Anno 117
A Roman city-builder set during the Pax Romana.
Anno 117: Pax Romana is a real-time strategy city-building game from Ubisoft Mainz and Ubisoft. It is the eighth Anno title and the series’ earliest historical setting, taking place during the Pax Romana. Players act as a Roman governor, choosing to start in either the Roman province of Latium or the Celtic kingdom of Albion.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Ubisoft Mainz
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Series
- Anno
- Genre
- City-building, real-time strategy
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5
- Windows
- Xbox Series X/S
- Engine
- Empire Engine
- Released
- 13 November 2025
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Anno 117 is a real-time strategy game with single-player and multiplayer modes, including co-op in both endless and campaign modes. Players take the role of a Roman governor and can choose between starting provinces, ruling either the Roman Empire in Latium or the Celtic kingdom in Albion, where they may combine cultures or go fully Celtic. Story mode lets players take the role of one of two predefined characters and continue after the story ends, while endless mode offers a choice of province and multiple difficulty settings. Players select rival governors with different personalities and playstyles who do not always follow the same rules and can act as opponents or trade partners. Players begin on an island with limited resources, build a stable economy, and expand to other islands. Residences are built for Liberti, and the population advances to Patricians as needs are met, affected by access to goods and the presence of prestige or polluting industrial buildings. Infrastructure upgrades like paved roads extend the effective range of structures. An attribute system manages income, population, and health, influenced by buildings and goods supply. Production chains can span multiple islands and require inter-island trade via assigned ships. Small settlements, warehouses, waystations, and intra-region hubs help manage logistics. Trade surpluses can be sold to increase income, and economic crises can be stabilized by placing buy orders at harbors.
Synopsis
Anno 117 is set during the Pax Romana, a period of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire, and is the earliest historical setting in the franchise. In story mode, players assume the role of one of two siblings, Marcus Naukratius or Marcia Tertia. Marcus is a young man uncertain of himself who takes on the unexpected role of a Roman governor, while Marcia rises to prominence in a male-dominated Roman Empire, challenging its societal norms. The sibling is summoned to Latium by Emperor Lucius Augustus. The city of Ambrosia lies in ruins after a volcanic eruption and must be rebuilt under the new name Juliana. With guidance from imperial advisor Ben Baalion, the sibling restores the city. Emperor Augustus dies, and Gnaeus Firmius Calidus seizes control of the Senate, crowning himself Emperor and forcing the sibling into exile in Albion. In Albion, the sibling gains the trust of the native Celtic population, encounters leader Voada, and stabilizes the province. After success in Albion, Calidus allows the sibling to return to Latium, participate in a triumph ceremony, reclaim Juliana, and receive a reward.
Development
Anno 117 was developed by Ubisoft Mainz and published by Ubisoft as the eighth installment in the Anno series. The Federal Government of Germany subsidized development with 5,697,585 euro, the highest funding amount to date for a single video-game project, presented at Gamescom 2023. The game launched with built-in modding support including a mod loader, with an in-game mod user interface and browser planned for post-release updates. Creative director Manuel Reinher stated that the team focused on improving the starting experience for new players while maintaining complexity, making the game more modular so new players could explore specific provinces with more context and story. Core players were still expected to manage multiple lands and trade. Major city-building changes include optional needs that allow partial fulfillment of categorized requirements to advance population tiers, a new attribute system linking resources to specific benefits and drawbacks, and production buildings providing positive or negative effects for nearby structures. Developers told GameStar that slavery in the Roman Empire is addressed through the story but not used as a gameplay mechanic; the game includes Liberti, freed slaves who make up the first working population and often remained dependent on their former owners.
Reception
Anno 117 received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, with OpenCritic stating that 90% of critics recommended the game. Critics praised the city-building gameplay, with TechRadar noting engaging supply chain management and greater accessibility than recent entries. IGN praised the immersive city-building experience and strong sense of a living city, while PC Games commended smooth construction and district planning. Rock, Paper, Shotgun lauded diagonal roads for increasing layout flexibility. GamesRadar+ criticized the lack of simple tools for managing inefficient city production. Visual presentation was praised for environmental detail and atmosphere, with IGN highlighting detailed architecture and environments. GamesRadar+ and PC Gamer commended detailed cities creating a living world. 4Players praised detailed graphics and ray tracing effects, while PC Games complimented lighting and weather effects. Combat was mostly well received, though some critics deemed land battles inferior. IGN noted naval combat as weighty and representative of a full real-time strategy experience, while land battles were considered just fine. PC Games highlighted naval battles as realistic and land battles as an improvement over previous entries. 4Players criticized land battles as small and less spectacular.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Anno 117 released?
Anno 117 was released on 13 November 2025.
What platforms is Anno 117 available on?
Anno 117 was released for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.
Who composed the music for Anno 117?
The music for Anno 117 was composed by Dynamedion.
What engine does Anno 117 use?
Anno 117 runs on Empire Engine.
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