
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,895
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Pharao
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2017

1997
Rules assistance for Ramses II
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ramses II is a board game released in 1997 for 1–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Gunter Baars and its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Memory, and Grid Movement.
The immensely rich but unfortunately somewhat scatter-brained Pharaoh had, during his life, collected treasures from throughout his kingdom. He decided to hide them in his pyramid to prevent then from being stolen. Unfortunately he is no longer sure where he has buried what. With luck you will be able to help him find his treasure again. The player that finds the most of the Pharaoh's treasures and thereby collects the greatest number of search cards is the winner. After chips have placed in the game board, pyramids placed on top and the board spun around a few times in the hopes the players won’t know where treasure chips are located, the first player chooses a treasure card which assigns the number or points that the treasure will be worth would the player find it. The treasure cards have been separated into three piles marked 1, 2 and 3. Once pile 1 is exhausted, game continues with pile 2, etc. Then the player slides a pyramid into an empty space on the board. If no treasure chip is found, the player moves another pyramid. If the chip does not match his card, their turn is over. If the treasure is found, the player keeps the treasure card but the token stays where it is. Mixed in with the treasure cards are event cards as follows: Sandstorm: Turn the board through 180 degrees and take the next pile from the card. Gift: Move to one of the twelve treasures. Each player that has one or more search cards depicting this treasure must give you one of them. Risk: Nominate two treasures that are not currently displayed on the board. Move first to one and then to the other. If you succeed - well done! If you don't then you must give one of your opponents' one of your search cards. Mirage: You draw a search card from your right hand neighbor's collection. If you are able to move to this treasure without making a mistake then you may keep the card. If you do not manage it then you must give your right hand neighbor one of your cards. Desert Poker: A player of you choice must try to find a treasure that you nominate. If he succeeds then he can take one of your search cards. If he fails then you can take one of his. End Game: The Pharaoh is happy because all the treasure has been found. As soon as this (Pile 3 only) card is turned over the game ends and the players total up the points that are shown on their search cards. After each player has found a treasure the board is rotated through 90 degrees in a chosen direction. Once all the search cards from the second pile are used up then pile "3" is used. In this final round all the treasures on the search cards are worth 4 points and anyone who has not yet been particularly successful can, with brains and luck, overtake all the others. When a player finds a treasure chip that is not the one that he was looking for he is out of the game. The remaining players continue. Play continues until all the players are eliminated or the End Game Card is turned over. All the players total up the points that they have showing on the search cards they have collected. The player with the greatest number of points is the winner.
Ramses II supports 1–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ramses II is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ramses II for ages 7 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ramses II has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ramses II belongs to these categories: Children's Game, Memory, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Memory, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ramses II are: Gunter Baars. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ramses II as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.