Anno 2205

Anno 2205 bets on pulling the series out of its usual historical setting and into the near future, between high-tech urban megacities and early lunar colonies. The result is a pleasant surprise: the Anno formula — build, produce, run supply chains between complementary regions — adapts surprisingly well to this sci-fi mood, even if series purists sometimes miss the naval warfare system in favor of a more arcade-y, optional combat mode.

Three regions, one economy

The core of the game is managing several regions with complementary roles at once: temperate zones for housing and base production, the Arctic for rare resources, and finally the Moon for high tech. Shipping goods between these zones via trade routes is a genuine logistical puzzle, very much in the spirit of the series’ best moments, but with an added spatial dimension that shakes things up.

A futuristic look that holds up

Visually, the game has aged rather well: the vertical megacities, orbital stations and lunar bases have a retro-futuristic charm that contrasts nicely with the series’ usual classicism. This was my first Anno, and even though I’ve since learned it’s a bit of the black sheep of the family, it remains, to me, a very successful entry point into the economic city-builder genre.