1
City BuilderMedievalRTS
~22.4 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 89.5% of 439
The Squirrel's verdictDawn of Discovery is Anno 1404 under its North American release name, same city-building chain economy and trade-route optimization Anno 2205 runs on, but medieval instead of sci-fi and without multi-planet logistics. No co-op. Reviews flag it as micromanagement-heavy at 22.4 median hours, so it suits players who want the production-chain puzzle without segmented off-world colonies.
Not for you if you want co-op play, futuristic setting, or came to Anno 2205 for its multi-planet structure rather than trade-route logistics.
2
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 is the direct series predecessor to 2205, carrying the same layered city-building and trade-route logic but set in medieval Europe with a full campaign and tutorial — accessible once you uncheck the History Edition DLC override in Steam properties. Co-op is included. Ubisoft Connect is required alongside Steam, and login failures appear in reviews at the same rate as the rest of the series. Median playtime is 24.6 hours at $14.99.
Not for you if you want a sci-fi setting, or you expected this older entry to be free of Ubisoft Connect's login requirements.
3
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 on the same resource-chain-into-settlement-growth loop as Anno 2205, but trades the futuristic city sim for classic RTS combat and a much older engine. No co-op. At $5.99 with a median 38.5 hours logged, it suits players who want economic building paired with base defense rather than pure city management.
Not for you if you want cooperative play, modern production graphics, or expansion content free of the reported map glitches.
4
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 is the earliest entry in the series available here, built on the original build-and-trade loop before 2205's multi-planet layers and DLC-locked systems. Co-op is included in this rerelease. At $9.99 with an 11.3-hour median and a Mostly Positive rating, it suits players who want a shorter, simpler Anno with the series' foundational structure intact.
Not for you if you expect the older, simpler design to mean fewer launcher requirements — Ubisoft Connect is still mandatory here.
5
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 verdictRise of an Empire is a 2007-era city-building and economy game bundled with its expansions, aimed at players who want a foundational, slower-paced Settlers design rather than Anno 2205's future-city scope. At $11.99 and a 21.3-hour median, the value is straightforward. Ubisoft Connect authentication is still required, and reviews include the same ownership-verification failures found across the Ubisoft catalog.
Not for you if you already own an earlier edition of this title, or you want production values beyond a 2007-era engine.
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 2205™'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 →