Anno 2070

About Anno 2070

Anno 2070 is a real-time strategy and city-building simulator set in a flooded 2070. Developed by Related Designs and Ubisoft Blue Byte, it tasks you with managing mobile island colonies via three distinct factions: Ecos focus on sustainability, Tycoons prioritize industry, and Techs unlock advanced research. Released in 2011, it requires Uplay to run. The core loop involves balancing resource production, trade routes, and population needs while fending off rival factions and environmental threats. It’s a complex, systems-heavy game for players who enjoy micro-managing economies and optimizing logistics. The series’ signature depth is here, but it demands patience to untangle its interconnected mechanics.

Gameplay

Each session starts with building a base on a floating island, then expanding via terraforming and resource extraction. You’ll manage workers, construct buildings, and trade goods like oil or food between islands. Combat is minimal but exists, factions attack if you encroach on their territory. The Ecos’ slow growth and Tycoons’ pollution trade-offs force strategic choices. Later, Techs unlock upgrades by donating credits. The UI is dense, with overlapping menus for production chains and tech trees. Sessions often stretch into hours as you tweak zoning to avoid gridlock or supply shortages. Multiplayer co-op adds coordination challenges, but solo play remains the focus.

What Players Think

The community’s mixed: 75.2/100 on IGDB from 94 ratings. 22% of players finish it, with average playtime at 25 hours. Positive moods praise its “deep economic systems” and “addictive optimization,” while negatives call it “overwhelming” and “buggy.” One review notes, “The Tycoon faction’s pollution mechanics feel broken.” 68% of players say it’s “worth the time,” but 18% give it 3 stars or lower. Achievements (55 total) include unlocking all islands and hitting 100,000 population. 32% of completers did so in under 40 hours, but 45% needed 50+ hours.

PlayPile's Take

Anno 2070 is a niche, high-effort strategy game for fans of system mastery. It excels at simulating economic complexity but lacks polish in tutorials and UI. The $20, $30 price (if available) is fair for the depth, though bugs and a steep learning curve may deter casual players. Achievement hunters should prioritize it, it offers 55 trophies, but half require multiplayer. If you’ve mastered games like Factorio or the Anno 1404/15, this is a worthy next step. Otherwise, be prepared to invest 30+ hours for marginal rewards.

Storyline

The scenario is set in the year 2070. Global warming has melted the Arctic ice cap, which has raised the global sea level so that the coasts were inundated.[4] As a result, many old cities have vanished under the ocean, and much of what was once highland has been turned into chains of new islands. Responsibility for settling and exploiting these new frontiers is given to a select group of people, who captain mobile ocean-going bases known as Arks. The game has three factions: The Eden Initiative (referred to as the "Ecos"), Global Trust (referred to as the "Tycoons"), and the S.A.A.T. (referred to as the "Techs"). Ecos are environmental and build sustainable cities, but are inefficient and slow to expand. Tycoons are industrious and expand quickly, but have problems with pollution and dwindling resources. The Tech is a support faction available to the other two, and they are useful in researching the latest and most powerful technologies. The Techs are only available later in the game when you donate 10,000 credits to their cause.