Dawn of Discovery is a Nintendo Wii and DS entry in the long-running German ANNO / A.D. series strategy series and it is different from the Windows version. For the DS it is the second title in the series on the platform, following 1701 A.D.: Dawn of Discovery. The classic gameplay is retained, but has been streamlined and customized to make it more accessible for the console versions.

Playing the story mode, the game is set in the year of 1404 and the player takes on the role of Prince William, one of the two sons of King George. The king's domain is suffering from drought and famine. William and his brother Edward are sent out to discover new fertile lands to the south. On the journey the player will come across a new and strange civilization: The Orient.

The core gameplay is to refine the production of goods and to balance taxes and upkeep costs. The player has to provide his citizens with the needed resources while spending money to expand his nation. Later on in the game he also has to deal with other factions and pirates using economic or military means.

On the Wii the game is controlled primarily with the Wii-mote, though the nunchuck can also be used for direct camera control. On DS the game is played almost exclusively with the stylus, the buttons only provide shortcut functionality. The story mode features a soft learning curve that helps beginners understand the game. On Wii this is supported by voiceovers.

Both versions are very identical in terms of story and features, except for the different input control.