1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this.
City BuilderEconomyResource Management
$59.99 ~58.5 hr median co-op complexity: heavy 81.3% of 32k
The Squirrel's verdictAnno 1800 runs the same production-chain city building loop as Pax Romana: layered resource tiers, trade routes, needs-based population growth. The setting is the industrial 19th century instead of Roman antiquity, and it has six years of patches and DLC behind it, with median playtime near 58 hours and an 81% positive rating. Good fit for players who want the Anno formula proven out rather than freshly launched.
Not for you if you're hoping to escape Ubisoft Connect login and DLC-bundling complaints, since reviews report the same launcher and account issues here.
2
City BuilderMedievalRTS
~22.4 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 89.5% of 439
The Squirrel's verdictDawn of Discovery is Anno 1404, the same interdependent island economy and trade-route puzzle Pax Romana runs, minus any always-online requirement. Reviews describe complex, self-sustaining production chains that can still collapse if you skip military investment. Median playtime sits around 22 hours. Fits players who want the city-building loop without Ubisoft Connect friction.
Not for you if you want modern 3D visuals, co-op play, or an active DLC pipeline rather than a finished 2009 game.
3
Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say. Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
City BuilderExplorationColony Sim
$14.99 ~24.6 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 82.4% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictAnno 1404's defining feature is its dual-culture structure: Occident and Orient populations have separate building chains, goods, and needs that must be balanced against each other to advance. That interdependency adds a layer of decision-making the Roman setting of Pax Romana doesn't replicate. At $14.99, it ships as a complete game with 24.6 median hours logged and an 82.4% positive rating.
Not for you if you want to avoid Ubisoft Connect entirely — reviewers confirm it is required to launch even this single-player game.
4
City BuilderFuturistic4X
$39.99 ~35.8 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 70.1% of 6k
The Squirrel's verdictAnno 2205 splits city-building across multiple sectors — Arctic, lunar, and Earth zones — each with its own resource logic feeding a shared economy, and combat is optional rather than required. At 35.8 median hours and a 70.1% positive rating, it offers a complete mid-size experience. Priced at $39.99, though reviewers consistently flag Ubisoft Connect failures blocking single-player sessions.
Not for you if you want the historical Anno setting, deeper production complexity, or a launcher that reviewers describe as reliably functional.
5
Anno 1602 History Edition
PC
City BuilderColony SimGrand Strategy
$9.99 ~11.3 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 78.4% of 273
The Squirrel's verdictAnno 1602 is a 25-year-old city-builder remastered and rereleased in 2024 at $9.99. Its decision density is low by modern standards — fewer resource tiers, simpler trade logic, shorter sessions averaging 11.3 hours — which makes it approachable rather than demanding. A GOG version exists without the launcher requirement that reviewers flag on the Steam release.
Not for you if you want Anno 117's production depth and scale, or you are buying through Steam and want to avoid Ubisoft Connect.
How the Squirrel matches games
Not tag overlap. We compare what players actually say across hundreds of
thousands of reviews about how each game feels to play, then break
the comparison into the mechanics you can see in each card. The mark on
every bar is Anno 117: Pax Romana's own score, so you can read where a match runs
hotter or cooler than the anchor.
Verdicts are written against a fixed editorial standard, machine-audited,
and human spot-checked. Which games make the cut is a human call. Prices
and review data refresh automatically. Full method & AI disclosure →