Recommended Free Tools
This ranking covers the eight numbered mainline Anno city-building strategy games, from Anno 1602 to Anno 117: Pax Romana—not every Anno-branded spin-off or platform-specific release. It is a recommendation ranking, not a complete critic-score table: the available aggregate scores cover only three games. The order weighs each entry’s defining appeal, how it serves the series’ city-building and economic-management core, and its relevance to players choosing a game today.
How to read this ranking
There is no single objective series-wide score to sort these games by. CriticDB’s franchise page covers three critic-rated entries—Anno 117: Pax Romana, Anno 1800, and Anno 2205—with scores of 82, 80, and 70 respectively, from 48 reviews across those titles. That is too narrow a sample to rank all eight games, and it does not establish comparative scores for the older entries. The placements below are editorial recommendations based on documented settings, editions, and the different kinds of Anno experience each game represents; they are not a claim of hands-on testing.
The games are listed from strongest recommendation to most historically important or niche pick. If you care most about a particular setting, multiplayer, or classic-era design, your personal order may differ.
Ranking the eight numbered Anno games
1. Anno 1800 (2019)
Anno 1800 is the most straightforward recommendation for someone who wants the series’ signature city-building premise in an Industrial Age setting. Ubisoft describes it as an expansive city-building experience set at the dawn of the Industrial Age. Its period makes the appeal immediately legible: build and expand a city during industrialization, with the economic and logistical management that defines the series.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- A RICH EARLY ADOPTER OFFER*: contains a digital art book, a digital game soundtrack, the access to the Imperial Pack and the Console Founder Pack!
- Prove your skills as you create huge cities, plan logistic networks, settle lush new continents, and dominate opponents by diplomacy, trade, or warfare.
- Build your own empire by constructing large metropolises, managing a thriving economy, and protecting your creations from others.
- Includes a story-based campaign, customisable sandbox mode, and a multiplayer experience.
- New features for a new age, through expeditions across the globe to seek fame and fortune and a new workforce feature that will make the management of your factories better than ever.
It is also one of the three entries in CriticDB’s limited aggregate, scoring 80 there. That places it close to Anno 117 in that particular snapshot, but the small subset is not proof that it is definitively better or worse than the other five games.
2. Anno 117: Pax Romana (2025)
Anno 117: Pax Romana takes the city-building formula to the Roman Empire. Ubisoft describes the player as a governor managing provinces, cultures, and political choices, making this the pick for players drawn to Roman-era city management rather than the Industrial Age or older historical settings.
CriticDB lists it at 82, the highest of the three entries it covers; that figure is not a series-wide ranking. PC Gamer reported on November 18, 2025, that Ubisoft cited averages of 85 on Metacritic and 84 on OpenCritic at that time. Those were publisher-reported launch-period figures, not current scores.
Ubisoft Store lists the game for PC, PS5, Xbox, and Steam, and gives November 13, 2025 as the PC release date. Availability and specifications can change by region or storefront, so check the live listing for current platform and system requirements.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Rank #3
3. Anno 1404 (2009)
Anno 1404 is the classic-era choice for players who want a medieval setting and a city-building entry preserved in Ubisoft’s modern-PC collection. Ubisoft’s catalog describes the 1404 History Edition as updating the game for modern PCs. That makes it especially relevant if you want to explore the earlier numbered games without starting with the original 1998 release.
The catalog’s claim concerns the History Edition; it should not be read as a guarantee that every original release or expansion will work identically on every present-day system.
Rank #4
- Step into the heart of empire building with Anno 117: Pax Romana and master trade, strategy, and conquest like a true ruler.
- OFFICIALLY LICENSED UBISOFT GEAR
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
4. Anno 2070 (2011)
Anno 2070 shifts the series into a near-future setting. Its place in the list reflects the appeal of a futuristic entry among a franchise otherwise known for historical eras, rather than a verified head-to-head review result. Ubisoft dates its release to November 17, 2011.
5. Anno 1701 (2006)
Anno 1701 is an earlier historical entry in the numbered sequence, released in 2006. For players who want to follow how the franchise developed before its better-known later releases, it belongs in the conversation; for someone simply choosing one game today, the official History Editions provide a more direct route into the four oldest mainline titles.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors6. Anno 2205 (2015)
Anno 2205 is the other far-future option in the ranking. It received a 70 in CriticDB’s three-game aggregate, the lowest of those entries, but that score says nothing about its position relative to the five games absent from the aggregate. Ubisoft dates its release to November 3, 2015.
7. Anno 1503 (2002)
Anno 1503 is an early entry with a notable edition-specific multiplayer milestone. Ubisoft’s 2020 announcement said the History Edition received an official online multiplayer mode 18 years after the original game’s release. That announcement also covered updated and expanded multiplayer options and matchmaking for the collection, but it does not guarantee present-day service availability.
8. Anno 1602 (1998)
Anno 1602 began the numbered series. It is the natural pick for anyone interested in the franchise’s origins, though its age makes it a less obvious first recommendation than a more recently updated edition. Ubisoft’s History Collection includes the 1602 History Edition with the other three early numbered games.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Anno game should you play first?
- For the Industrial Age: Start with Anno 1800, Ubisoft’s expansive city-building entry set at the dawn of industrialization.
- For Roman history: Choose Anno 117: Pax Romana, which centers on governing provinces and managing cultures and political choices.
- For the earlier historical games: Look for the Anno History Collection. Ubisoft identifies it as a PC collection of the History Editions of 1602, 1503, 1701, and 1404, plus their expansions.
- For a futuristic setting: Compare Anno 2070 and Anno 2205; the supplied aggregate scores do not establish a reliable series-wide verdict between them and the other entries.
- For the series’ origins: Begin with Anno 1602, the first numbered game, bearing in mind that it is the oldest release here.
What counts as “every Anno game” here?
Anno includes spin-offs and platform-specific entries as well as the eight numbered mainline city-building games ranked above. Ubisoft’s catalog and the official Anno Union page support this numbered selection and identify the four games in the History Collection, but the available sources do not establish a definitive official list of every Anno-branded product. This ranking therefore uses “every” only in the limited sense of every numbered mainline entry.
Where to find the classic games
Ubisoft announced the PC Anno History Collection in 2020 as a bundle of the four History Editions—1602, 1503, 1701, and 1404—with their expansions. Ubisoft said the editions received graphics features up to 4K, updated and expanded multiplayer options and matchmaking, multi-screen support, and save compatibility. These are features described at launch; check the current store and regional listing for availability and service details.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
