Total War: PHARAOH
Give it 5 hours
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (61%); after 15h it's 1 in 4 (26%).
- Fully opens up by hour 15.
- The opening is criticised more than in 89% of games we track.
- The game has no story achievements, so drop-off points can't be measured.
- Only 14% of owners have even the first achievement — the rest barely played.
When it gets good
Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.
before it gets good opening up fully opened up
Based on all 5,475 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 297 reviews: 11.4h for positive, 3h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.
Where players quit
Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (13.8% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
This game has no story achievements, so we can't tell where players quit.
All achievements (76)
story milestone ending side
- Small But Mighty Playing as any Faction Leader, worship 2 gods and reach their highest tier. 100%
- God as Man Become Egyptian Pharaoh. 94%
- All This Mayhem Survive the invasion of the Sea Peoples. 78%
- Reverse the Tide Playing as Ramesses, destroy 8 Sea Peoples armies. 76%
- Isfet Rising Complete a campaign with Pillars of Civilisation in Crisis. 72%
- Conqueror & Settler Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, capture a settlement. 67%
- Anatolian Traveller Discover all Hittite realms on the campaign map. 63%
- Universal Balance Complete a campaign with Pillars of Civilisation in Prosperity. 63%
- Levantine Rambler Discover all Canaanite realms on the campaign map. 62%
- The Great Ancestor Playing as Ramesses, partake in the first Legitimacy War and become Pharaoh. 59%
- Local Gods for Local People Playing as any Faction Leader, worship 3 gods and reach their highest tier. 57%
- Kemetian Adventurer Discover all Egyptian realms on the campaign map. 55%
- The Great Idealist Having chosen Akhenaten's Ancient Legacy, capture the Cult Centre of Aten. 49%
- A Man's World Playing as Tausret, complete 10 court actions. 44%
- All Hope in Eclipse Complete a campaign with Pillars of Civilisation in Collapse. 39%
- The Two Powerful Ones Playing as Ramesses, acquire and equip him with the Pschent Crown. 36%
- Born of Thoth Having chosen Thuthmose's Ancient Legacy, use a sabotage, support and balance action before conquering the targeted settlement 31%
- Waiting for the Sun Playing as any Faction Leader, choose Akhenaten's Ancient Legacy and reach the highest tier of Favour with Aten. 30%
- Spoiled by War Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, receive 10 War Spoils rewards for razing a settlement. 30%
- Join the Dark Side! Having chosen Path of the Marauders, use Promise of Glory 3 times. 30%
- Fortune Favours the Bold Complete 20 ambitions during a single campaign. 28%
- Aspire to Greatness Become the Hittite Great King. 26%
- My Name is Ozymandias, King of All This Land Playing as Ramesses, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 23%
- The Isolationist Playing as any Faction Leader, achieve victory in a campaign without signing a single diplomatic treaty. 23%
- I Come in Peace Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, sign 5 peace treaties with non-Sea Peoples factions. 22%
- Ultimate Explorer Discover all realms on the campaign map. 20%
- The Future is Now Playing as Seti, partake in the first Legitimacy War and become Pharaoh. 20%
- Look Upon Me and Despair! Having chosen Path of the Marauders, use Display of Power 3 times. 20%
- I Will Be Your Villain Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, raze 25 settlements. 20%
- I Love the Smell of Collapse in the Morning! Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, survive 20 turns with the civilization in Collapse. 17%
- ...but the Women and Children Too! Having chosen Path of the Marauders, use Raze & Exterminate 3 times. 16%
- Heqa-waset Playing as Amenmesse, eliminate Seti. 14%
- Onwards & Upwards Playing as Suppiluliuma, have 8 provinces with growth beyond 70. 14%
- The Crysophilist Playing as Irsu, have 20,000 gold in your treasury. 13%
- Born of Amun Playing as Amenmesse, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 13%
- Father of the Peleset Playing as Walwetes, conquer Yapo, Megiddo, Ashkelon and Urushalim. 13%
- To the Sea We Shall Return Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, lose all your occupied regions while still having a Horde. 13%
- The Divine Firestarter Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, raze 50 settlements. 12%
- Sea Squatter Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, build a Nuraghe Tower or Peleset Village in each Outpost slot in a province not owned by you. 11%
- Tarhunna? TarhunNAH, More Like... Playing as Kurunta, defeat or take control of Suppiuliuma's lands. 10%
- For the Public Good Playing as Tausret, become Pharaoh and use Corvee Labour to develop a settlement. 10%
- The Saviour of Hatti Playing as Suppiluliuma, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 10%
- Lord of Fear Having chosen Path of the Marauders, use Domination 3 times. 10%
- Billy No Mates Playing as Kurunta, have bad diplomatic relations with all Hittite factions. 9.4%
- The Divine Potter Having chosen Khufu's Ancient Legacy, complete each available Wonder. 8.7%
- Manifest Death Playing as Seti, eliminate Amenmesse. 8.7%
- I am the Servant of Sutekh, He Needs No Other Playing as Seti, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 8.7%
- The Soul of Ra, Beloved of the Gods Playing as Tausret, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 8.7%
- Foremost Among the Noble Having chosen Hatshepsut's Ancient Legacy, send a trade mission to every realm. 8.0%
- The Eager Beaver Having chosen Tudhaliya's Ancient Legacy, have 5 princes. 8.0%
- Plans Within Plans Playing as Bay, complete 10 Intrigues in the Hittite Court. 8.0%
- Who is the Little One? A Pet Perhaps? Playing as Tausret, vassalise Seti's faction. 8.0%
- Tribal Excellence Having chosen Path of the Sea Peoples, keep your faction for 20 turns in one of the 4 outermost positions on the Blades and Dwelling scales. 8.0%
- The Great Water Playing as Amenmesse, control each settlement adjacent to the Nile. 7.2%
- All Property is Theft Playing as Irsu, raze 20 Outposts. 7.2%
- Horned is the Hunter Playing as Kurunta, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 7.2%
- Seizure Through Stealth Playing as Irsu, raze 5 Cult Centres. 6.5%
- Internal Intrigues Playing as Suppiluliuma, become Great King and use Forced Annexation on Kurunta's faction. 6.5%
- He Who Made Himself Playing as Irsu, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 6.5%
- Two Souls United Playing as Iolaos, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 6.5%
- Intrepid Reformer Having chosen Muwatalli's Ancient Legacy, max out 3 vassals. 5.8%
- Humbler Origins Playing as Bay, have 4 vassals under your control. 5.8%
- Burn the World Playing as Seti, be at war with all major Egyptian factions. 5.8%
- Revenge, Served Sweet & Cold Playing as Suppiluliuma, eliminate Kurunta in the first 25 turns. 5.8%
- The Maker of Kings Playing as Bay, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 5.8%
- The Light, the Dark & the Blood Between Playing as Iolaos, worship all Sherden gods and reach their highest tier. 5.8%
- Gold Merchant Playing as Amenmesse, confederate 5 factions. 5.1%
- The Usurper Playing as Bay, become Pharaoh and use the Court Presence Power to take control of the entire court. 5.1%
- I am the Deer King! Playing as Kurunta, become the Hittite king and take control of the entire Hittite court. 5.1%
- They Came from the Sea Playing as Walwetes, worship all Peleset gods and reach their highest tier. 5.1%
- Leader of the Sea Peoples Playing as Iolaos or Walwetes, enter in Military Alliance with all other Sea Peoples factions. 5.1%
- Total Peleset Playing as Walwetes, achieve a Total War Ultimate Victory. 5.1%
- Fury & Flames Set fire to 350 buildings during a battle. 4.3%
- Stabby, Stabby, Stabbiness! Playing as Bay, declare war on 2 allies and conquer their lands. 4.3%
- Lovers in Arms Playing as Tausret and Seti, win a multiplayer co-op game. 4.3%
- Tribal Unity Having chosen Path of the Sea Peoples, keep your faction for 25 turns in one of the 4 innermost positions on the Blades and Dwelling scales. 4.3%