The game features two modes of play – campaign and free-build. Although the puzzle-like aspect of Pharaoh keeps the simulation far from realistic, the game stays true to the chronological order and timing of major events in the history of Egypt, including monument construction, wars and national disasters, the births and deaths of notable leaders, and the founding and fall of ancient cities. While the game uses the deben as its currency, no standardized metal currency is known to have been used in Ancient Egypt. Names of various pharaohs are used with the appearance of historical characters from Egypt's ancient history, and limited encyclopedic information about ancient Egyptian practices is provided in the game's help menu and instruction booklet. All aspects of city life, such as housing, religion, warfare and trade, are designed carefully to closely reflect that of actual Ancient Egyptian cities of the time, including the goods and services available. Many buttons exist for different types of construction like housing and roads, viewing messages, undoing mistakes, cycling through trouble spots, a map of Ancient Egypt and the surrounding regions, a group of advisors (called Overseers) who provide information on the city's development and any problems encountered, and in-game overlays that detail issues and the fulfillment of housing's demands. Much of the control is managed through the mouse and keyboard shortcuts, in an interface system similar to that of Caesar III.

Pharaoh is played from a two-dimensional isometric perspective the magnification level is fixed, but the viewing angle can be changed at 90-degree angles, either counter-clockwise or clockwise. A remake titled Pharaoh: A New Era was released by Triskell Interactive and Dotemu in 2023. In 2001, both the game and expansion pack were bundled together as Pharaoh Gold. An expansion pack, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, was released in 2000, developed by BreakAway Games. Players oversee the construction and management of cities and settlements in Ancient Egypt, micro-managing every aspect of the city to ensure citizens are fed, employed, healthy and protected from diseases, disasters and wars. Using the same game engine and principles of Caesar III (also by Sierra Entertainment), it is the first such game in Sierra's City Building series to focus on another civilization of ancient times. Pharaoh is an isometric city-building game that was released on November 5, 1999, created by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Studios, for Microsoft Windows.

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