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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Old World | Five Old World population tiers basics | Workers | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Cape Trelawney | Island-wide shared workforce mastery | Workers | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | The New World | Influence spent on islands and ships + gear | Farmers or Workers | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | The Arctic | Build optimization | Farmers | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Enbesa | Min-max | Farmers or Investors | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (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.
Level/Difficulty: Farmers through Investors Key Rewards: Schnapps, Beer, Sausages, Steel Beams, Weapons, Sewing Machines
What to Do in Old World
- 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. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Workers as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Clipper or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Five Old World population tiers fundamentals
- Workers selected and functional
- Old World main content cleared
- Ready for Cape Trelawney
Phase 2: Early Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Unlocked by an expedition once you reach 700 Artisans Key Rewards: Crown Falls building space, Old Nate's goods, seabed salvage
What to Do in Cape Trelawney
- Work on 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. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Clipper if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to The New World.
- Consider whether Farmers might suit your playstyle better than Workers.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Island-wide shared workforce integrated into gameplay
- Clipper acquired
- Cape Trelawney fully cleared
- Ready for The New World
Phase 3: Mid Game (The New World)
South American islands settled by Jornaleros and Obreros. Everything an Artisan or Investor wants to drink or smoke starts here, and the shipping distance home is the real cost.
Level/Difficulty: Unlocked by the campaign expedition to South America Key Rewards: Cotton, Sugar Cane, Rum, Coffee, Cocoa, Tobacco
What to Do in The New World
- Master 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. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Schooner. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Trade Union item slots for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Influence spent on islands and ships mastered
- Schooner acquired or in progress
- The New World fully cleared
- Ready for The Arctic
Phase 4: Late Game (The Arctic)
Added by The Passage. Explorers and Technicians survive only inside heater coverage, and buildings outside it stop working, which makes layout a heat problem before it is a logistics problem.
Level/Difficulty: Requires The Passage and a northern expedition Key Rewards: Gas for Airships, furs, whale oil
What to Do in The Arctic
- Finalize your build. You should be running Farmers or Workers with optimized gear.
- Schooner should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Expeditions to other sessions optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Enbesa.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Schooner upgraded to max
- The Arctic fully cleared
- Ready for Enbesa
Phase 5: Endgame (Enbesa)
Added by Land of Lions. Shepherds and Elders live along irrigation canals, and the Research Institute turns Scholar output into permanent items for every other session.
Level/Difficulty: Requires Land of Lions and an expedition to Enbesa Key Rewards: Research items, Scholar bonuses, unique Enbesan goods
What to Do in Enbesa
- Enbesa tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run Enbesa, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Investors for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Expeditions to other sessions mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Enbesa fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Upgrading residences as fast as the goods allow, then watching factories shut down because nobody at the correct tier is left to staff them.
- Settling four islands early because they look empty, spending all Influence on claims, and having nothing left for ships or Trade Union items.
- Building production without checking the statistics panel, so three Schnapps Distilleries feed off one Potato Farm and all three run at a third capacity.
- Ignoring attractiveness and ornaments, then wondering why an Investor district refuses to grow past a hard ceiling.
- 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.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Anno 1800 Guides
- Anno 1800 Anno 1800 Overview
- Anno 1800 Best Builds
- Anno 1800 Tier List
- Anno 1800 Beginner's Guide
- 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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