User Guide

Another core element of the Pharaoh game model is
its farming system. Confined to a very narrow ribbon
of arable land surrounded by thousands of square miles
of barren and inhospitable desert, the ancient
Egyptians took advantage of many sources of food,
such as wild game, fish and beef cattle — all of which
we’ve included in
Pharaoh . However, in order for their
civilization to truly prosper, Egyptian farmers had to
contrive and master some peculiar and innovative
farming practices to fully take advantage of the rich
and fertile soil (referred to as ‘the black land’), which
was deposited each year, as the annual inundation of
the great Nile river receded. In time almost every facet
of Egyptian culture was to some degree bound to this
yearly cycle, and for several months of the year (when
their fields were entirely covered by water), most peas-
ant farmers contributed to the construction of the
great monuments.
For cities located further to the north, in Lower Egypt,
the flood waters would come later in the year. If Africa
experienced a drought (or if Osiris was displeased), no
flood would come. ‘Nilometers’ were built to help
predict the level of the annual flood, and huge gra-
naries were constructed to store the immense annual
harvest. Massive irrigation projects were undertaken to
extend the benefits of the flood, and, of course, priests
always took tremendous pains to ensure that Osiris was
appeased.
In
Pharaoh , to allow you to experience this unique way
of life first hand, we’ve incorporated all of these prin-
ciples into a detailed, yet simple to use farming system.
I could go on and spend hundreds of pages outlining
the ‘story’ behind each facet of
Pharaoh , but I think
the game speaks for itself.
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Designer’s Notes
crumbling old ruins, or lifeless paintings of long-dead
Pharaohs nor will you see flying saucers hovering over
the pyramids, or terrifying mummies walking the
streets. What you will see in
Pharaoh is a vivid picture
of ancient Egypt brought to life – our version of it
anyway.
Just what is our version of life in an ancient Egyptian
city? The tremendous challenges of maintaining a
huge population, almost exclusively for the purpose of
constructing massive monuments of mudbrick and
stone, is central to
Pharaoh , as it was to the rulers of
ancient Egypt. Above all else, what made the con-
struction of edifices like the great pyramids and sphinx
possible, was the tremendous gift the pharaohs had for
organizing and controlling huge numbers of people.
This dominant aspect of ancient Egyptian life is a huge
part of the
Pharaoh experience, and something I am
sure most strategy gamers can relate to.
In our game, as in ancient Egypt, the successful com-
pletion of monuments like the great pyramids (or
even a small pyramid for that matter) is a detailed and
multi-stepped process. It entails quarrying or import-
ing stone, or making bricks from clay and straw, then
using peasants to haul these materials to the construc-
tion site where masons and bricklayers (supported by
carpenters) set them into place. Block by block the
monument rises ever higher and higher - one step at a
time. Watching a pyramid or other monument inch
its way toward the sky, due to the efforts of an entire
population of workers, scribes and peasants, is a real
constructive gaming experience, perhaps too often
neglected in favor of the destructive, and we hope
you’ll enjoy this as much as we do.
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Designer’s Notes