of free play and multiplayer modes. AppSpys Andrew Nesvadba said the iOS version "is everything great about strategy games". Arron Hirst of 148Apps called it "both immersive and addicting". Pocket Gamers Tracy Erickson praised the "deep economic strategy gameplay". Pocket Gamers Brendan Caldwell called the Android version "an almost resounding victory" and praised "a depth not often enjoyed by Android titles". Paths to a Kingdom received positive reviews, with many critics citing it as the best Settlers game since The Settlers II. Especially lauded were the graphics, Victory Points system, mission variety, and map design. PC Games Christian Schlütter called it "the best Settlers game in a long time". Eurogamers Quintin Smith found it "ungodly compelling". GameSpots Kevin VanOrd cited it as "the series' most charming to date". Sales The games in The Settlers series have generally sold well, especially in their native Germany. By June 1996, the original game had sold over 215,000 units worldwide across both Amiga and MS-DOS, well beyond Blue Byte's expectations. By May 1998, it had sold over 400,000 units. The Settlers II sold even better, and by May 1998, it had sold over 600,000 units worldwide. By April 1999, The Settlers IIIs global sales had surpassed 600,000 units, of which nearly 400,000 were sold in Germany. By June 2000, it had sold over 700,000 units worldwide. The Settlers IV was 2001's highest selling German-developed game, and by August 2002, it had sold over 300,000 units domestically. By July 2006, Heritage of Kings had sold over 500,000 units worldwide, with 350,000 sold in Germany. Rise of an Empire was the highest selling German-developed game of 2007. By March 2001, the series as a whole had sold just under 3 million units in total. By June 2002, that number had increased to 3.5 million; by March 2004, it had reached 5 million; by August 2008, it exceeded 6 million; by September 2009, it reached 8 million; and by September 2014, it had topped 10 million units. Awards References External links (site dead; ) () The Settlers Blue Byte games City-building games Real-time strategy video games Ubisoft franchises Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1993