The Settlers: New Allies

A slow-paced and overly simplistic take on city building and war waging, but blessed with wholesome looks and a relaxing atmosphere.

53%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, replayability

49% User Score Based on 461 reviews

Critic Score 57%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $0

Buy NowGet on Steam €39.99 Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store Buy NowGet on PS Store $0

About

The Settlers: New Allies is a single player and multiplayer tactical city builder game with economy and historical themes. It was developed by Ubisoft Düsseldorf and was released on July 4, 2023. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

A strategy game with in-depth build-up and real-time strategic battles

Skip User Reviews

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 461 reviews

story20 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Visually impressive graphics with detailed animations and vibrant environments that pay homage to classic Settlers games.
Accessible and relaxed gameplay that blends city-building and real-time strategy, suitable for fans of the original titles and newcomers alike.
Multiplayer modes and cooperative play add replayability and social engagement; campaign provides a solid framework and moderate challenge.

Game is plagued by frequent crashes, save/load issues, and technical bugs that lead to significant progress loss and frustration.
Gameplay is overly simplified and slow-paced with limited strategic depth, repetitive missions, poor AI, and lack of meaningful economy management.
Restricted multiplayer skirmish options (only 1v1 or teams with friends), lack of random or custom maps, and missing classic features like walls and advanced unit variety.

story
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
61%
19%
The story in the campaign is widely regarded as weak, simplistic, and unengaging, with many players criticizing poor writing, bland characters, and repetitive missions. While some appreciate its basic narrative that supports gameplay progression and offers a gentle learning curve, most find it slow, boring, and lacking depth or meaningful immersion. Despite this, a few reviewers still enjoy the gameplay and visuals enough to overlook the story's shortcomings.
- “The story unfolds through missions that gradually introduce new mechanics and objectives, helping players learn without overwhelming them.”
- “I've just completed the 13 mission campaign and found it really interesting and quite challenging.”
- “New allies features a campaign mode with a narrative that guides players through various missions.”
- “The story driven campaign promised is a pure sham, with characters with no substance, low effort, no charisma, a simply failed narration from start to finish.”
- “The story in the campaign is like it was written by an AI, it's really bad and there are so many repetitions that it's almost amusing; also the cut scenes are terrible in graphics, voice acting and dialog.”
- “The story itself is underwhelming, to say the least.”
gameplay
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The gameplay combines classic city-building and RTS elements with accessible mechanics and appealing visuals, but it is often criticized for being overly simplistic, slow-paced, and lacking depth or meaningful progression. Frequent bugs, such as lagging units, freezes, and crashes, disrupt the experience, while limited factions and repetitive content reduce replayability. Overall, despite some enjoyable moments and nostalgic appeal, the gameplay feels underdeveloped and could benefit from more complexity, polish, and quality-of-life improvements like time acceleration.
- “An elegant game with simple but interesting gameplay.”
- “If you’re someone who enjoys games like Age of Empires, you’ll likely appreciate the strategic depth, economic balancing, and slow-burn style gameplay this title offers.”
- “I'm a veteran gamer and I love RTS games with some settlement building, but this one really got me hooked on both aspects of the gameplay with beautifully designed and detailed graphics, characters, buildings, actions, and environments.”
- “Workers regularly lag, freeze, or get stuck, breaking the core gameplay loop of a settlement-building game.”
- “Nevertheless, mechanics have been brutally simplified and the gameplay is painfully slow with no possibility to accelerate time (in contrast to its predecessors).”
- “Without significant fixes and meaningful gameplay expansion, the experience remains more frustrating than rewarding.”
graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
4%
The game's graphics receive consistent praise for their charming, polished art style, clean environments, and smooth animations that evoke a warm, classic Settlers vibe with modern enhancements. While visually appealing and running smoothly, some reviews note the graphics feel somewhat outdated for 2023-2024 standards and lack cutting-edge features like ray tracing. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's inviting atmosphere, though a few minor glitches and limitations in zoom and camera control were mentioned.
- “The graphics are genuinely impressive, with clean environments, strong lighting, and a modernized aesthetic that clearly benefits from contemporary hardware.”
- “While the graphics are polished, they maintain a warm, almost storybook aesthetic that fits well with the game’s fantasy theme and broad appeal.”
- “I'm a veteran gamer and I love RTS games with some settlement building, but this one really got me hooked on both aspects of the gameplay with beautifully designed and detailed graphics, characters, buildings, actions, and environments.”
- “The economy is oversimplified, unit diversity is practically nonexistent, and while the graphics look decent, they already feel somewhat outdated.”
- “The graphics are bad for a 2023 game.”
- “I've seen quite a few people say the graphics are alright... I disagree, not for 2024's standards.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
37%
36%
Optimization in the game is highly inconsistent across platforms and experiences; while some players report smooth performance and stable frame rates, others face significant issues like crashes, stuttering, and inefficient AI behavior. The game's optimization is considered a major problem by many, leading to an overall impression of being unfinished despite visually impressive elements.
- “Give me complex production chains, optimization, and that 'everything runs like a well-oiled machine' feeling—chef’s kiss.”
- “The game runs smoothly on both PC and console platforms, with stable frame rates and minimal technical issues reported.”
- “Either way, it's good, same as buying a DLC for Cities Skylines 2, but this game actually is optimized well.”
- “The game feels unfinished, and that impression is reinforced by frequent performance issues.”
- “Optimization is a major problem.”
- “Game crashes and restarts with unbearable stuttering and stuck mouse cursor.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game suffers from low replayability due to a lack of depth, variety, and meaningful skirmish customization after completing the campaign. While the social component adds some replay value by encouraging diverse strategies, the slow pace and limited faction options further hinder long-term engagement. Overall, it falls short of expectations for a strategy game in terms of tactical variety and replay potential.
- “Most replayability in the RTS genre comes from skirmishes and being able to customize those skirmishes.”
- “This social component adds significant replayability and variety, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies and playstyles.”
- “I would love to see 5 or more factions for greater variety and replayability.”
- “Basically, the game has no replayability value - once you get through the campaign, there is zero motivation to go back.”
- “For a strategy game, this lack of depth severely reduces replayability and tactical variety.”
- “I've played early access games with more depth and replayability than this.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably problematic, with frequent crashes, freezes, and save issues causing loss of progress and requiring forced shutdowns. Many users report buggy menus, unreliable save synchronization, and overall glitches that hinder the experience, though some remain loyal to the franchise despite these flaws.
- “I would forgive this game a lot; however, I just lost approximately 4 hours of gameplay due to game freezes at the save screen.”
- “Then it crashes 50% of the time; twice it caused my system to reboot. Other times it just freezes and you have to end task via Task Manager.”
- “However, though I am forever loyal to this franchise, this new version has some serious glitches which need ironing out.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is notably slow and tedious, with a significant portion of playtime spent waiting due to inefficient workers and slow resource gathering. While some players find this grind frustrating and pacing problematic, others see it as a characteristic charm of the series. Adequate grinding can eventually reduce the need for in-game purchases.
- “Game is tediously slow; of 35 hours you spend at least 50% of that time waiting.”
- “Economy is tedious, population is quickly consumed, so even with an investment of 250 population into the economy, resource gathering is super slow.”
- “Some players have noted pacing issues, particularly early on, where the slow buildup of resources can feel tedious.”
monetization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Users generally view the game's monetization as unobtrusive, with microtransactions primarily limited to cosmetic items like skins and decorations. While some dislike the presence of in-game purchases, they do not find them overly intrusive or essential to gameplay. Overall, the monetization is subtle and does not significantly impact the solo play experience.
- “I have no problems with Ubisoft ID or microtransactions as I am not a buyer of such stuff, and it did not bother me when playing solo.”
- “The in-app purchases are really only visible if you go looking for them.”
- “If the microtransactions are the shop decoration items, to me that isn't really microtransaction.”
- “But even if it wasn't, I would not give a recommendation because of the microtransactions only.”
- “What I don't like are the microtransactions in the game, and I miss the large maps and a map maker.”
- “Microtransactions in the game... why?”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The game's music is praised for its immersive and atmospheric qualities, featuring uplifting orchestral themes that enhance the overall mood without being intrusive. While some players prefer to replace it with their own music, many acknowledge the soundtrack as charming and beautifully composed. Overall, the music receives positive recognition for complementing the game’s aesthetic.
- “The soundtrack and audio design contribute effectively to the game’s immersive quality.”
- “The music features a blend of uplifting orchestral themes and atmospheric background tracks that enhance the mood without becoming intrusive.”
- “This one also has charming music just like all the older classics.”
- “Turn the music off, put some of your favourite orchestral music on instead and play happily for hours.”
- “Turn the music off, put some of your favourite orchestral music on instead and play happily for hours.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game features charming visuals and bustling villagers that create an immersive atmosphere, complemented by uplifting orchestral music that enhances the mood without being intrusive. While the atmosphere is praised for its quality and graphic appeal, some users feel the game appears incomplete and lacks certain basic features. Overall, it offers a rich economic system reminiscent of earlier Settlers titles combined with appealing aesthetics.
- “The design of the settlers themselves is charming, with villagers bustling about their daily tasks, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances player investment.”
- “The music features a blend of uplifting orchestral themes and atmospheric background tracks that enhance the mood without becoming intrusive.”
- “But this game has much more economy than Settlers 5, so I would say it's a crossover between Settlers 5 and 4 with really nice graphics and atmosphere.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is minimal, with limited dialogue, which may leave players wanting a more engaging and immersive narrative experience.
- “The dialogue and character development are minimal, which may leave players seeking a more engaging narrative experience somewhat underwhelmed.”

Skip Critic Reviews

57%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy The Settlers: New Allies

6h Median play time

10h Average play time

4-19h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like The Settlers: New Allies

69%7.6kreviews

Stronghold Crusader 2

2014

Open World City Builder

76%1.6kreviews

Pioneers of Pagonia

2025

Economy City Builder

67%2.9kreviews

Frozenheim

2022

Tactical Management

85%43.7kreviews

Age of Empires IV

2021

Open World City Builder

74%3.5kreviews

Knights of Honor II: Sovereign

2022

Open World City Builder

More games like The Settlers: New Allies

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The Settlers: New Allies is a tactical city builder game with economy and historical themes.

The Settlers: New Allies is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 10 hours playing The Settlers: New Allies.

The Settlers: New Allies was released on July 4, 2023.

The Settlers: New Allies was developed by Ubisoft Düsseldorf.

The Settlers: New Allies has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked The Settlers: New Allies for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

The Settlers: New Allies is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Stronghold Crusader 2, Pioneers of Pagonia, Frozenheim, Age of Empires IV, Knights of Honor II: Sovereign and others.

The Settlers: New Allies

Platforms