Exploring Anno 117: Pax Romana’s ancient world

GAMING NEWS AlexP - 04-Nov-2025, 1:00 pm - 38 comments

The world of Anno 117: Pax Romana invites players to step into one of the most iconic periods in human history — the height of the Roman Empire. Set in the year 117 AD, during the era known as the Pax Romana, the game captures the fragile balance between prosperity and power that defined this time. Players take on the role of a Roman governor tasked with developing and managing provinces within the vast Empire. The experience begins with a meaningful choice between two regions: the civilized heart of Latium or the untamed lands of Albion, where Celtic traditions and rugged landscapes challenge your authority. Each location offers a different tone and rhythm of play, emphasizing how culture and geography shape the path of civilization.

At its core, Anno 117: Pax Romana remains faithful to the essence of the Anno series — a blend of city-building, resource management, and economic strategy — while introducing new layers of depth. Players must balance trade, infrastructure, and citizen satisfaction as they expand their settlements across the Empire. New mechanics allow for diagonal construction and more organic city layouts, moving beyond the traditional grid-based systems of earlier entries. Building placement now has tangible effects on productivity, as influence zones and environmental factors add strategic complexity. Beyond architecture, cultural development plays a key role, letting governors decide whether to embrace Roman discipline or integrate the customs of local populations, creating a richer narrative of governance and identity.

Shaping civilization at the height of Rome’s power

Expect a deeply immersive experience built on intricate systems that reward patience and foresight. The game encourages careful city planning and thoughtful progression rather than rapid expansion. Its tone mirrors that of Anno 1800, which balanced industrial ambition with the human stories behind urban growth. However, Anno 117 distinguishes itself by grounding its challenge in antiquity, where politics, religion, and culture intertwine more organically. Each province tells its own story through the architecture, economy, and people under your rule, making every decision feel like a small chapter in the grand narrative of Rome.

For players who love the calm satisfaction of watching a society evolve, Anno 117: Pax Romana promises a sophisticated and atmospheric journey. Its detailed environments, from marble forums to Celtic hill forts, capture both the majesty and fragility of empire. As cities rise, trade routes flourish, and populations thrive, the game becomes not only a test of management but also a meditation on civilization itself — how power is built, and how peace is maintained. Make sure you use our price comparison tool to find the best prices for Anno 117: Pax Romana.

Nachos

03-Dec-2025, 8:12 pm on dlcompare.fr

Anno 117 offers an original approach to city-building, placing culture and history at the heart of management. Political and cultural choices have a direct influence on the dynamics of each city: whether to impose Roman discipline or respect local traditions, the stability and development of each province will be affected. The game skilfully combines construction, resource management and strategic planning, while integrating historical elements. The freedom of construction, depth of mechanics and historical coherence make Anno 117 an ambitious and thoughtful management experience. Finally, even if construction is already well thought-out, a few more architectural options (regional styles, unique monuments, more varied roads) would allow our cities to be even more personalized. All in all, the game falls short of the final version of anno 1800, but the potential is there, and it remains to be seen what blue byte has in store for us next.

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Gamer2021

02-Dec-2025, 4:15 am on dlcompare.fr

Anno 117 successfully blends historical charm, management and accessibility. For a city-builder or management/strategy fan, it's a good choice, especially if you're prepared to accept its compromises. On the other hand, if you're looking for long, in-depth, highly polished content, the game may seem a little light.

kelet

01-Dec-2025, 7:29 pm on dlcompare.es

The setting has finished selling the game to me. Marble forums, Celtic forts, trade routes through an Empire at its maximum splendor... you can tell that the world is built to make you believe it. I like that it's not just "Rome is beautiful and that's it", but that it also talks about the fragility of the Empire, the balance between prosperity and power. To be able to manage that tension from the perspective of a governor and see how my decisions affect the stability of the province seems most attractive to me.

SantCal

01-Dec-2025, 2:20 pm on dlcompare.es

I'm reassured to see that the game seems to be betting on slow and thoughtful progression, not on crazy uncontrolled expansion. The news speaks of an experience that rewards patience and foresight, and that's exactly what I want: to sit back, plan trade routes, adjust production, and watch my cities gradually grow from small settlements to centers of power. That the tone compares to Anno 1800, but in Antiquity, seems to me to be a winning combination.

DavReMad

01-Dec-2025, 10:07 am on dlcompare.es

The news conveys very well that Anno 117 is not only about erecting buildings, but about governing different cultures. I love the idea of deciding whether I want to impose Roman discipline or integrate local traditions to create something hybrid. That gives a lot of personality to each campaign and makes me feel like I'm not going to play the same story twice. The concept of each province "telling its own story" through architecture and economics is just the kind of depth I'm looking for in a management game.

Kiefern

30-Nov-2025, 9:26 am on dlcompare.fr

I love the way the article presents Anno 117 as an atmospheric and thoughtful journey. The idea of watching our cities grow, trade routes develop and cultures intersect, while reflecting on how an empire builds and maintains its peace, is very appealing. It feels like each province will tell its own story through the player's architecture, economy and cultural choices. For me, this is the promise of a relaxing yet deeply immersive experience.

DucRossoneri

30-Nov-2025, 8:33 am on dlcompare.fr

Anno 117 focuses on economic and logistical strategy, with production chains to be optimized and trade routes between islands to be well thought out. There is a military side, with land units and sieges, but it's simpler and serves more to support your management than to turn it into a complex wargame. If you like to think about the layout of cities, the fine management of resources and the balance between expansion and stability, the game is very satisfying strategically.

jokeram

29-Nov-2025, 10:54 pm on dlcompare.fr

This game really took me back to antiquity. Anno 117: Pax Romana is a masterful blend of serious management, strategy and historical immersion. Choosing between civilized Lazio and Celtic Albion immediately gives the impression that each game can be unique. The mechanics - city planning, production, trade, culture - are deep without being overwhelming, making empire building rewarding and fluid. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys building civilizations and watching them evolve with care.

Scibella

29-Nov-2025, 1:23 pm on dlcompare.pt

Finally a strategy/management game that really puts culture and history at the center, and here Anno 117 shines. As a Roman governor, you're not just a builder or merchant: you embody a visionary, responsible for the identity of your province. I like this constant dilemma: impose Roman discipline for guaranteed stability, or accept local traditions for smoother integration, and these choices directly influence the dynamics of your colony. The political and cultural dimension gives a lot of meaning behind the simple buildings. Add to that a freer building system, fine management of resources and citizens, and you get what I consider to be one of the most advanced games in the license. If you're a fan of history and strategy, don't miss this one

yodish78

29-Nov-2025, 12:18 pm on dlcompare.it

I am quite surprised at how Anno 117 combines ease of access and strategic depth. At first, I chose Lazio to lay a solid foundation, learn the mechanics, or build smoothly. Then the appeal of conquest pushed me to Albion, and here it's another level, more constraints, more challenges, but also more rewards when it works. What I like is that the game doesn't push you to do everything in the chain. The progression is reflexive, slow: you see your city grow, densify, your streets intertwine, your population multiply. And every new construction, every improvement, every trade route makes you a little prouder. If you are patient, curious, ready to plan for the long term then Year 117 offers you a real space to build and evolve