Pharaoh

52 Games like Pharaoh that you should try

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Pharaoh is hard to replace: few games combine real-time strategy, historical setting and single-player focus in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 6 gameplay attributes and found 52 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, Hearthlands and Lazerbait lead the list, with Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Pharaoh special.

iRank85/ 100

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GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

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Solo

Year 1999Dev Impressions Games

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Steam ↗GOG ↗

Quick answer

The closest game to Pharaoh is Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Hearthlands and Lazerbait follow close behind.

#1Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive97 #2Hearthlands95 #3Lazerbait91 #4Evil Genius93 #5Banished95

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Games like Pharaoh

52 similar games found

#1Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive

97

iRank88

Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloHistoricalIsometricTacticalStealth

Steam👍 88%· 2.4K

Year 2001Dev Spellbound Entertainment · InfogramesOn PC

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, historical setting and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus, combat tactical and stealth mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

95

iRank83

Hearthlands

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloHistoricalBase BuildingIsometricProcedural

Steam👍 83%· 414

Year 2014Dev Sergio · Sergio & SimonPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Both are real-time strategy games — sharing real-time strategy, deep simulation and historical setting

≠ Where it differs: brings procedural generation, setting medieval and resource management

91

iRank96

Lazerbait

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloFirst PersonFree to Play

Steam👍 96%· 512

Year 2016Dev Taylor StapletonPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with visual first person and free to play, while skipping deep simulation

93

iRank82

Evil Genius

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloBase BuildingIsometricManagement

Steam👍 93%· 3.6KRAWG👍 71%· 137MC75IGDB83· 4

Year 2004Dev Elixir Studios · RebellionPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design and resource management, while skipping historical setting

95

iRank74

Banished

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloHistoricalIsometricStealthDark

OC74· 19

Year 2021Dev Twilight LAB GamesOn Web

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and historical setting

≠ Its own twist: survival mechanics, dark, oppressive atmosphere and stealth mechanics, while skipping base building

93

iRank80

Tropico 4

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloBase BuildingIsometricSandbox WorldManagement

Steam👍 92%· 13KRAWG👍 67%· 511MC78IGDB74· 4

Year 2011Dev Feral Interactive · Kalypso MediaPlaytime ~4hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings sandbox freedom, sandbox world and resource management, while skipping historical setting

91

iRank88

Patapon

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloRanged2D

IGDB88· 3

Year 2007Dev SCE Japan Studio · Sony Computer Entertainment

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, ranged combat and visual 2d, while skipping deep simulation

92

iRank83

Sunless Sea

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloHistoricalIsometricNarrativeDark

Steam👍 83%· 9.5KIGDB85· 4OC81· 28

Year 2015Dev Failbetter GamesOn Linux · PC · iOS

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, historical setting and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, deep RPG systems and adventure storytelling, while skipping deep simulation

91

iRank88

Frostpunk

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloBase BuildingIsometricNarrativeDark

Steam👍 93%· 134KRAWG👍 88%· 1.1KMC85IGDB86· 9OC86· 103

Year 2018Dev 11 Bit Studios · 11 bit studiosPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, strong narrative focus and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping historical setting

92

iRank79

Theme Park

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloIsometric

IGDB79· 2

Year 1994Dev Bullfrog Productions · OceanOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Nearly identical: real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus.

≠ Missing: historical setting.

#11Rome: Total War

88

iRank94

Rome: Total War

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloHistoricalIsometricMultiplayerTactical

Steam👍 95%· 17KIGDB91· 3

Year 2004Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn Android · PC · iOS

✓ Both are real-time strategy games — sharing real-time strategy, deep simulation and historical setting

≠ Its own twist: turn-based strategy, combat tactical and melee combat, while skipping base building

90

iRank85

Kenshi

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloBase BuildingIsometricStealthOpen World

Steam👍 96%· 112KRAWG👍 77%· 191MC75IGDB84· 1

Year 2018Dev Lo-Fi GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom, deep RPG systems and survival mechanics, while skipping historical setting

91

iRank80

Plague Inc.

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloIsometricTacticalDarkHorror

IGDB80· 1

Year 2012Dev Ndemic CreationsOn PC · Android · iOS

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, combat tactical and horror setting, while skipping historical setting

91

iRank80

Pikmin

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloIsometricSci-Fi

IGDB80· 1

Year 2001Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Gradiente

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling and setting scifi, while skipping deep simulation

#15Shogun: Total War

88

iRank89

Shogun: Total War

GenreStrategySubgenreRTS

SoloHistoricalIsometricMultiplayerMelee

Steam👍 89%· 1.2KIGDB90· 1

Year 2000Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, historical setting and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings turn-based strategy, melee combat and combat tactical, while skipping deep simulation

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Pharaoh?: The closest game to Pharaoh is Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 4 gameplay attributes, including real-time strategy, single-player focus and historical setting. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Pharaoh?: The three closest games to Pharaoh are: 1. Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive (97/100, 4 shared attributes) 2. Hearthlands (95/100, 6 shared attributes) 3. Lazerbait (91/100, 2 shared attributes). All share Pharaoh's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 52 candidates across 6 dimensions.
Is Hearthlands similar to Pharaoh?: Yes, very much so — Hearthlands scores 95/100 similarity to Pharaoh. They share 6 attributes, including real-time strategy and deep simulation. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What RTS games are similar to Pharaoh?: The best RTS games similar to Pharaoh are Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, Hearthlands, Lazerbait and Evil Genius. All share the RTS genre alongside other key Pharaoh attributes like real-time strategy, single-player focus and historical setting.
How is similarity to Pharaoh calculated?: We compare Pharaoh against every game in our catalog using 6 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Pharaoh experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.