A new cosmetic DLC for Anno 117 has been available since February 19 - the Marvelous Mosaic Pack. With this pack, you can embellish your buildings with beautiful mosaic paths and kits. And to celebrate, there's another weekend where you can play the game for free - and new Twitch Drops are waiting for you too. Is this any good? The DLC content is purely cosmetic in nature. Decorated paths, marketplaces, and even small mosaic-style images can be added to the environment. Once again, there are no limits to your imagination. This time, the colors of the individual elements can also be customized. This is optional, of course, but for passionate players who enjoy decorating, it really is a visual treat. Free weekend If you haven't yet had the pleasure of playing Anno 117, you'll have the opportunity to do so from February 26 to March 2 on the UbiConnect, Xbox, Playstation, and Epic Games platforms. Steam does not appear to be included in the weekend. Twitch Drops For those who want more than just new cosmetic items, Twitch Drops are back. Start: February 26, 6:00 p.m. CET End: March 12, 6:00 p.m. CET In the campaign, you can earn the following rewards by watching participating streams on Twitch: "Callinectes" Logo - Watch 1 hour "Venusian Shell" Logo - Watch 2 hours As always, your Twitch account must be linked to your Ubisoft account. For more information, please visit https://drops-register.ubi.com.

Another highlight for the year 2023 is the real-time strategy mix Last Train Home, which lets you replay the battles of the Czechoslovak Legions and the associated Trans-Siberian Railway. You play the story from the perspective of the occupants of the train. The train is the hub of the story, where goods are stored, the wounded are cared for, skills are improved and the crew is divided into individual positions. The respective battles are fought on the open field of the respective travel stops, as is familiar from real-time strategy games. There is no clear tutorial for getting started, all instructions for controlling the game are displayed as extra boxes on the side, so it is advisable to have some experience in real-time strategy titles such as Command and Conquer or Men of War. A high difficulty level is selected by default, but this can optionally be downgraded. The game offers beautiful, long-lasting story-like depth with lots of tactics and management. The maintenance of the train, the mood and health of the crew so that they do not abandon the journey, and the planning of goods and resources all have to be done at the same time - it seems difficult, but it is not. Although the game is very challenging, it is all the more rewarding when your own way of thinking and tactics lead you to your goal. Last Train Home is aimed at somewhat experienced players, but beginners who like a challenge will also enjoy it. The mechanics are comparable to classics such as Command and Conquer or Men of War. For all skeptics, there is also a demo to try out on Steam. Steam Link ( +Demo )

2023 is a good year when it comes to strategy games and construction simulations. In contrast to other games that are becoming increasingly complex and focus on micromanagement, "Station to Station" takes a different approach and focuses on minimalism and relaxation. The model railroad simulator in voxel graphics style offers a wonderfully simple atmosphere, which is ideal for beginners. Small puzzles and riddles offer variety and a few tricky challenges. For the hard-boiled, there are also plenty of missions that can be optionally tackled for strict resource management. According to user opinions, it would be a shame to declare the game a mobile game, which we agree with. "Station to Station" manages the balancing act between a cozy game, for those who want to play it that way, and demanding resource management, for those who want it that way. So whether you just want to follow your train for hours in ride-along mode or really want to chase achievements, Station to Station offers the right gameplay for all sides. The game is currently only available for Steam. The Dutch developers from the Galaxy Grove studio have not yet revealed whether other platforms will be opened up. However, this would be desirable, as the game has been very well received, especially on Steam Deck. Steam Link

As of now, the first public demo version of the highly anticipated eagerly awaited building simulation Pioneers of Pagonia by the award-winning indie studio Envision Entertainment is available for free on Steam. On three maps, future pioneers can embark on the adventure to Pagonia. Pagonia on three maps in the demo version and experience the hustle and bustle of the most with branching production chains in German, English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and Polish. Portuguese, French and Polish. Interested parties can also download Pioneers of Pagonia on their wishlist at Steam. "The entire team is overjoyed that the first alpha test was so positively received by the testers. positively received. Many have spent 10, 20 or even more hours on the three maps, enjoying the atmosphere and the three maps, enjoying the atmosphere and experimenting with their settlements, even though the content was was only intended to last three or four hours," says Volker Wertich, Creative Director at Envision Entertainment. Entertainment. "On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank our great community for community for their constructive feedback, which we have evaluated in detail and which is already having an impact on the further development. For example, we were able to implement some suggestions directly for the current demo, other ideas will then be integrated at the Early Access launch or in its course." Until the Early Access release on December 13, 2023, the team of around 20 people around Creative Volker Wertich is working on many more features that are not yet available in the current demo version. available in the current demo version. These include, among other things, extended hotkeys, neutral factions, different enemies, additional options for procedural map creation and trade with other factions. other factions. Among the features planned for Q1 2024 are Shared Coop mode, enhanced production stats, underground mining, and the fishing hut, one of the most requested buildings by the buildings requested by the community in the Closed Alpha. Players of the Early Access version will be able to discover the legendary island world of Pagonia from December 13, 2023 at a price of 29.99 EUR. discover the fabulous island world of Pagonia and dedicate themselves to building their settlements with more than 40 different building types and over 70 different goods on procedurally created maps. to dedicate. All goods transports, manufacturing processes and discoveries of the population are presented through lovingly animated and can be followed from start to finish. Thanks to the procedurally generated maps, countless variations are created for a varied game experience. Pioneers of Pagonia was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. Further information about Pioneers of Pagonia is available on Facebook, Discord and the official website. About Envision Entertainment: Envision Entertainment was founded in 2013 in Ingelheim am Rhein near Frankfurt. The approx. 20-member team, which includes some former employees of Phenomic Game Development (later: EA Phenomic) and worked on hit games such as SpellForce, BattleForge, Lord of Ultima and C&C: Tiberium Alliances, focuses on strategy game development. In 2016, Envision Entertainment was awarded for the smartphone strategy game Path of War at the German Computer Game Award for Best Mobile Game" award. On December 13, 2023, the new IP Pioneers on Pagonia will be will launch in Early Access on Steam, with a final release date yet to be announced. Steam Link

Build and survive in the forest, keep hiking. Build and survive in the forest, keep hiking. Build and survive in the desert, keep moving. We all know the principle. But what if it is not us that moves, but the whole little town we live in? Onbu is the name of the creature on whose back we build our settlement in The Wandering Village. And Onbu wanders. As simple as the principle seems at first glance, it becomes more challenging as the game progresses. On the one hand, we have to deal with Onbu himself: A creature that suffers from hunger, temperatures and environmental influences, and on the other hand our own people, who have to cope with the circumstances Onbu leads them into. We work with the classic method, in which we acquire new skills with the help of skill and tool trees and use them to expand our city. New about this tried-and-true concept is that the city has to adapt to the circumstances that Onbus journey throws at you. If Onbu reaches a new biome that is overcrowded with poison gas, for example, the resources and city plans must be rearranged to defy the danger posed by the poison gas. The key here is to find the right balance, to give Onbu the path to which the population can best adapt. While keeping the population and Onbu themselves satiated and healthy. Fresh, challenging and varied. However, challenging is in the foreground here, even for absolute beginners. The Wandering Village is currently still in Early Access - therefore players have a lot of say and suggestions - balancing contributions can be fixed faster. The abrupt demolition of the intro tutorial should definitely be fixed here. After initial explanations, which are more like a step-by-step tutorial, you are asked to take on tasks at the next unknown task, of which you have not yet understood the basic structure. Steam Link