How to Play

Anno 1800: The Board Game

1-4 players 120-120 min 7.7 Board Game Geek Rating

Based on the hit PC game, players develop islands by constructing production chains to satisfy evolving population demands. Starting with basic needs like bread and clothing, citizens eventually require luxury goods. Success depends on strategically balancing farmers, workers, craftsmen, engineers, and investors while managing trade fleets between Old and New World territories. Victory goes to whoever builds the most prosperous civilization.

Published 2020

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Prepare objective cards

Place objective cards in play area where all players can reference their effects throughout the game

Note card restrictions

Some objective cards are marked "Only once per turn" (Aarhant, Alonso Graves, The Editor) - players must track these limitations

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Aarhant action

Exhaust 1 investor in order to obtain 5 gold from the supply (only once per turn)

Alonso Graves action

Exhaust 3 exploration tokens and spend 3 gold in order to carry out an additional action (only once per turn)

Beryl O'Mara trade

Use 2 exploration tokens as 1 trade token - tokens are not exchanged but can be exhausted to trade for 1 resource produced by a farmer or worker; several resources can be traded in one turn

Dr. Hugo Mercier payment

Whenever a population card has to be drawn, pay 1 gold (farmer/worker) or 3 gold (artisan/engineer/investor) instead of drawing the card; this does not apply to New World population cards

The Editor swap

Exhaust 2 exploration tokens in order to return any 1 hand card under its appropriate population card stack; no new cards are taken (only once per turn)

Lady Margaret Hunt bonus

Receive 2 gold for each construction token (industries, shipyards, and ships) returned to the game board during the expand action, including tokens replaced by other construction tokens; no gold when building on pre-printed construction tokens

Winning

How to claim victory.

Pyryphorian penalty

Lose 2 influence points for each population card still in hand at end of game; played but unactivated population cards do not count as hand cards

Bente Jorgensen bonus

Gain 18 influence points for each Old World island accessed (maximum of 1 per player); home island does not count as Old World island

Isabel Sarmento bonus

Gain 6 influence points for each New World island explored

Industry portrait cards scoring

Cards depicting Carl Leonard von Malching, Eli Bleakworth, The Queen, Edvard Goode, Willie Wibblesock, and Princess Qing award influence points equal to adjacent industries built by the player

Majority cards scoring

Hannah Goode, University, World's Fair, Madame Kahina, and The Tourist each award 10 influence points to the player with the most of the depicted elements (population cubes, engineers, investors, trade tokens, expedition cards); second most receives 4 points; ties award respective points to all tied players

Zoo/Museum bonus

Increase influence points received for visited animals or artefacts by 1; animal fields occupied by engineers become worth 3 influence points instead of 2