The Settlers

The Settlers (German: Die Siedler) is a popular city-building and real-time strategy video game series created by Volker Wertich in 1993. The first game was released for the Amiga, and many more games followed on MS-DOS and Windows. Some of the well-known titles include The Settlers II, The Settlers III, The Settlers IV, The Settlers: Heritage of Kings, and The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom. There are also special versions and online games like The Settlers Online.

Each game tells its own story and lets players build a town, manage resources, and sometimes lead armies to achieve goals. Players need to balance making goods, keeping people happy, and developing new technologies to succeed. Although the games differ in some ways, they all focus on creating a strong economy and making smart choices.

The series has been very successful, especially in Europe, with over ten million copies sold. Some games have received awards, showing that many people enjoy the challenge and creativity the series offers.

Games

Main series

• The Settlers was developed by Blue Byte and released for the Amiga in 1993. A version for MS-DOS came out in 1994. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers: History Edition.
• The Settlers II came out for MS-DOS in 1996. An expansion pack followed later that year. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers II: History Edition.
• The Settlers III was released for Microsoft Windows in 1998. Two expansion packs came out in 1999. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers III: History Edition.
• The Settlers IV was released for Microsoft Windows in 2001. Two expansion packs followed that year. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers IV: History Edition.
• The Settlers: Heritage of Kings was released for Microsoft Windows in 2004. Two expansion packs came out in 2005. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - History Edition.
• The Settlers: Rise of an Empire was released for Microsoft Windows in 2007. An expansion pack came out in 2008. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers: Rise of an Empire - History Edition.
• The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS in 2010. Three extra content packs were released later that year. In 2018, Ubisoft re-released it as The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom - History Edition.
• The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria was planned for 2014 but was cancelled. It was later changed into a different game called Champions of Anteria and released in 2016.
• The Settlers: New Allies was planned for 2019 but faced many delays. It finally released for PC in February 2023 and for other platforms in July.

Spin-offs

• The Settlers II (10th Anniversary) is a remake of The Settlers II, released in 2006. An expansion pack came out in 2007.
• The Settlers DS is a version of The Settlers II for Nintendo DS, released in 2007.
• Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen is a special version released only in Germany in 2008.
• The Settlers HD is a remake of The Settlers IV, released for iOS in 2009 and later for other platforms.
• The Settlers Online is a free online game released in 2010.
• The Settlers: My City is a browser game tied to Settlers 7, released in May 2010.

Gameplay overview

The The Settlers games are about building a city and making decisions in real-time. The first two games, The Settlers and The Settlers II, focus on building cities and managing resources while also having some combat elements. Starting with The Settlers III, the games put more emphasis on combat and strategy rather than just city-building.

Each game in the series has its own way of playing. In the early games, players need to build a settlement, manage resources, and create a military to conquer other areas. Later games like The Settlers: Heritage of Kings focus more on strategy and combat, while The Settlers: Rise of an Empire and The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom return to city-building but with new features.

In these games, players guide settlers to gather resources, build structures, and sometimes fight. The way settlers work and live changes in each game, offering different challenges and strategies for players to enjoy.

Development

Origins and early successes (1991-1996)

The original Settlers game was created by Volker Wertich at Blue Byte. He got ideas from games like Little Computer People, Populous, and SimCity. At first, he wanted to make a game where you control everything like a god, but after almost a year, he changed his mind. He decided to make a game that simulates a real-world economic system, where players manage raw materials and supply and demand.

Making a game this complex took over two years. Wertich wrote 70,000 lines of code before even starting on the graphics. His big challenge was teaching the computer to understand and simulate supply and demand. The game was released in 1993 and became very popular, selling much more than expected. Because of this success, Blue Byte started working on The Settlers II. Wertich didn’t work on this one because he needed a break after two long years of programming. The sequel kept most of the original gameplay but added a more strategic battle system and a story-driven single-player campaign.

Evolving the brand (1996-2001)

The Settlers II was even more successful than the first game. Blue Byte continued with the series, and Wertich led the design for The Settlers III. He wanted to keep the best parts of the first two games, improve the graphics, and expand the game mechanics. They removed the road network from earlier games, gave different races special abilities, and added both 2D and 3D graphics.

The Settlers III was released in 1998 and did well, though reviews were mixed. Blue Byte announced The Settlers IV in 1999, but Wertich didn’t work on it because he thought they didn’t have enough time to make it good. The game was released in 2001 but had many bugs, which upset fans and critics.

"Innovation leap" (2001-2004)

Despite the problems, The Settlers IV sold well, so Blue Byte made another game called The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. This was the first game to use 3D graphics and was planned for both Microsoft Windows and game consoles, though the console versions were never made. The designers wanted to make a big change from the previous games, focusing more on the characters and adding a new storyline with heroes.

Return to roots (2004-2010)

Heritage of Kings was successful but didn’t feel like a traditional Settlers game to many fans. So, Blue Byte made two new versions of The Settlers II: a remake called The Settlers II (10th Anniversary) in 2006 and a version for Nintendo DS in 2007. For the next main game, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, they tried to find what made the series special. They wanted to balance city-building and combat better than before.

Later, they made Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen in 2008, a German-only game similar to the 10th Anniversary version. Then came The Settlers HD in 2009, a handheld remake of The Settlers IV. Finally, The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom was released in 2010. The designers looked at what went wrong with the previous two games and tried to fix those issues while adding new features like a Victory Points system. They also brought back some old ideas from earlier games, like important road networks and complex production chains.

Reception

The Settlers games have had a mix of reviews, from very positive to very negative.

The first game was well liked, especially for its detailed economic system and how buildings worked together. One review called it "a true masterpiece." Another said you could never play the same game twice because there were so many variations. However, some thought the combat was boring.

The second game was very well received, with praise for its gameplay, economic system, and graphics. One reviewer called it "world class," while another said there was no better relaxing strategy game. But, some found the combat uninteresting.

The third game had mixed reviews. While the economic system was praised, many thought it was too much like the previous games. Some loved its complexity, but others felt it didn’t offer enough new ideas.

The fourth game also had mixed reviews. Critics thought it was too similar to the third game and relied too much on combat. The graphics and animations were liked, but the AI and mission variety were criticized.

Heritage of Kings had mixed reviews as well. Some felt it lost the unique feel of the series by changing the graphics and focusing more on combat. Others thought it didn’t stand out from other games of the time.

The 10th Anniversary version of The Settlers II also had mixed reviews. While the graphics and sound were praised, some thought it felt too much like the original and seemed old-fashioned.

The version for handheld devices, The Settlers DS, received very negative reviews. Critics said it had unresponsive controls, a confusing interface, and many bugs that made it hard to play.

Rise of an Empire had mixed reviews. Some found the gameplay too simple and lacking depth, while others praised the graphics. The mission design and story were criticized by some, but one reviewer called it the most satisfying game in the series.

The HD version received positive reviews, especially for how well it worked on portable devices and its adapted controls. However, some missed free play and multiplayer options.

Paths to a Kingdom was well received, with many calling it the best game in the series since the second one. The graphics, mission variety, and map design were especially praised.