A lot gets in the way of building your perfect imitation of industrial Amsterdam or Paris in Anno 1800. No doubt, the game can be perceived as difficult, especially for newcomers. But those on the PC can always resort to the best Anno 1800 mods so they can shape the game to their liking.
Most of these mods are petty cheats, by the way, and they offer conveniences to the otherwise rigid or irrational city–building mechanics in Anno 1800. In any case, consider using these best Anno 1800 mods to make your experience smoother.
Palace Increased Range
The Palace Increased Range mod is a game-changer for Anno 1800 players who wish to exert more influence over their burgeoning cities while maintaining their beauty.
The original Palace in the game has terrible range and requires you to build it right in the middle of the affected areas. This limits your city-building potential.
The mod thus extends the range of the palace, providing a broader sphere of influence and allowing you to manage and upgrade your settlements more efficiently. More importantly, you can now place your palace in an isolated spot away from the peasants and let them eat their cake or something.
New World Docklands
Docklands has been hailed as one of the most significant and advantageous DLCs in Anno 1800 as it eliminates entire cumbersome production lines. So, it’s a shame that it does not apply to Enbesa and the New World.
For players looking to expand their reach into the New World and other DLC regions, the New World Docklands mod is a must-have. This mod simply adds the Docklands building to your New World settlements and, by extension, to Enbesa. This way, managing several regions at once won’t become too daunting.
Project Distinction
Project Distinction is an aesthetic mod for city planners aiming for visual improvements. This mod enhances the game’s visual elements, creating a more striking difference between Engineer and Investor residential buildings. It brings new textures and colors, making your cities more varied.
Other than that, the mod doesn’t exactly count as a cheat. It will make your cities look more realistic, however.
Townhall-monument
The Townhall-monument mod adds grandeur to your city by introducing an impressive, multi-stage town hall. As you progress through the game, your town hall expands, offering a larger radius and more slots for items and specialists, allowing for more efficient city management.
It’s a thoughtful addition that can serve as some kind of mini-Palace before you actually get to unlock the Palace building (assuming you have it). Moreover, it will give you a better sense of authority over your cities.
Ship Unlocker
Unlocking ships in Anno 1800 can sometimes be a tedious task, especially if you need warships right away. This is one of the many reasons why a lot of players just disable the aggressive AI. Moreover, the more special ships require a long quest chain.
The Ship Unlocker mod simplifies this process by enabling players to construct any ship in the game as long as they have a shipyard and an Artisan, eliminating the need to hunt down elusive traders.
Spice it Up
Spice It Up is a comprehensive mod that breathes new life into Anno 1800. It introduces numerous quality-of-life updates and gameplay enhancements, enhancing the overall experience without making the game too easy or unbalanced. This is the mod you want if you don’t like using the cheat mods we recommended here.
Moreover, this mod brings a touch of humor from the community, providing a break from the challenges of city-building. It’s a great mod if you’re tired of the vanilla gameplay, though not recommended on a first playthrough.
Item Buildings Affect Entire Islands
This mod is a game-changer for players seeking to maximize the productivity of their islands.
In the base game, the positive effects of buildings are limited to a certain range. However, the “Item Buildings affect entire islands” mod removes this limitation, allowing a single building to provide bonuses to the entire island. This powerful mod can turn your islands into highly productive powerhouses.
Of course, it’s also a powerful cheat, so it’s up to your discretion whether you want that kind of boost in a game that’s about production line optimization.
Free Farmfield Placement
City builders despise restrictions that hinder creativity and planning. Even outside of city building, Anno 1800‘s farm field limitations can be rather choking. This can even be a hindrance to production as a whole.
The Free Farmfield Placement mod solves this problem by allowing players to place farm fields, tractor barns, and silos anywhere they desire. This mod grants you the freedom to design your city according to your preferences without the constraints of predefined building placements.
Power Plant Range and Storage Increase – v3.0
Power Plants are crucial for a thriving city in Anno 1800, but their limited range and storage can be a hassle. Your in-game income can actually tank, and riots might occur if power gets bottlenecked.
The Power Plant Range and Storage Increase – v3.0 mod offers a straightforward solution, extending the power plant’s range and increasing storage capacity. This simple yet effective mod enhances your city’s power supply. This way, you won’t have to build those pollutants near your housing areas anymore.
All Items Unlocked at Traders
Unlocking items one by one can be time-consuming and frustrating for Anno 1800 players, especially if you’re on a subsequent playthrough.
The “All items unlocked at traders” mod streamlines this process, making all items available for purchase at traders from the beginning. It’s not recommended for beginners, of course, but this mod provides a convenient way for experienced players to reduce repetitiveness and focus on the aspects of the game they enjoy most.
You’ll still need to buy them, so it’s not like it’s an unbalanced cheat.