Ubisoft Mainz released Anno 1800 on 16 April 2019 and built it around five Old World population tiers that each demand more goods than the one below. Sunken Treasures followed on 30 July 2019 with Cape Trelawney and Crown Falls, a continental island roughly three times the size of anything in the base game and 103 Influence to settle. Later sessions add the New World, the Arctic and Enbesa, each with its own residents, goods and shipping problem.
Starting Anno 1800 can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Anno 1800 is a city-builder game built around Five Old World population tiers and Island-wide shared workforce. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Workers | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Artisans | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Engineers | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Investors | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Workers. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Investors as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Five Old World population tiers
Farmers, Workers, Artisans, Engineers and Investors upgrade in sequence, and each tier keeps every need of the tier below. Workers still want Bread, Sausages, Soap and Beer after they become Artisans, so the demand curve compounds rather than replacing itself.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Five Old World population tiers works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Old World
The European home session where all five population tiers live and where most of your industry ends up. Fertility varies island to island, so no single island grows every crop you need.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Clipper: it's the most accessible early upgrade. Four cargo slots and the best sail speed in the game, which matters on the long haul between the Old World and the New World session.
Step 4: Understand Island-wide shared workforce
Every residence contributes labour of its own tier to a single island pool, and a Steelworks needs Workers specifically, not just bodies. Upgrading too many Workers into Artisans starves the factories that only Workers can staff.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Cape Trelawney
A second European session dominated by Crown Falls, the continental island in the north. Old Nate trades here and hands over the salvager, a diving bell ship that recovers wrecks from the seabed.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Five Old World population tiers
Farmers, Workers, Artisans, Engineers and Investors upgrade in sequence, and each tier keeps every need of the tier below. Workers still want Bread, Sausages, Soap and Beer after they become Artisans, so the demand curve compounds rather than replacing itself.
Island-wide shared workforce
Every residence contributes labour of its own tier to a single island pool, and a Steelworks needs Workers specifically, not just bodies. Upgrading too many Workers into Artisans starves the factories that only Workers can staff.
Influence spent on islands and ships
Influence comes from total population and pays for settling extra islands, keeping ships in service, buying Trade Union and Town Hall items and running propaganda. Crown Falls alone costs 103 Influence, which is why most players settle it late rather than first.
Trade Union item slots
A Trade Union covers a radius of production buildings and holds items that raise output, cut input cost or change a recipe entirely. Legendary items can double a chain's throughput, so the item hunt matters more than adding a fourth Schnapps Distillery.
Expeditions to other sessions
Ships loaded with a crew, supplies and equipment sail off-map to resolve text events with skill checks in categories such as Diplomacy, Force and Medicine. Expeditions are the route to Cape Trelawney, which unlocks after you reach 700 Artisans.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Upgrading residences as fast as the goods allow, then watching factories shut down because nobody at the correct tier is left to staff them
2. Settling four islands early because they look empty, spending all Influence on claims, and having nothing left for ships or Trade Union items
3. Building production without checking the statistics panel, so three Schnapps Distilleries feed off one Potato Farm and all three run at a third capacity
4. Ignoring attractiveness and ornaments, then wondering why an Investor district refuses to grow past a hard ceiling
5. Treating the New World as a second home city instead of a supply colony, which doubles your management load for goods you could simply ship
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Five Old World population tiers and Island-wide shared workforce
- Choose Workers as starting build
- Clear Old World main content
- Acquire Clipper or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Cape Trelawney
- Read the fertility list in the island panel before you plant a flag. An island without Grain fertility can never bake its own Bread, and hauling Bread across the map for 5,000 Workers costs more shipping than the island is worth.
- Do not upgrade every Worker residence the moment the button lights up. Steelworks, Weapon Factories and Sawmills all need Worker labour specifically, and an island full of Artisans will show every factory idle with a red workforce icon.
Tips for New Players
- Read the fertility list in the island panel before you plant a flag. An island without Grain fertility can never bake its own Bread, and hauling Bread across the map for 5,000 Workers costs more shipping than the island is worth.
- Do not upgrade every Worker residence the moment the button lights up. Steelworks, Weapon Factories and Sawmills all need Worker labour specifically, and an island full of Artisans will show every factory idle with a red workforce icon.
- One Potato Farm supports two Schnapps Distilleries exactly. Learning the base ratios for the first six chains removes most early game guesswork, and the in-game statistics screen shows production against consumption per good.
- Place the Trade Union before you build a fourth copy of any factory. A single item raising output by 50 percent across the covered radius is cheaper in space, workforce and upkeep than another building plus its inputs.
- Keep a running Influence reserve of at least 120 once you approach 700 Artisans. Crown Falls costs 103 by itself, and being 20 short means waiting several thousand population for the chance to claim the best island in the game.
- Run expeditions constantly, not occasionally. The reward tables hand out specialists, rare items and Trade Union upgrades, and a Schooner sitting in port is Influence you are paying for and not using.
- Set trade routes to load a fixed quantity rather than filling the hold. A route that empties your Old World Rum stock the moment it arrives will crash Artisan happiness across three islands at once.
- Electricity is not optional for Engineers and Investors, and Power Plants have a limited radius. Plan the Oil supply chain and the rail connection before you upgrade a district, not after residents start downgrading.
- Watch the newspaper each cycle and edit articles deliberately. Boosting a category you actually depend on, such as production speed or happiness, is a free island-wide buff that costs nothing but a few clicks.
- Build the Harbourmaster's Office early on any island that exports. Its item slots cut loading times and raise ship speed on every route touching that harbour, which compounds across a ten-ship logistics network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the DLC to enjoy Anno 1800?
No. The 16 April 2019 base game contains the full Old World with all five population tiers and dozens of hours of play. Sunken Treasures, The Passage and Land of Lions add regions rather than fix anything missing.
How do I unlock Cape Trelawney and Crown Falls?
Reach 700 Artisans, which makes the relevant expedition available, then complete it. Crown Falls itself needs 103 Influence to settle, so bank Influence before the expedition finishes.
Why are my factories showing a workforce shortage?
Workforce is per tier, not pooled across tiers. Upgrading Workers into Artisans removes the exact labour that Steelworks and Sawmills require, so keep a block of Worker residences permanently un-upgraded.
What is the fastest early income source?
Schnapps. Potato Farms into Schnapps Distilleries produce a good the neutral trader always buys, and the chain needs only Farmers to staff it, so it funds your first expansion before Workers exist.
Is multiplayer worth playing?
Yes, and it is genuinely cooperative. Players can share an island pool and split responsibilities, which suits Anno because one person can run the Old World industry while another handles New World plantations and shipping.
More Anno 1800 Guides
- Anno 1800 Anno 1800 Overview
- Anno 1800 Best Builds
- Anno 1800 Tier List
- Anno 1800 Walkthrough
- Anno 1800 Tips & Tricks
- Anno 1800 Weapons Guide
- Anno 1800 Combat Guide
- Anno 1800 Boss Guide
- Anno 1800 Maps & Locations
- Anno 1800 Crafting Guide
- Anno 1800 Classes & Characters
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