FAQ#

Q: "Q: Who developed and published Total War: PHARAOH?"

"The developer is Creative Assembly, the publisher is SEGA, and it belongs to the Total War series."

Q: "Q: When did the game release, and on which platforms?"

"It released on October 26, 2023, with PC as the launch platform, on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Console version information is not covered by this site."

Q: "Q: What type of game is it?"

"A historical real-time strategy plus turn-based empire management game. Play runs on two layers: turn-based empire management on the campaign map, and real-time unit command in battle."

Q: "Q: What is the setting and goal?"

"The backdrop is the Late Bronze Age Collapse — the great upheaval that broke the sea-trade network — officially framed around Egypt's New Kingdom period circa 1200 BC. You play one power maneuvering among the Egyptians, Canaanites and Hittites, aiming to become \"the last Pharaoh.\""

Q: "Q: Are there similar historical strategy games recommended on this site?"

"The section home recommends two: Total War: ATTILA — another historical Total War, likewise built around a civilization fighting for survival; and Civilization VII — a turn-based 4X strategy offering another lens on the rise and fall of civilizations. This game's distinguishing point is the stage: unlike most of the series, it sets the drama in the Late Bronze Age Near East, officially framed around Egypt's New Kingdom period circa 1200 BC."

Q: "Q: Which factions are playable at launch?"

"Eight faction leaders at launch, across three cultures:"

Q: "Q: What is Canaan? Is Canaan a country?"

"Historically, Canaan sat in the southern Levant and was never a single independent state. Choosing the Canaanite faction means controlling that faction, not the whole region's polity."

Q: "Q: Are the leaders real historical figures?"

"Per historical records, several are: Ramesses and Seti were real Egyptian pharaohs; Tausret was Tutankhamun's queen and served as regent; Amenmesse belongs to the end of the Nineteenth Dynasty; Suppiluliuma was a real Hittite monarch — though note the game is a blend of history and fiction, and in-game events and relationships shouldn't be taken as strict history. (One detail in circulating sources: Suppiluliuma predates Ramesses II and died before the Battle of Kadesh era associated with him — treat the game's casting as adaptation.)"

Q: "Q: Leader names are translated differently in Chinese — which is right?"

"The same figure may carry different renderings across Chinese-language sources — Suppiluliuma, for instance, appears under variant transcriptions. This site's convention is the common translation with the original name in parentheses at first mention; when identifying a figure, go by the original name — a translation difference doesn't imply a different person. A full identity reference for the eight leaders is on the Lore page."

Q: "Q: How do the eight leaders differ in play?"

"The publisher groups their styles into three routes: the diplomat, the front-line commander, and the warlord. Each leader's detailed mechanical differences have not been itemized in official material, and this site does not speculate."

This page only answers questions that official published information supports. Anything official sources don’t cover is explicitly marked “not covered” — no guessing.

Basics#

Q: Who developed and published Total War: PHARAOH?#

A: The developer is Creative Assembly, the publisher is SEGA, and it belongs to the Total War series.

Q: When did the game release, and on which platforms?#

A: It released on October 26, 2023, with PC as the launch platform, on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Console version information is not covered by this site.

Q: What type of game is it?#

A: A historical real-time strategy plus turn-based empire management game. Play runs on two layers: turn-based empire management on the campaign map, and real-time unit command in battle.

Q: What is the setting and goal?#

A: The backdrop is the Late Bronze Age Collapse — the great upheaval that broke the sea-trade network — officially framed around Egypt’s New Kingdom period circa 1200 BC. You play one power maneuvering among the Egyptians, Canaanites and Hittites, aiming to become “the last Pharaoh.”

Q: Are there similar historical strategy games recommended on this site?#

A: The section home recommends two: Total War: ATTILA — another historical Total War, likewise built around a civilization fighting for survival; and Civilization VII — a turn-based 4X strategy offering another lens on the rise and fall of civilizations. This game’s distinguishing point is the stage: unlike most of the series, it sets the drama in the Late Bronze Age Near East, officially framed around Egypt’s New Kingdom period circa 1200 BC.

Factions and leaders#

Q: Which factions are playable at launch?#

A: Eight faction leaders at launch, across three cultures:

Culture	Launch leaders
Egyptian	Ramesses, Seti, Tausret, Amenmesse
Canaanite	Bay, Irsu
Hittite	Kurunta, Suppiluliuma

The Egyptian culture takes four of the eight seats — the largest share at launch.

Q: What is Canaan? Is Canaan a country?#

A: Historically, Canaan sat in the southern Levant and was never a single independent state. Choosing the Canaanite faction means controlling that faction, not the whole region’s polity.

Q: Are the leaders real historical figures?#

A: Per historical records, several are: Ramesses and Seti were real Egyptian pharaohs; Tausret was Tutankhamun’s queen and served as regent; Amenmesse belongs to the end of the Nineteenth Dynasty; Suppiluliuma was a real Hittite monarch — though note the game is a blend of history and fiction, and in-game events and relationships shouldn’t be taken as strict history. (One detail in circulating sources: Suppiluliuma predates Ramesses II and died before the Battle of Kadesh era associated with him — treat the game’s casting as adaptation.)

Q: Leader names are translated differently in Chinese — which is right?#

A: The same figure may carry different renderings across Chinese-language sources — Suppiluliuma, for instance, appears under variant transcriptions. This site’s convention is the common translation with the original name in parentheses at first mention; when identifying a figure, go by the original name — a translation difference doesn’t imply a different person. A full identity reference for the eight leaders is on the Lore page.

Q: How do the eight leaders differ in play?#

A: The publisher groups their styles into three routes: the diplomat, the front-line commander, and the warlord. Each leader’s detailed mechanical differences have not been itemized in official material, and this site does not speculate.

Q: What are the headline features the publisher promoted?#

A: The official announcements highlighted three things: the series-first Campaign Customisation, dynamic battlefield weather that directly reshapes terrain (thunderstorms, sandstorms, fires), and eight distinct leaders across three routes. Two-player co-op and versus play, plus cross-platform multiplayer, are also explicit selling points.

Q: What engine does it use? Is there a console version?#

A: Neither engine nor console information is covered by this site. The verified platform scope: released October 26, 2023 on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store).

Systems and gameplay#

Q: What is Campaign Customisation?#

A: The series-first campaign settings feature; the publisher announced three adjustable categories:

Setting	Meaning
Randomize faction starting positions	Scrambles every faction’s opening position
Adjust resource settings	Changes the run’s resource configuration
Raise natural-disaster probability	Brings disasters into the war more often

Q: How does randomizing starting positions affect guides?#

A: Directly — a fixed opening schedule written against default map positions may stop working entirely after randomization. That’s exactly why this site publishes no “do X on turn Y” schedule; the sounder approach is scouting first, deciding second — the framework is on the Walkthrough page.

Q: Any recommended combinations for the three settings?#

A: The publisher recommends none; based on what each setting does, this site suggests two common uses: a practice run on defaults — no randomization, no resource changes, no raised disasters — to master the turn-based management and real-time battle loop; and a challenge run with randomized positions, resources to taste and raised disaster probability, to test reading openings and adapting live. Under either use, if disasters are raised, leave rebuilding slack in the economy — disasters hit production continuity, and a ledger balanced to zero has no buffer. The overall framework is on the Walkthrough page and the economic logic on the Resources page.

Q: Does weather really affect battles?#

A: Yes. The publisher states explicitly that thunderstorms, sandstorms and the like directly alter the surrounding terrain, and fires can burn forests and damage the foundations of enemy settlements. Weather here is a real variable that reshapes the battlefield, not an effect layered on top.

Q: What resources are in the game? How should I plan the economy?#

A: Official announcements only mention the ability to “adjust resource settings” under Campaign Customisation; no complete resource list was published. Circulating resource lists are unverified and this site won’t reproduce them; the qualitative logic of the economy is on the Resources page, and specific resource items should follow the in-game descriptions.

Q: Is there a religion/gods bonus system?#

A: No verifiable description of a religious bonus system appears in the official announcements; this site does not cover one — follow the actual in-game text.

Multiplayer and versions#

Q: Can I play with friends?#

A: Yes. The game supports both two-player co-op and versus multiplayer, with cross-platform play between Steam and Epic. Information on multiplayer beyond two players is not covered by this site.

Q: Are there achievement lists, DLC, or difficulty tuning data?#

A: None of these are covered on this site. Achievement names and counts, DLC plans, and difficulty-tier modifiers must follow future official announcements or in-game information; this site does not speculate.

Q: Why doesn’t this site just publish a full guide?#

A: This section is maintained on a “verify first, write second” principle: content is added only when verifiable official or first-hand material exists. The verified pages are listed in the navigation table on the section home; the remaining pages are being re-verified one by one under the same principle.