The Pyramid of Cheops (also known as Giza) was the first wonder of the Ancient World. Built around 2600 BC, it was the tallest building on Earth for nearly 4,000 years. Some 2 million blocks of granite stone, covered with limestone, assembled by complex wooden crane systems and transported by barge from the Upper Nile, were used in its construction. Various theories suggest that the Egyptians had access to advanced technology, or even had the help of otherworldly beings. Be that as it may, the construction of the Pyramids was the most important engineering work of mankind to date, with an unprecedented waste of resources and manpower.
In Keops, you will become one of the viziers of Pharaoh Khufu, who has decreed the construction of the largest pyramid to date. The eternal glory of all Mizraim is at stake. You will have to compete with the other viziers to win the Pharaoh’s favor and make Mizraim the envy of those who want to destroy it. Keep Ra and the other gods of the Pantheon happy, making offerings in their temples. Construct buildings to obtain better rents when you recover your officials, besides obtaining prestige constructing a city worthy of the relatives and assistants of the pharaoh. Reinforce the borders with your Medjay to avoid the invasion of the fearsome enemies of Egypt. Acquire the best barges in the port, fill your warehouses with granite, wood and limestone and send your craftsmen to prepare the tomb for Jufu’s journey to the afterlife, building the first Wonder of the ancient world.
The game is played in three rounds, marked by the construction of the three levels of the Pyramid. During the round, players will take turns to build the current level of the Pyramid. To do so, they will have to wisely manage their craftsmen, scribes and priests, without forgetting their needs and their happiness. At the end of a round, the Pharaoh Jufu will grant his Favor to the Viziers (players) who have contributed the most to the defense of the Frontiers, to the welfare of the Gods, to the construction of the city and the Pyramid. Cheops is an action building game, with worker placement and resource management mechanics. The actions available at the beginning of the game are related to obtaining materials to build the Pyramid and defending the borders. However, as players build the city, and new temples and crops, the available actions will increase, increasing the possibilities and strategies. Each game of Cheops is conditioned to what the players build, so each one will be a different experience. This, added to the different families available and the use of the Decree cards, which modify the rules of the game, will present you with very different challenges from one game to another. This is one of the strengths of Keops.
For the most daring, the Ra-utoma deck adds a virtual player with three levels of difficulty in games from 1 to 3 players, who will make things difficult for the Viziers. All this under the watchful eye of Jufu, who will not stop in the construction of his great tomb. Even if the players do not build the Pyramid, the game itself will do it little by little, so every action becomes relevant, since you never know how much time is left to obtain the Pharaoh’s favor.
