
- 60/100
- Players4 ratings
- 71/100
- Metacritic4 critic reviews
More scores
- Metacritic usersuser score
- 65/100
- GameFAQsUnforgiving
- 3.71/5
- Player reviews
- 77% positive248 reviews
- Steam Deck
- Verified
- Runs on
- Windows, Mac, Linux
- Price
- US$14.99
Where to get it

2016 · Milkstone Studios · Action role-playing · Fighting
Pharaonic
Pharaonic is an unforgiving sidescrolling Action-RPG set in Ancient Egypt. Explore a vast kingdom full of dangers and brutal enemies while you find the truth behind Ahmosis I, the Red Pharaoh.
- Released
- 28 April 2016
- Platforms
- LinuxPlayStation 4WindowsXbox OnemacOS
- Genres
- Action role-playingFightingHistoricalIndieRole-playing
- Developers
- Milkstone Studios
- Publishers
- Milkstone Studios
- Modes
- Single-player
- Perspective
- Side view
- Themes
- ActionFantasyHistorical
- Country
- Spain
- Age ratings
- PEGI 16ACB MESRB T
- Languages
- English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Spain)
- Time to beat
- 11hmain story14hcompletionist
About
Pharaonic is an action role-playing game developed and published by Milkstone Studios. It was first released on April 28, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, and later for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, macOS, and Nintendo Switch.
Players say
Media
The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
Inspired by Prince of Persia and Dark Souls series, Pharaonic features a real-time combat in a side-scrolling format, with 2.5D stylized graphics. The combat relies on a stamina bar and features light and heavy attacks, blocking, and dodging mechanics. A wide variety of combat styles are available, alongside a character progression system.
The level design is non-linear, featuring interconnected areas, unlockable shortcuts, and hidden secrets to encourage exploration. The story is primarily conveyed through texts, items, and interactions with non-playable characters.
Story
The game is set in a fictional and mythological version of Ancient Egypt, where a nameless prisoner escapes captivity and embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind the Red Pharaoh, a demigod tyrant who has plunged the land into darkness.
Development
The game was developed by Milkstone Studios, also known for Ziggurat. The team aimed to create a "Dark Souls in Egypt", translating the Soulslike formula into a mythological setting with 2D gameplay. The development was self-funded. It was built using the Unity engine, which enabled a multi-platform release. Unlike other soulslike games that typically use a medieval dark fantasy tone, Pharaonic adopted a vibrant visual style based on Ancient Egyptian art and iconography.
Reception
Pharaonic received "mixed or average" reviews for the Xbox One version, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. It was praised for its art direction, original setting, and faithful adaptation of Soulslike combat, although some reviewers noted a steep difficulty curve and enemy repetition.
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Collections1 collection
Genres
- Historical gamesGames set in Antiquity and Classical antiquity (10,000 BC – 500 AD)
Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.
