Anno 1602

Anno 1602 is a mix of simulation and strategy gaming where players create a realistic and lively world, modeling it to their liking. The player controls an unnamed European nation in 1602 AD that is looking to expand their power into the New World. As the game starts, the player will need to find a nearby island, colonize it, and start building up an economy. The US release contains all 6 scenarios (in addition to the tutorial and training game) that were included in the original European release, as well as 9 new scenarios, along with a "free play role".

Progression centers around satisfying the evolving needs of the colony's population. The ultimate goal of the game is to discover chains of islands, settle them, develop on them, and then trade with other players. Players can also trade with their own colonies, and various neutral CPU controlled players such as native tribesmen. As players build homes, the residents go through various social classes: Pioneers, Settlers, Citizens, and Merchants, each demanding more sophisticated goods such as cloth, alcohol, tobacco, and spices.

Anno 1602 was conceived in April 1996 at Max Design, a Schladming-based game developer founded in 1991. Following a period of financial turmoil in which the company neared bankruptcy, the team began Anno as a spiritual sequel to its earlier title 1869 – Hart am Wind!, a competitor of The Patrician. The team at Max Design numbered only four members: designer Wilfried Reiter, brothers Martin and Albert Lasser and artist Ulli Koller. Anno 1602's design occurred gradually. From December 17-22, 2018, the game was given away to Uplay users for free on PC.

Anno 1602 began the Anno series. Anno 1602 was one of the first PC games to popularize the "economic city-builder" genre in German-speaking countries. It became one of the best-selling PC games of all time in Germany, selling over 2.5 million copies by 2006 . This commercial success established the Anno franchise, which has since continued with entries such as Anno 1503, Anno 1404, and Anno 1800. In 2018, PC Games named it one of the most influential games ever released.