It was 1989, and the Orwellian nightmare we’d once feared felt safely postponed by a few decades. Many of us were preparing to party our way into the new millennium with Prince’s “1999,” even as the dread of an end-of-the-world scenario lingered thanks to the looming Y2K bug. Some of you may not remember that era, but rewind a bit further: in 1982, Maxis now long defunct released the original SimCity, a PC game that let players build and shape a city of their own, with every decision influencing success or collapse. Sixteen years later, Max Design expanded the genre with Anno 1602, introducing islands into the city-building equation. Fast forward to 2025, and Ubisoft has carried the Anno legacy forward with multiple entries, culminating in the latest installment, Anno 117: Pax Romana, released November 13, 2025.
Coming to Anno as a complete newbie, my first attempt was a spectacular disaster (note to self: should’ve visited the Anno Union). The controls take some effort to learn, especially when upgrading buildings, and the status bar across the top isn’t very intuitive. Still, after six confused but oddly joyful hours, I found myself hooked. Another six hours, then another… and around the twenty-hour mark, it finally clicked. The algorithm is firmly in charge you’re merely a cog it chooses to oil once in a while.
The game offers two modes: open world and campaign. Veteran players may feel right at home in open world, but newcomers will appreciate the guided structure of the campaign. You choose between two siblings — Marcus and Marcia — and the story adapts to that decision. Playing as Marcia immerses you in the full misogyny of the Roman Empire. She’s even absent from her own wedding to her elderly, ailing husband, whose affairs she must manage as governor of a small island. There’s much more to the narrative, but avoiding spoilers, I’ll simply say the campaign does a fantastic job of teaching every skill needed to move the story and your settlement forward.
Keeping your island prosperous is a major undertaking, with systems layered upon systems. For beginners, here are a few tips to stay afloat:
- Control the Clock. The speed dial in the lower-left corner lets you pause, speed up, or jump around the map. Pause often while building or troubleshooting.
- Create Planning Zones. Group related structures together. Residential neighborhoods benefit from markets and taverns, while industrial zones should stay far from homes NIMBY is alive and well in 117 CE. Also note that resources like mines or mills can only be placed in specific spots.
- Markets and Taverns. These are crucial for population growth and happiness. Prioritize them.
- Warehouses. They don’t increase total storage (that’s tied to research), but proximity dramatically affects production efficiency. Place them strategically within industrial hubs.
- Religion. Romans were not monotheists, and neither must you be. Switch deities as needed each provides different production bonuses that should align with your island’s resources.
- Civil Servants. As in modern times, they keep society running. Fire, disease, and riots are constant threats. Position service buildings between residential and industrial areas.
Of course, there are countless more strategies, but the best advice is simply to dive in. Downloads are hefty across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, so check the recommended specs before starting.
What makes Anno 117 so addictive is that every second matters. Every decision has consequences some beneficial, some disastrous. You might be thriving one moment, only for a fire, epidemic, or political upheaval to upend everything the next. Yet that unpredictability is exactly what makes the experience compelling. This is your world to shape. Good luck.
If you want to see how my fourth (or sixth) attempt turned out, you can find my gameplay on YouTube at @EAngel2801 or on Twitch at BGNEAngel.
