# Pharaoh: A New Era <small style="color: gray">Last updated: February 4, 2026</small> ## Overview Pharaoh: A New Era is a city-building video game developed by Triskell Interactive and published by Dotemu.[^ref-1] Released on February 15, 2023, it is a full remake of the classic [[1999 - Pharaoh|Pharaoh]] (1999), originally developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Entertainment.[^ref-2] The remake closely follows the original game's design while featuring completely updated graphics that allow players to zoom in and view details up close.[^ref-1] Players build cities in ancient Egypt, managing resources, constructing monuments, and dealing with the Nile's flood cycles.[^ref-3] > [!info]- Game Info > **Developer:** Triskell Interactive[^ref-1] > **Publisher:** Dotemu[^ref-1] > **Engine:** Unity > **Platforms:** Windows[^ref-1] > **Release Date:** February 15, 2023[^ref-2] > **Series:** Pharaoh / City Building (Impressions) > **Original Game:** [[1999 - Pharaoh|Pharaoh (1999)]] > **Sierra Lineage:** Activision License (Impressions IP) ## Development After Triskell Interactive pitched a city-building game to Dotemu, the publisher asked if they would be interested in remaking a game from the City Building series.[^ref-4] Triskell chose Pharaoh, and Dotemu licensed the intellectual property from Activision, which had acquired Sierra Entertainment and its subsidiaries including Impressions Games.[^ref-4] The development team focused on preserving the core gameplay while modernizing the presentation. Key changes from the original include: - **Updated Graphics:** Completely redrawn artwork with the ability to zoom in on buildings and citizens[^ref-1] - **Quality of Life Improvements:** Optional global worker pool system similar to [[2000 - Zeus - Master of Olympus|Zeus: Master of Olympus]], bypassing the need for individual recruiters[^ref-1] - **Nile Flood Tracking:** Enhanced visualization of the river's flood cycles[^ref-1] ## Gameplay The gameplay remains faithful to the original Pharaoh while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements.[^ref-1] Players take on the role of a city planner in ancient Egypt, tasked with building thriving settlements along the Nile across more than 50 missions and over 100 hours of gameplay.[^ref-3] ### Core Mechanics - **City Planning:** Placing residential, commercial, and industrial buildings to create functional neighborhoods[^ref-3] - **Monument Construction:** Building iconic Egyptian structures including pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria[^ref-3] - **Resource Management:** Balancing food production, trade goods, and construction materials across internal and external trade networks[^ref-3] - **Nile Management:** Working with the river's annual flood cycles for agriculture, tracked via an improved Nilometer indicator[^ref-3] - **Military Defense:** Protecting cities from invaders and enemies[^ref-3] - **Religion & Culture:** Building temples and mausoleums to manage city health, culture, and the polytheistic religion of the era[^ref-3] ### Interface and Controls The remake features a completely redesigned user interface with numerous improvements over the original:[^ref-3] - **Zoom Functionality:** Players can zoom in to view detailed hand-drawn artwork up close[^ref-1] - **Workers Tooltip:** New indicator showing worker allocation and availability[^ref-3] - **Fixed Worker Ratio:** Option to set consistent staffing levels across buildings[^ref-3] - **Global Labor Pool:** Optional system (borrowed from [[2000 - Zeus - Master of Olympus|Zeus]]) that recruits workers from a global pool rather than requiring house-to-house recruiters[^ref-1] - **Building Copy-Paste:** Ability to quickly duplicate building placements[^ref-3] - **Predator Toggle:** Option to disable dangerous animals for a more relaxed experience[^ref-3] - **Population Mood Tracking:** New tools for monitoring citizen happiness[^ref-3] ### Game Modes - **Campaign Mode:** 50+ missions teaching game basics while telling a story set in ancient Egypt[^ref-3] - **Sandbox Mode:** Free-build mode for creating the metropolis of your dreams[^ref-3] ## Reception Pharaoh: A New Era received positive reviews from critics.[^ref-5] | Publication | Score | Summary | |-------------|-------|---------| | Rock Paper Shotgun | Positive | "The definitive version of a stone-cold classic"[^ref-1] | | Shacknews | Positive | "An excellent spin on a classic"[^ref-6] | | Gamepressure | Positive | "A splendid opportunity to rediscover this timeless classic"[^ref-7] | | NPR | Mixed | "Still a rewarding city-builder" despite bugs and mobile-game aesthetics[^ref-8] | **Metacritic Score:** Positive reviews[^ref-5] The game is available DRM-free on GOG.com[^ref-10] and through Steam. MobyGames credits list the full development team at Triskell Interactive.[^ref-9] PCGamingWiki documents technical specifications and potential fixes for any issues players may encounter.[^ref-12] According to HowLongToBeat, the main campaign takes approximately 40-50 hours to complete, with completionists spending over 100 hours.[^ref-15] ## Downloads **Purchase / Digital Stores** - [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1351080/Pharaoh_A_New_Era/) - [GOG.com](https://www.gog.com/en/game/pharaoh_a_new_era) **Official Links** - [Official Website (Dotemu)](https://www.dotemu.com/games/pharaoh-a-new-era/) - [Triskell Interactive](https://www.triskell-interactive.com/) ## See Also - [[1998 - Caesar III|Caesar III]] (1998) - [[1999 - Pharaoh|Pharaoh]] (1999) → **Pharaoh: A New Era** (2023 remake) - [[2000 - Zeus - Master of Olympus|Zeus: Master of Olympus]] (2000) - [[2002 - Emperor - Rise of the Middle Kingdom|Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom]] (2002) ## References [^ref-1]: [Rock Paper Shotgun – Pharaoh A New Era Review](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pharaoh-a-new-era-review) – gameplay changes, graphics, verdict [^ref-2]: [Wikipedia – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharaoh:_A_New_Era) – release date, developer, publisher [^ref-3]: [Steam Store Page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1351080/Pharaoh_A_New_Era/) – game description, features, 50+ missions [^ref-4]: [IGN – Reviving the Past Interview](https://sea.ign.com/pharaoh-pc/164100/news/reviving-the-past-with-the-folks-behind-the-upcoming-pharaoh-a-new-era-remake) – development history, licensing [^ref-5]: [Metacritic – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://www.metacritic.com/game/pharaoh-a-new-era/critic-reviews/?platform=pc) – aggregate scores [^ref-6]: [Shacknews – Review](https://www.shacknews.com/article/134182/pharaoh-a-new-era-review-score) – review verdict [^ref-7]: [Gamepressure – Review](https://www.gamepressure.com/editorials/reviews/pharaoh-new-era-review-pyramids-built-on-nostalgia/zb60e) – review verdict [^ref-8]: [NPR – Best New Games](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/03/1160656371/npr-staff-review-the-best-new-games) – mixed review [^ref-9]: [MobyGames – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://www.mobygames.com/game/199619/pharaoh-a-new-era/) – credits, releases [^ref-10]: [GOG.com – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://www.gog.com/en/game/pharaoh_a_new_era) – DRM-free purchase [^ref-11]: [Dotemu – Official Page](https://www.dotemu.com/games/pharaoh-a-new-era/) – publisher info [^ref-12]: [PCGamingWiki – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Pharaoh:_A_New_Era) – technical details [^ref-13]: [Reddit r/impressionsgames](https://www.reddit.com/r/impressionsgames/) – community discussion [^ref-14]: [Triskell Interactive](https://www.triskell-interactive.com/) – developer website [^ref-15]: [HowLongToBeat](https://howlongtobeat.com/game/108973) – completion times [^ref-16]: [OpenCritic – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://opencritic.com/game/14558/pharaoh-a-new-era) – review aggregation [^ref-17]: [IGN – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://www.ign.com/games/pharaoh-a-new-era) – game coverage [^ref-18]: [GameSpot – Pharaoh: A New Era](https://www.gamespot.com/games/pharaoh-a-new-era/) – game info [^ref-19]: [Steam Community Discussions](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1351080/discussions/) – player feedback