The Settlers
A city-building and strategy series with economic simulation.
The Settlers (German: Die Siedler) is a city-building and real-time strategy video game series created by Volker Wertich in 1993. The series is known for its simulation of supply and demand economic systems, where players maintain production chains, build military strength, and achieve objectives. With global sales of over 10 million units as of September 2014, the series has been particularly successful in Europe and has received mixed critical reactions, ranging from universal praise for The Settlers II to universal condemnation for The Settlers DS.
- created_by
- Volker Wertich
- first_release
- 1993
- platform
- Amiga, MS-DOS, Windows
- developer
- Ubisoft Blue Byte (except The Settlers HD)
- publisher
- Blue Byte (first three titles), Ubisoft (from The Settlers IV onwards)
- genre
- City-building, real-time strategy
- global_sales
- Over 10 million units (as of September 2014)
Lore & Background
The Settlers series began in 1993 with the original game on the Amiga, created by Volker Wertich. The series expanded with main entries including The Settlers II (1996), The Settlers III (1998), The Settlers IV (2001), The Settlers: Heritage of Kings (2004), The Settlers: Rise of an Empire (2007), and The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (2010). Spin-offs include remakes, ports, and a free-to-play online browser game. An eighth main series game, The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria, was scheduled for 2014 but was cancelled after negative feedback and later released in 2016 as Champions of Anteria, an action role-playing game unrelated to the series. A franchise reboot, initially called The Settlers, was postponed multiple times and finally released in February 2023 as The Settlers: New Allies, becoming the first multi-platform title in the series.
Reader's Guide
The Settlers series holds significance as a long-running franchise in the city-building and real-time strategy genres, with a core focus on economic simulation through supply and demand chains. Each game is narratively standalone, though Rise of an Empire is an indirect sequel to Heritage of Kings. Gameplay innovations vary across titles, with some emphasizing city-building and complex economic processes, while others focus on real-time strategy and military diversity. Common mechanics include resource acquisition, economic micromanagement, taxation, trade, and technology trees. The series has sold well globally, especially in Europe, and has won awards including two 'Best Game' awards at the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis. Critical reception has been mixed, with The Settlers II receiving universal praise and The Settlers DS universal condemnation. The series' legacy includes multiple re-releases as History Editions and a reboot that expanded to multiple platforms.
Did You Know?
- The Settlers II received universal praise, while The Settlers DS received universal condemnation.
- The series has sold over 10 million units globally as of September 2014.
- The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria was cancelled and later released as Champions of Anteria, an action role-playing game unrelated to the series.
- The Settlers: New Allies was the first multi-platform title in the series, releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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