Many historical strategy games take the historical part extremely seriously, trying their hardest to maintain a high level of accuracy at all times – occasionally to the detriment of the gameplay itself.

Not so Anno 1404 which, despite the very specific date in its title, doesn’t actually place the player in a real-life country or try to shoehorn a game around genuine historical facts or figures.

Instead, at the beginning of the game you’ll find yourself in the outer reaches of a generic medieval European-style empire.

To start with, you’re commissioned to construct a small settlement and carry out a few simple errands for a benevolent nobleman. Fairly early on, however, you’ll be encouraged to venture east to ‘the Orient’, whereupon you’ll be treated to an entirely new set of buildings, technologies, transports and challenges.

This is no command-and-conquer-type game, though. Anno 1404 belongs very much to the ‘build it and they will come’ end of the strategy spectrum.

Gameplay focuses on creating and growing cities, starting with a few basic hovels and turning your modest community into a sprawling metropolis with a thriving economy, busy trade routes and diplomatic relations with other cultures.

Whether you play the main campaign, the individual scenarios or the fully customisable Continuous Play option, Anno 1404 is a highly engrossing experience that will probably have you hunched in front of your PC for several hours at a time. It helps that the game’s production levels are very high.

Graphics – particularly the water effects – were extremely pleasing on the eye and a lot of attention has clearly been paid to the finer details.

Anno 1404 also benefits from a simple interface and a pleasantly breezy pace, which made it very easy to pick up the game and keep playing.

Free from the shackles of historical realism, the creators of Anno 1404 have produced a highly addictive city-building strategy game with a sharp eye for detail. The only thing that’s missing is an online multiplayer element. It’s possible to upload achievements and screenshots to the web, but you can’t currently compete or co-operate with other players in any way.

Pegi age rating: 7+