Anno 117 Pax Romana — Building Rome, One Province at a Time

I’ve been playing Anno 117 Pax Romana since release, and honestly, it’s everything I wanted when Ubisoft announced “Anno, but Ancient Rome.” The scale feels larger, the economy more delicate, and the political stakes are high. But while the game is visually stunning and strategically rich, it’s not without rough edges. Between UI quirks, campaign structure, and DLC roadmap, this Roman sandbox isn’t the unshakeable empire I expected albeit one with serious potential.

Welcome to 117 AD: What You’re Really Doing Here

Anno 117 drops you into the height of the Roman Empire, as a governor in 117 AD, tasked with building cities, balancing trade, and managing a delicate relationship with Rome itself. According to the developers, you can “become a Roman governor … choose how to progress with the Optional Needs system … unlock new tech via a Discovery Tree … and even worship deities for bonuses”.

In other words, this isn’t just city-building. It’s a political sandbox. Do you push Romanization on your province? Or do you blend Celtic traditions with Roman rule? The game presents that kind of delicate tension.

Gameplay & Features That Stole My Attention

Rich city building: From Latium’s heartland to the wilds of Albion, you can sculpt your cities, build infrastructure, and plan production chains with impressive flexibility.

Military & Diplomacy: It’s not just trade, you’ll raise armies, defend your provinces, or press your military power if diplomacy doesn’t cut it.

Naval combat: Ships can be modular, letting you build a fleet optimised for trade or war.

Tech & Religion: The Discovery Tree unlocks new tech, while deities offer gameplay bonuses that change how you govern.

What’s New This Time: Campaign & DLC Ambitions

Anno 117 introduces a Campaign Mode with two playable protagonists, Marcus or Marcia, where your decisions shape not just cities, but your political legacy. The Year 1 Pass adds three major content expansions:

Prophecies of Ash – a volcanic region in Latium, new deity, and strategic risk.
The Hippodrome – build a massive chariot-racing arena inspired by Circus Maximus.
Dawn of the Delta – a fertile, desert-like delta province with new population tiers and military units.

What I am Conflicted About

Cut or Missing Campaign Threads

Did the Julia alternate-emperor arc get cut? Rather than a dramatic Act III, the story just transitions to sandbox mode, leaving major plot threads unfinished.

UI & Economic Info Visibility

One plea that’s popped up again and again. “Please let us keep the economy screen open while we build.” Several Reddit users suggest a floating or transparent economy HUD so they can monitor production and interact with their province without constant tabbing.

Unlocking Rome Itself?

There’s speculation in the community about whether you can reach a true “Rome city” or even challenge Rome itself. One user suggests the promotional material shows a “big island city” that could be Rome, but others argue it’s just for show.

Trophy / Achievement Issues

Some trophy hunters report bugs: they claim certain trophies don’t trigger, like “Explore all of Albion” or completing all quests. It’s frustrating, because achievement progress is a big motivator for long-term play for a lot of fans.

If you’re into empire-building games with big historical backdrops, check out our blog on XCOM 2: The Thrill of Tactical Decisions and Risk it’s a different genre, but the sense of place and player agency overlap nicely.

Want to dig into the latest campaign and Year 1 Pass details? Check out the official details from Ubisoft Mainz

Strong Foundation, But Not a Finished Empire

For me, Anno 117 hits hard on that Roman-strategy fantasy. The city building is rewarding, the strategic depth is real, and the aesthetic? The shift to sandbox feels abrupt, and parts of the story arc feel like they’re waiting for their sequel.

Also, as someone who watches trade and production obsessively the UI feels just a little too clunky in places. The inability to constantly monitor economic metrics without popping out of build mode is a real quality-of-life gap.

That said, I’m hopeful. Ubisoft Mainz clearly plans to support this with DLC, and the Year 1 content looks ambitious. Launch isn’t perfect, but if they deliver on their roadmap, I think Pax Romana could become a serious contender in the city-builder pantheon.

So, how melty is it?

Early Hype: 8/10
The Roman setting, the promise of empire, I was all in from the moment I saw the trailer.

Mid-Game Management Strain: 8.5/10
Balancing trade, population needs, and Roman expectations is satisfying, but some UI friction makes it a grind.

Story Confusion: 9/10
The narrative hooks you, but loose ends and a missing third act make some campaign moments feel incomplete.

Post-Launch Hope: 9/10
The Year 1 Pass promises big content (volcanoes! chariots! deltas!), so I’m excited.

Total Melt Score: 8.6/10
A beautifully ambitious city-builder with a few early design stumbles, but a future that could be glorious if Ubisoft keeps the momentum.

Melt Meter

Ice Cold Fully Melted

At the end of the day, Anno 117 Pax Romana is a game I keep coming back to not because it’s perfect, but because it aims for something few city-builders even attempt. Beneath the rough edges, the unfinished narrative threads, and the UI quirks, there’s a foundation that feels genuinely special.

When everything clicks the trade routes flow, the provinces thrive, and Rome finally approves of your governance the game delivers a sense of accomplishment that’s hard to match. And even when it stumbles, I still see the potential for something truly long-lasting.