Anno 1503 History Edition

2002 Ubisoft Mainz Simulation

Windows 11Runs

MacNot sold

LinuxPlatinum

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic Not rated

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 631

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today3.5/5

Design today4.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mixed

68%

72 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Anno 1503 History Edition run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Sold for Windows today, no problem on record.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Anno 1503 History Edition lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

Anno 1503 is a city-building and trading game set in the age of exploration, where players settle islands, build production chains and keep a growing population supplied with goods. Colonies trade with native peoples and rival powers by ship and must also defend themselves, across a campaign, standalone scenarios and endless games.

Developer: Ubisoft Mainz
Released: 2002
Best version: The History Edition is the only version sold today; it bundles the Treasures, Monsters and Pirates expansion, adds 4K support with UI scaling and working multiplayer, but drops three music tracks and the map editor.
Genre: Simulation
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

The 2020 History Edition drew modest reviews: GameStar scored it 65, finding the game uneven and hard for newcomers to get into, with the newly working multiplayer as its main gain. Metacritic lists no critic score for the PC release. Recent Steam reviews are Mixed, with longtime fans still calling it the best Anno while others criticize weak guidance and the required Ubisoft account and launcher for a mostly single player game.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
Three soundtrack tracks were removed for licensing reasons and the map editor was left out (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen, ultrawide and 4K are supported natively with manual UI scaling (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Keys cannot be remapped and there is no controller support (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
Intrusive DRM or a required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no open issue that crashes or blocks progress, and the History Edition removed the unit limit that crashed the original (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

4.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Building and trading are mouse driven, with optional mouse scrolling of the map, multi-placement for whole blocks of houses and keyboard shortcuts for game speed. Source: anno-union.com, pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screens
The History Edition supports resolutions up to 4K, ultrawide and borderless windowed modes, with a manual interface scale so menus stay readable on large screens. Source: anno-union.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Games are saved manually to named save files in the Documents folder, with Ubisoft Connect cloud sync, and saves from the original release still load. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, anno-union.com.
Hard to make progress without a guide
The game gives hardly any warning when supplies run short, and since income comes from market stalls rather than taxes, a shortage slides quickly into debt; reviewers and recent players say it explains itself poorly. Source: gamestar.de, steamcommunity.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Game speed can be raised or lowered with the F5 to F8 keys, so quiet stretches of building pass quickly, though some later campaign scenarios start with debt and an early attack. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
The fixed isometric view scrolls freely across the map, with optional mouse-edge scrolling added in the History Edition. Source: anno-union.com.