Campaign Missions

The Pharaoh campaign follows one family across fifteen centuries of Egyptian history — from a pre-dynastic village on the Nile to the close of the New Kingdom. 38 missions span 9 historical eras, with 9 branching points where the player chooses which city to govern. The Cleopatra expansion adds 15 missions covering the New Kingdom and Ptolemaic periods.

Campaign at a glance

• 38 missions (Pharaoh) + 15 (Cleopatra expansion)
• 9 branching pairs (Pharaoh) + 1 pair (Cleopatra) — ~29 missions per playthrough
• Missions 0 – 10 implemented in Akhenaten
• Ratings: Culture · Prosperity · Kingdom · Monuments
• Housing: 20 tiers, Crude Hut → Palatial Estate

Each mission opens with a historical briefing situating the player in Egyptian chronology. Early missions introduce mechanics one at a time (tutorial format); later missions layer all four ratings alongside monument construction, trade, and military objectives. Branching pairs are played simultaneously by the Pharaoh's different governors — the player chooses which city they govern, then continues to the next shared mission.

Pre-Dynasty  ~5000 – 3100 BC

Your family leads a small confederation of clans from its earliest foothold in Upper Egypt. These four missions introduce mechanics incrementally: roads and housing, food and fire, Nile farming, pottery, religion, entertainment, and taxation.

Early Dynastic Period  Dynasties 1–2 · ~3100 – 2686 BC

King Narmer unites Upper and Lower Egypt; Pharaoh Hor-Aha founds Men-nefer as the first capital. Pharaoh Den dispatches an expedition into the Sinai; Khasekhemwy orders a navy. Full city management, trade, and monument construction are introduced.

Behdet (6) and Abedju (7) are a branching pair — you play one, then both paths converge at Selima / Abu.

Old Kingdom — Dynasty 3  ~2686 – 2613 BC

Pharaoh Nebka reorganises Egypt into nomes. Caravan trade routes from Africa open, and the oasis at Selima becomes the hub of that network. Pharaoh Djoser's vizier Imhotep conceives the stepped pyramid at Saqqara.

Selima (8) and Abu (9) are a branching pair — both lead to Saqqara. Build the stepped pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser at Saqqara to complete mission 10.

Old Kingdom — Dynasties 3–4  ~2613 – 2589 BC

Pharaoh Huni launches an expedition to Serabit Khadim in the Sinai for copper and turquoise under constant Bedouin attack. He then commissions a royal necropolis at Meidum — including the first library requirements and jeweled goods.

Old Kingdom — Dynasty 4, Snofru  ~2589 – 2566 BC

Pharaoh Snofru is determined that the fourth dynasty will surpass all others. He pushes Egypt's borders deep into Nubia and orders the construction of two colossal pyramids at Dahshur — the Bent Pyramid and the first true pyramid.

Buhen (13) and South Dahshur (14) are a branching pair, both under Snofru. Both paths converge at North Dahshur (15).

Old Kingdom — Dynasty 4, Khufu  ~2566 – 2494 BC

As foretold, Pharaoh Khufu rules with tyranny. He orders a defensive garrison on the southern border and a quarrying settlement in the Delta — then reveals his true ambition: the Great Pyramid at Rostja, the most colossal building project in history.

Iunet (16) and On (17) are a branching pair; both converge at Rostja (18).

Old Kingdom — Dynasties 5–6  ~2494 – 2181 BC

Pharaoh Userkaf elevates Ra and decentralises authority, granting nomarchs more independence. Then Pharaoh Pepy rules an Egypt in decline — harvests fail, the Memphis capital crumbles, and Kushite pressure mounts from the south.

Bahariya Oasis (19) / Djedu (20) is one branching pair under Userkaf. Dunqul (21) / Dakhla (22) is a second pair under Pepy. Both pairs are played sequentially in a single playthrough.

First Intermediate Period  ~2181 – 2055 BC

A series of low Nile floods triggers famine; pharaonic authority collapses. Two noble houses — Henen-nesw in the north and the Inyotefs in Waset — fight a civil war for supremacy. You govern on behalf of the Inyotef family.

Middle Kingdom — Dynasty 11  ~2055 – 1985 BC

Pharaoh Mentuhotep reunites Egypt. Famine still stalks the country and internal skirmishes continue, but the reunited kingdom must project strength. You are elevated to vizier and dispatched to restore war-damaged cities.

Middle Kingdom — Dynasty 12  ~1985 – 1650 BC

A new dynasty rises under disputed circumstances. Egypt pushes south into Nubia and opens Red Sea trade; then a Nubian naval offensive strikes deep into Egyptian territory and must be stopped at Heh before the trade city of Bubastis can be made the jewel of the kingdom.

Iken (28) and Sawu (29) are a branching pair; both converge at Heh (30).

Second Intermediate Period  ~1650 – 1550 BC

The Hyksos invade from the east and establish their capital at Rowarty, disrupting trade routes. Egypt deploys chariots for the first time. Nubia reclaims Iken and Heh. Egypt must fight on two fronts.

New Kingdom  ~1550 – 1069 BC

With the Hyksos expelled, Egypt enters its age of empire. The borders stretch from the Euphrates to Kerma. Three obelisks mark Egyptian sovereignty in conquered Byblos; the Sea People raid the northern coast; and finally, the dynasty builds the grandest pyramid ever known.

Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile  Expansion — 15 missions

The Cleopatra expansion adds a complete second campaign spanning the New Kingdom and Ptolemaic periods (~1279 – 30 BC). It introduces new building types — Lamp Makers, Royal Burial Tombs, Paint Makers, Zoos — and three unique monuments: Abu Simbel, Alexandria's Great Library, the Pharos Lighthouse, and the Caesareum. Missions 38–51 correspond to save files mission_38.sav through mission_51.sav.

New Kingdom — Ramses II  ~1279 – 1213 BC

Your family governs settlements that support Ramses the Great's monuments and military campaigns. New buildings — Lamp Makers, Royal Burial Tombs, Paint Makers — are introduced progressively through the Deir el-Medina missions.

Third Intermediate Period  ~1069 – 664 BC

Egypt fragments after the New Kingdom; power shifts to the Delta. Tanis becomes the new capital. Two missions offer a branching choice.

Ptolemaic Period — Alexandria  331 – 30 BC

Alexander the Great founds Alexandria in 331 BC; after his death Ptolemy I Soter takes Egypt and makes it the center of Mediterranean trade and scholarship. Three great monuments define these missions: Alexandria's Great Library, the Pharos Lighthouse, and the Caesareum. The campaign ends with the naval Battle of Actium (31 BC).

Pi-Yer (45) and Migdol (46) are a branching pair — both paths converge at Tanis (47). Actium is the final mission of the Cleopatra expansion but its save file number may vary by edition.