrying the court summons and a new ship will not appear with another, so I am hard stuck at the 'prosecution' quest with no way of fixing it without just resetting my save completely.”
- “The story of the campaign is a trope, a frequently used storyline that makes it boring and predictable.”
music
316 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful orchestration and ability to enhance the immersive experience, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the 19th-century industrial era. While many players find the soundtrack relaxing and engaging, some have noted that it can become repetitive due to a limited number of tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features of the game, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “What surprised me most is the incredible soundtrack, it's beautifully orchestrated and really accompanies you as you're playing.”
- “The atmospheric and well-composed music along with the ambient sounds of bustling cities, flowing waters, and cawing seagulls augment the immersive experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The soundtrack deserves special mention, as it beautifully complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing the historical immersion.”
- “The whole soundtrack is only 2 hours, which is split among multiple worlds.”
- “So it quickly becomes repetitive, even though the music itself is pretty good.”
- “And lastly, and weirdly I'm sure, some of the music is just annoying?”
optimization
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
57%
19%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to run smoothly on a variety of systems, while others report significant performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios. Many users have noted that the game struggles with stuttering, frame drops, and CPU optimization, especially on higher-end machines, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, some players have found the game enjoyable and well-optimized for lower-spec PCs, indicating a disparity in performance based on individual hardware configurations.
- “Ticks the optimization box in my brain.”
- “This is such an amazing game, the optimization, the customization, and the direction you want to play the game in are simply amazing.”
- “Great game for those that love city building, optimization, combat, and management!”
- “Unfortunately, I've encountered performance issues with the game.”
- “This is probably an optimization choice by Ubisoft, and since most of the competitive warfare usually happens in the water anyways, they may have seen it as unnecessary to render complex cities for each island.”
- “One really negative thing I have to say about it is the absolutely horrible optimization.”
stability
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
3%
89%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Many users express frustration with the Ubisoft Connect launcher, which is described as unreliable and problematic, complicating the gaming experience further. While some players manage to enjoy the game without significant issues, the overall consensus indicates that it suffers from serious stability problems that detract from its potential enjoyment.
- “First off, this new offering is the best in the series since 1404 (Dawn of Discovery). Wonderful gameplay, gorgeous graphics, fantastic expansion packs, and years later, the game runs great too. This is a must-buy for any fan of PC gaming or city builders.”
- “The game itself looks gorgeous, plays seamlessly, no glitches or FPS drops for me (ok, I have a Ryzen 7 and NVIDIA 1660, so it is as expected).”
- “Also runs great on the Steam Deck for those who use one.”
- “Given the number of complaints on the same issue, it looks like a classic Ubisoft buggy game.”
- “The game is incredibly buggy, crashing often.”
- “In itself, Anno 1800 is a great game, perhaps even the best in the series... but bugs, freezes, and constant crashes keep you from enjoying this game.”
grinding
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
9%
88%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the progression slow and tedious due to excessive micromanagement and repetitive tasks. While some appreciate the depth and content available, others feel that the gameplay becomes monotonous, especially in the later stages, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a blend of engaging mechanics and tedious resource management that may appeal to dedicated fans of the genre but can deter those seeking a more streamlined experience.
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “After putting in over a hundred hours, I'm thinking of asking Ubisoft for a paycheck because the longer this game goes on, the more micro-managing of tedious supply chains across multiple islands and regions you have to do.”
- “However, as you progress further and further into the game, you'll quickly realize that expanding your empire starts to become very tedious, and eventually not fun at all.”
- “The whole concept of expanding your empire is not possible, unless you want to have extremely tedious and annoying gameplay.”
replayability
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its extensive content, customization options, and multiplayer mode, which contribute to a high replay value. However, some critics note a lack of variety in gameplay mechanics and a repetitive building process that can diminish replayability over time. Overall, while many find it infinitely replayable, others feel it falls short compared to previous titles in the series.
- “There is a lot of content here, lots of replayability, great variation on playstyles and strategies.”
- “Great depth and challenge combined with infinite replayability.”
- “All in all, this game has an ungodly amount of content, depth, and replay value especially if you get all the DLC that has come out thus far and is still to be released.”
- “I haven't found the game to have much replay value - you'll be building the same buildings and progressing the exact same way on every playthrough, but I suppose that's just the nature of the genre.”
- “Bad gameplay loop, poor replayability, always online features cause the game to lag during single-player play, and excessive DLC.”
- “- campaign mode has low replay value.”
atmosphere
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
31%
6%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive recreation of the industrial revolution, featuring stunning graphics, detailed architecture, and a charming art style. The soundtrack and ambient sounds significantly enhance the experience, making players feel deeply connected to the historical setting. Overall, the combination of visual and auditory elements creates a captivating and enjoyable environment that keeps players engaged for hours.
- “The atmospheric and well-composed music along with the ambient sounds of bustling cities, flowing waters, and cawing seagulls augment the immersive experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “Set in the industrial age, this game has an amazing atmosphere, beautiful music, great gameplay, and gorgeous graphics. All these add to a wonderful experience in the city-building, resource management, and simulation genre.”
- “The game is a technical marvel; every building has its own unique look, actual people roam the city as it grows, they go to their jobs, etc. Texture detail, atmosphere, water details, everything is absolutely top-notch.”
- “Unfortunately, the controls are a little hard to pick up at first, and its lack of a save scumming feature often means that one mistake usually results in a catastrophic cascade failure that renders the art and atmosphere moot because if you actually want to win, you are going to be going over spreadsheets and planning optimization calculations instead of enjoying the game.”
- “The atmosphere and soundtrack are also done very well.”
- “The game's stunning graphics meticulously recreate the era, with detailed architecture and a lively atmosphere.”
monetization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with players expressing frustration over the mandatory creation of a Ubisoft account, intrusive ads, and aggressive upselling of DLC and season passes. Many reviewers feel that the game, while solid, is marred by what they perceive as a cash grab approach, where full-price purchases are accompanied by constant advertising and additional costs for content that was previously included in the base game. Overall, the monetization practices have detracted from the gaming experience, leading to a negative perception of Ubisoft's business model.
- “Overall, avoid this cheap cash grab.”
- “So basically it goes from what used to be a $90 game (prior to online sales, complete game), to pretty much wanting people to buy a $90 game and $60+ worth of content, that their own game client is basically advertising when loading the game.”
- “Also, you buy a full price title and get ads for season passes on day one without them being announced before release.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
14%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of dry wit and amusing character interactions, with players enjoying hilarious one-liners and quirky AI personalities. While some find the humor engaging and entertaining, others feel it has diminished over time, with references to funny glitches and character accents adding to the charm. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted experience that complements its strategic gameplay.
- “The characters pop up every now and then with some hilarious one-liners which do make you chuckle...”
- “They basically have a funny accent and then yell a single word at you over and over again (queen! duty! islands! etc.) - characterization nailed!”
- “I love information, graphs, and charts that are very useful, switching between a quasi-first-person view and isometric, micromanagement and the ability to set and forget (just set it right!), a great and slightly unfamiliar sense of humor that can be quite dry and amusing at times, AI personalities that don't feel inert - after 75 hours I can see that this new edition holds a great deal of meaningful challenges.”
- “The humor in this game is insignificant and often relies on glitches that aren't funny.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel more like humorous glitches than actual comedy.”
- “The attempts at humor are so insignificant that they barely register as funny.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, particularly highlighting its impactful soundtrack and the joy of cooperative play. The experience of building and exploring together evokes strong feelings, ranging from frustration during challenges to wholesome moments shared with loved ones. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to create a rich emotional atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “It's like the game has its own emotional soundtrack that fits perfectly with the ups and downs of building your empire.”
- “Makes me want to cry because I can't win in a single siege.”
- “The music, the details, the artwork... it is amazing - my boyfriend and I play it together and those hours where we build and visit each other's island are just the most wholesome hours of our evenings.”