1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
City BuilderExplorationColony Sim
$14.99 ~24.6 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 82.4% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictAnno 1404 shares the same city-building and trade-route core Anno 1800 built on, with a medieval setting instead of the industrial one, at a fraction of the price. It still runs on Ubisoft Connect, so the account and login layer that frustrates 1800 players persists here too, unresolved.
Not for you if you're trying to escape Ubisoft Connect logins entirely, or want the historical campaign without checking DLC settings first.
2
Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
The Settlers® : Heritage of Kings - History Edition
PC
Colony SimCity BuilderRTS
$5.99 ~38.5 hr median no co-op 83.7% of 838
The Squirrel's verdictHeritage of Kings runs the same production-chain economy loop as Anno 1800 - houses feeding into refined goods, unlocking deeper tiers as your settlement grows - but scoped to single campaign maps instead of Anno's sprawling multi-region trade network. No co-op, no open sandbox, and at $5.99 with a 38.5-hour median playtime it's a far shorter, more linear commitment aimed at the production puzzle itself.
Not for you if you want Anno's open-ended multi-region sandbox, multiplayer co-op, or a game built to run past a hundred hours.
3
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 History Edition strips the series back to its original scope: build supply chains and trade routes across a handful of islands rather than 1800's sprawling multi-region empire. Median playtime sits at 11.3 hours, a fraction of the hundreds veterans put into 1800. Co-op is included, priced at ten dollars.
Not for you if you want 1800's scope and hours, or you're already fed up with Ubisoft Connect logins, which this release still requires.
4
The Settlers® : Rise of an Empire - History Edition
PC
City BuilderMedievalRTS
$11.99 ~21.3 hr median no co-op 76.6% of 748
The Squirrel's verdictPlayers who want a shorter, lower-stakes production-chain builder — settle a region, manage supply lines, unlock tiers — without the hundreds of hours Anno 1800 demands will find Rise of an Empire a contained fit at $11.99. It's a re-release of a 2007-era game, so controls and visuals reflect that age; reviews note both without treating them as dealbreakers. Median playtime is 21 hours. Ubisoft's launcher is required, and reviews log the same authentication errors found across the series.
Not for you if you want modern production depth and visuals, or Ubisoft's launcher authentication has already cost you access to other titles.
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 1800'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 →