Pharaoh
Developer(s)Impressions Games
Publisher(s)Sierra Studios
Designer(s)Chris Beatrice
Composer(s)Keith Zizza
Henry Beckett
SeriesCity Building
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release1999
Genre(s)City-building
Mode(s)Single-player

Pharaoh is an isometriccity-building game that was released on October 31, 1999, created by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Studios, for Microsoft Windows. Using the same game engine and principles of Caesar III (also by Sierra Entertainment), it is the first such game in Sierra's City Building series to focus on another civilization of ancient times. Players oversee the construction and management of cities and settlements in Ancient Egypt, micro-managing every aspect of the city to ensure citizens are fed, employed, healthy and protected from diseases, disasters and wars. An expansion pack, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, was released in 2000 by BreakAway Games. In 2001, both the game and expansion pack were bundled together as Pharaoh Gold.[1]

Gameplay[edit]

Well, Pharaoh and Cleopatra has made their way to gog. But how about the different languages that the game has been translated into? I have the swedish version and the game would not be what it is without the swedish narrator 'Hans Villius' and I think alot of ppl agree with me when it comes to the game in their specific language. Jan 19, 2016 Buy Windows Copy of the Game: 3. Install Like in the Video 4. Pharaoh + Cleopatra for Mac. Pharaoh + Cleopatra on MAC? How to Install Tutorial/Walkthrough. Any Pharaoh and Caesar like games? (as asked on /r/iPad) I'm looking for a good City Building game. I'm a huge fan of Pharaoh, and I've enjoyed Caesar III. While searching for a game I'd like, I came across Timebuilders: Pyramid Rising and Empire Builder: Ancient Egypt.

Pharaoh is played from a two-dimensionalisometric perspective; the magnification level is fixed, but the viewing angle can be changed at 90-degree angles, either counter-clockwise or clockwise. Much of the control is managed through the mouse and keyboard shortcuts, in an interface system similar to that of Caesar III. Many buttons exist for different types of construction like housing and roads, viewing messages, undoing mistakes, cycling through trouble spots, a map of Ancient Egypt and the surrounding regions, a group of advisors (called Overseers) who provide information on the city's development and any problems encountered, and in-game overlays that detail issues and the fulfilment of housing's demands. All aspects of city life, such as housing, religion, warfare and trade, are designed carefully to closely reflect that of actual Ancient Egyptian cities of the time, including the goods and services available. Names of various pharaohs are used with the appearance of historical characters from Egypt's ancient history, and limited encyclopedic information about ancient Egyptian practices is provided in the game's help menu and instruction booklet. While the game uses the deben as its currency, no standardised metal currency is known to have been used in Ancient Egypt. Although the puzzle-like aspect of Pharaoh keeps the simulation far from realistic, the game stays true to the chronological order and timing of major events in the history of Egypt, including monument construction, wars and national disasters, the births and deaths of notable leaders, and the founding and fall of ancient cities.

Game modes[edit]

The game features two modes of play – campaign and free-build. In campaign mode, players focus on establishing cities during different periods of Ancient Egypt, initially working on nomad settlements, before being entrusted with building up trade centres, grand cities and monuments for various Ancient Egyptian leaders. As campaign mode progresses, players earn promotions until they become the Pharaoh themselves. Players operate in five periods of Ancient Egyptian history (six with the inclusion of Cleopatra), with the first period acting as a basic tutorial. In later periods, players get a choice between two missions, usually peaceful and military alternatives, but only one of the two needs to be completed to move on in the campaign.

In free-build mode, players are given a choice of around a dozen standalone scenarios. Some do not have win conditions, allowing open-ended 'sandbox' city-building, whereas others present goals to attain. A map editor is provided with the game to facilitate the creation of user-designed scenarios for this mode.

The Pharaoh interface

Gameplay elements[edit]

Pharaoh simulates many aspects of Egyptian life and city management. While many of the elements of the game, from housing to industry, are borrowed from Caesar III, the game distinguishes itself with differences and new features.[2]

  • Housing: After housing plots are designated, immigrants can move into them and build their residences. Housing will automatically be improved, including in appearance, when demands for goods, services and desirable surroundings are fulfilled.[2]
  • Goals: While Population, Prosperity and Culture are retained in the game, Favor is renamed as 'Kingdom' and maintains the same function in that the score is based upon the ruling Pharaoh's view on a player's performance. Peace is replaced with a new goal, 'Monument', which focuses on a player's efforts to establish the monuments needed within their city; players will usually be given the knowledge of the monuments they need to build during a briefing of their next mission.
  • Infrastructure: Large bridges are not available in the game due to the Ancient Egyptian setting; while players can build small, wooden bridges, larger bodies of water can only be traversed by ferries. A new feature in infrastructure is the inclusion of roadblocks, which control the paths of walkers (roaming people who distribute goods and services).[2][3]
  • Water and Health: Constructing a well or water supply is necessary to distribute water.[4]
  • Food: The three sources of food are farming, fishing and hunting. Various crops can be farmed: chickpeas, pomegranates, lettuce, figs and grain; meat can also be obtained from cattle ranches. Farms similar to those of Caesar III can be built on meadow terrain. Floodplain farms are a new feature built near the Nile River.[2] A further addition is the use of Irrigation Ditches to increase the fertility of farmland. Fishers operate in boats, usually situated in the Nile. Hunting is a new feature in Pharaoh; animals to be hunted are present on the game map.
  • Religion: The game has five gods to appease, who each focus on a different aspect of the city – Ra (the kingdom), Bast (the home), Osiris (agriculture), Ptah (industry) and Seth (warfare). Each city is given one or several of the gods to worship: one is the patron god of the city, while the others are local deities. Players can construct shrines, temples or temple complexes to appease the gods. Like in Caesar III, the gods bestow gifts when they are appeased and disasters when they are angered, depending on their focus; for example, Osiris can improve the flooding of the Nile and increase crop yields, but can also decrease the quality of the Nile's annual flooding.[5]
  • Raw Materials and Goods: A wide variety of raw materials and manufactured goods are available in Pharaoh. Materials include clay, which is manufactured into pottery; reeds, which are manufactured into papyrus;[5] and various types of stone.[3] Both raw materials and goods can be traded with other cities in exchange for currency. On some city maps, the raw materials necessary to produce certain goods are unavailable, so importing sometimes expensive materials is necessary. Exports are often necessary to produce money for city finances.[2]
  • Entertainment: Three entertainment venues – booths, bandstands and pavilions – supply walkers, who are trained at specialised buildings. A senet house, supplied with beer, passively provides access to entertainment.[4]
  • Education: Education access comes from libraries and scribal schools, both of which require papyrus to function.[4]
  • Civil Service: Much like the Senate building of Caesar III, the palace operates as the main treasury of the city. While architects operate out of their own building like Caesar III, fire and crime prevention are done by two separate buildings and walkers – firehouses and fire marshals, and police stations and constables. Players may also build Courthouses.
  • Military: Fighting Egypt's enemies is a secondary element of the game.[2]Pharaoh features three different unit types: infantry, archers and chariot riders. A player's city can be attacked by enemy forces, usually multiple times over the course of a mission. Troops can also be sent to help fellow Egyptian armies in battles outside the city. A new feature to Pharaoh is naval combat. Players have access to two types of ships – transports, which ferry ground troops across water, and warships, which fight enemy ships that arrive in the region.[4]
  • Monuments: Another new feature to the series, monuments from Ancient Egyptian history can be built on a variety of missions. Such projects require various worker facilities and building materials[5] and, unlike most other buildings, take time to be built.[3]

Reception[edit]

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings82.45%[6]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGW[7]
GameSpot8.2/10[2]
IGN9.0/10[5]
Next Generation[8]
PC Gamer (US)83%[9]
Computer Games Strategy Plus[3]

Critical reception[edit]

Daniel Erickson reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that 'Pyramid building and floodplain management come together for a brilliant city builder.'[8]

Pharaoh garnered mainly positive reviews, with an average rating of 82.45% on GameRankings.[6]

Sales[edit]

In the German market, Pharaoh debuted at #4 on Media Control's computer game sales charts in the second half of November 1999.[10] It had spent six weeks in the top rankings by the end of the year, with a fifth-place finish in December.[11] The following year, Pharaoh continued at #5 in January and secured sixth for February.[12] In April 2000, the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) presented the game with a 'Gold' award,[13] indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[14] It remained in Media Control's top 10 by August 2000,[15] and in the top 20 through November. By that time, Pharaoh had held in the firm's top 30 for 13 months.[16]

Pharaoh became a worldwide hit. According to MeriStation, its combined global sales with Caesar III surpassed 1 million units by July 2000.[17]

Expansion pack[edit]

Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile cover art

The game was complemented with an expansion pack called Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, developed by BreakAway Games the following year, which extended the game's main campaign into the Hellenistic period. Both the original game and expansion pack are commonly referred to, and may be purchased as one, under the title Pharaoh and Cleopatra.<ref>'Pharaoh: Cleopatra Queen of the Nile Expansion'. sierra.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2020-04-07.

References[edit]

  1. ^'The Sierra Chest – Pharaoh Gold'. Sierra Entertainment.
  2. ^ abcdefgDulin, Ron (2000-05-02). 'Pharaoh Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  3. ^ abcdUdell, Scott (December 23, 1999). 'Pharaoh'. Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on April 1, 2005.
  4. ^ abcdGagnon, Lisa. 'Pharaoh'(PDF). Sierra Studios.
  5. ^ abcdWard, Trent (1999-11-12). 'Pharaoh Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  6. ^ ab'Pharaoh for PC'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-18.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  7. ^Carter, Tim (February 2000). 'Jewel of the Nile'. Computer Gaming World (187): 124.
  8. ^ abErickson, Daniel (February 2000). 'Finals'. Next Generation. Vol. 3 no. 2. Imagine Media. p. 104.
  9. ^Bub, Andrew S. 'Pharaoh'. PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008.
  10. ^Staff (February 2000). 'Aktuell; Spiele-Charts'. PC Player: 40.
  11. ^'CD-ROM Spiele über DM 55,--; Stand 2. Hälfte Dezember 1999' (in German). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. Archived from the original on May 21, 2000.
  12. ^Staff (May 2000). 'Aktuell; Spiele-Charts'. PC Player (in German): 32.
  13. ^'VUD Sales Awards: April 2000' (Press release). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. Archived from the original on April 22, 2003.
  14. ^Horn, Andre (January 14, 2004). 'VUD-Gold-Awards 2003'. GamePro Germany. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018.
  15. ^'Stand: September 2000' (in German). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. Archived from the original on October 24, 2000.
  16. ^'Stand: November 2000' (in German). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. Archived from the original on December 9, 2000.
  17. ^'Últimas noticias de Impressions Games, los padres de Faraón' [Latest news from Impressions Games, Pharaoh's creators]. MeriStation. 2000-07-07. Archived from the original on 2004-10-27. Retrieved 2020-04-04.

External links[edit]

  • Pharaoh at MobyGames
  • Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile at MobyGames
  • Pharaoh Fasttrack Guide with mission walkthroughs
  • Pharaoh Heaven – a resource site with walkthroughs, maps, scenarios, and other content
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pharaoh_(video_game)&oldid=950054294'
Pharaoh is a Real-time Strategy, City-Building, and Single-player Simulation developed by Impressions Games. The game takes place in the Historical world where the player takes on the role of legend who can build numbers of buildings, units and trains his military forces… read more
(1 Review)

11 Pharaoh Alternatives & Similar Games for Mac OS

1

1. Towns

Towns is an Amazing, Sandbox, Crafting, Building, Survival, Rough-like, Role-playing, and Single-player Simulation developed by Xavi Canal and published by SMP. The game offers a combination of Management, Exploration, Fantasy, and Adventure Elements.

The game lets the player get into the role of the hero and start exploring the game world. Build various sorts of buildings, navigate dungeons, fight against monsters, gain experience points, unlock individual skills, and gather resources. The game lets the player build structures either under the ground or in the air.

At the start, the player can select from a number of biomes such as Desert, Snow, Grass or others. The player has only eleven villagers, and his main goal is to collect resources, set different rooms, and construct different structures.

Towns offer exciting features such as Crafting, Exploration, and Isometric, Items, Monsters, and more. With excellent mechanics, addictive gameplay, brilliant visuals, and dynamic sounds, Towns is the best game to play and enjoy.

1

2. Warcraft

Warcraft (also called Warcraft: Orcs and Human) is an Action, Real-time Strategy, Single-player and Multiplayer video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the first game in the series of marvelous Warcraft.

The game revolves around two factions, such as Orcs and Humans, and takes place in the world of Azeroth. It offers both single and multiplayer campaigns. In the Single-player campaign, the player must complete a series of challenging missions, build a small town, gather and harvest resources, create troops, and dominate the world.

The player can destroy the enemy towns, loot their resources, and conquer the cities, in multiplayer mode. He must collect resources, unlock buildings, create units, and fight against enemies to defend himself.

The game rewards the player with XP points and other prizes as progress in the game and can use them to unlock additional content. Warcraft includes vital features such as Series of Missions, Craft Items, Buildings, Create an own Army, Upgrades, and more.

Paid
1

3. Heroes of Might and Magic

Heroes of Might and Magic is a Fantasy, Role-playing, Turn-based Strategy, Tactical, and Single-player video game series created and published by New World Computing. The series takes place in the fantasy-themed world and lets the players control the troops of mythical creatures.

In the series, the player must recruit his army, explore the massive map, gather resources, and engage himself in fighting experience. The player can use various weapons and magic spells to kill the enemies. As the player gain experience points, he will be able to unlock additional area and other characters.

The series contains various entries such as Heroes of Might and Magic, Heroes of Might and Magic II, Heroes of Might and Magic III, Heroes of Might and Magic IV, and more. The whole series focuses on Turn-based Strategy and combat elements and takes place in the same world.

Explore the game world, fight against enemies, gather resources, and show off skills. With the best mechanics, engaging and wholly immersive gameplay, and stunning visuals, Heroes of Might and Magic is one of the best games as compared to other Turn-based games.

Free
1

4. Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress is an Amazing, Construction and Management, Rough-like, and Single-player Simulation developed by Tan Adams and published by Bay 12 Games. The game takes place in the procedurally generated world and lets the player lead a group of Dwarves, and his main goal is to construct an underground fortress.

The game looks easy to play, but hard to master. It provides text-based graphics with no objectives. In the beginning, the player must create his worlds with oceans, continents, and civilizations. The fortress is the primary mode that allows the player to select a suitable area, construct a successful story, combat against goblin and threats, generate wealth, and look after the dwarves.

Each dwarf has its unique personality, skills, likes, and dislikes. Adventure is another mode of the game, in which the player must explore the massive world freely, complete challenging quests, and visit the old fortress. The game offers vital features such as Crafting, Building, Exploring, Role-playing, Defense, and more.

Pharaoh Full Game Download

0

5. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a Turn-based Strategy, War, Tactical, Single and Multiplayer video game created by Firaxis and published by 2K. It is a Sixth major installment in the series of Civilization that was released on October 21, 2016, on all the popular platforms such as Microsoft Windows and Mac, etc. As with the previous game in the series, the main task of the player is lead his fledgling civilization in order to become a powerful nation in the world. In this game the player goal of the game is same with more advanced gameplay, new cities, building capital improvement and new technologies, etc. The game allows the player to explore the massive game world, found new cities and discover new technologies that will help the player in during the gameplay. The game includes core features such as new Expansive Empire, Unlocks new Potential, dynamic Diplomacy, unique Combat system, lots of Upgrades and much more. With enhanced game mechanics, enjoyable background music and stunning visual details. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is one of the best 4X and Turn-based Strategy to play and enjoy.

0

Pharaoh Game Free

6. Sid Meier’s Civilization V

Sid Meier’s Civilization Vis an Action-Adventure, Turn-based Strategy, Life Simulation, Single and Multiplayer video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. It is another game in the series of Civilization that offers the same storyline with more advanced gameplay and enhanced game mechanics. In this competition, the player can take on the role of a leader of a nation, and the ultimate goal of the player expands his nation. The game allows the player to create numbers of building, unite and create his own military force that will help the player in during the combat. After creating his land, the player must explore the different location, gather all the useful resources (gold, stone, and food), found new land and attack on the other civilization in order to rule on it and expand his land. Civilization V includes key features such as various build Buildings, Collect Resources, different Technology, Powerful Civilizations and much more. With excellent storyline, good controls, addictive and quite engaging gameplay, fantastic storyline, and HD visual details.

0

7. Civilization: Beyond Earth

Civilization: Beyond Earth is a 4X Turn-based Strategy, Single and Multiplayer video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. The game takes place in the futuristic setting, where the human approaches the space to find new colonies to settle.

According to the plot, the Earth becomes uninhabitable because of a disaster called the Great Mistake. The player plays the game on hexagonal-based gird that iterating the ideas which building upon the engine of its predecessor.

The gameplay is different from the previous title, Civilization series. It allows the player to select the Advance Empire led by the advance figure, each with a unique personality. The game consists of a variety of missions, and each offers different tasks to complete.

In the beginning, the player has few resources. But after the progress, the player can unlock extra stuff to develop new units and buildings, which makes the game more exciting and enjoyable. Civilization: Beyond Earth features a well-written storyline, excellent visual details, simple controls, and enhanced game mechanics.

0

8. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the 2nd major expansion pack for the Turn-based Strategy video game of Civilization IV. The expansion pack focuses on the adding content to the in-game periods following the invention of Gunpowder and more general content such as 11 new scenarios, 16 new leaders, and ten new civilizations, etc. The corporation is a new gameplay feature of the game similar to the religion feature that allows the player to create his corporation and spread them through the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources. Expanded Diplomatic Victory, Random Events, Espionage, Advance Starts and Expanded Space victory are also a feature of the Beyond the Sword. The game also introduces lots of new technology which the player can unlock after the progress by using his experience points. With enhanced game setting, great mechanics, and brilliant visual details. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is one of the best expansion pack of the original game of Civilization IV.

Pharaoh Game Mac

0
Games

9. Civilization II

Civilization II is a Turn-based Strategy, Single and Multiplayer video game developed and published by MicroProse. It offers similar gameplay to the first Civilization with some exciting change to the multiple units, world wonders, civilization, and technologies. It changes the game graphics from a top-down view to an isometric representation. The AI was improved as well as including the elimination of the random events by now making the computer player through the same protection requirement as the human player. Civilization II also introduce new concepts such as hit points and firepower, and changes to some unit strengths and abilities. According to the gameplay, the player can choose one of various civilization and get into the game world with the aim of to expand this area by building the numbers of buildings and units. Just like the previous game it also consists of multiple levels, and each new level offers more enjoyable gameplay of the last one. Civilization II offers enhanced game mechanics and beautiful visual details.

0

10. Colonization

Colonizationis a Turn-based Strategy, and Single-player video game developed and published by MicroProse. The player begins in 1492 where the player controls the colonial forces of either France, England, The Netherland or Spain. Each nation has own abilities that favor certain strategies. The player has a choice to play between a historical map and a randomly generated map. The player starts his adventure with a ship and two different units and allows the player to explore new areas, gather resources and create lots of new buildings to build his own colonies. The colonist can work the immediate land across the colony. The player is also required to protect his colonies from potential invasion by equipping and stationing soldiers. Colonization also allows the player to manage his citizens, resources, and manufacturing. Each colonial power has certain bonuses which make them unique and different from each other. After completing the numbers task it allows the player to unlock new technologies that make the game more interesting. Colonization offers superb game setting, well-written storyline, and beautiful visual details.

-5

11. My Lands

My Landsis a Free to play, Adventure-based, MMORPG, RTS, and Multiplayer video game developed by Elyland. The game takes place in the fantasy land in which the player can play as a leader of the kingdom, and the ultimate goal of the player prove himself as the best leader in the world by expanding his kingdom. The game offers four types of races Knights, Demons, Drow and Elves and each race divide further into two factions Dark and Light Faction. The player can choose each one and start his mission to develop a beautiful land, gather resources, and combat against the other opponent players in order to expand his castle. My Lands includes core features such as massive game world, build a various building, upgrades, interact with the other player unlock additional world and other amazing things. With offers brilliant game setting, fantastic game mechanics, and an actually absorbing and quite engaging gameplay with excellent graphics. My Land is one of the best MMORTS game to play and enjoy.

Game

More About Pharaoh

Game Pharaoh For Mac

Pharaoh is a Real-time Strategy, City-Building, and Single-player Simulation developed by Impressions Games. The game takes place in the Historical world where the player takes on the role of legend who can build numbers of buildings, units and trains his military forces.

Pharaoh Game Download Mac

The game offers two new modes, such as Free build and Campaign. In Free-Build Mode, the player can create his map where the player can freely create various buildings with the help of given facilities. In Campaign mode, the player can develop multiple cities, where he can build a different building during the periods of Ancient Egypt.

It allows the player to operate five different times of Ancient Egypt with first-period play as a tutorial of essential elements of the game. After creating the cities, the game allows the player to make his military force and train them to attack the enemy castle to progress.

There are several missions, and each one offers different and challenging gameplay. Pharaoh includes core features such as countless possibilities, lots of upgrades, unlockable achievements, massive game world, and much more.

Pharaoh Reviews

Pharaoh is a Real-time Strategy and City-Building Simulation that obliges me to develop lots of strategies and manage different activities to creat numerous structures. It sets within an ancient world and requires me to take the role of a legend. Throughout the game, I have to traverse the entire map, search out several resources and equipment, and construct numbers of structures, bases, buildings, and other units. I must create, train, and command a military force to defeat the opposing forces and dominate the world.