Country: Egypt

The year is 632 AD. The Byzantine Empire is all that remains of what once was the mighty Roman empire. She herself has only just survived a mighty war against Persia. Both empires now lay exhausted from their long years of struggle. Meanwhile, further south in the deserts of Arabia, the prophet Mohamed has given new meaning to an old religion and sets the peoples of that land on a course of action which will echo down the ages. Under the leadership of a succession of caliphs the Islamic Arabs are about to descend on the prostrate bodies of the Persian and Byzantine empires.

The game 'Byzantium' deals with the rise of the Muslim Caliphate and its war with the Byzantine Empire. Your role as a player is to take a stake in each side and outwit your opponents to secure your own personal victory.

Game description from the publisher:

Welcome to Saqqara (Egypt), the date is about 2125 BC, just before the Heracleopolis revolt.

Set in ancient Egypt in a time of chaos and revolts, Saqqara is a game with lots of bluffing, speculation and development for 3-5 players. The players assume the role of monarch in ancient Egypt and attempt to influence the country's government and economy. They send merchants to the market to collect goods to develop their province, recruit workers to build pyramids, and claim fertile land on the banks of the Nile. The player who succeeds in developing his province best by cunningly making use of the privileges of the pyramids and claiming a large area on the banks of the Nile wins the game and becomes Egypt's new leader.

Watch out for beggars, thieves and sneaky bluffing monarchs from other provinces. They want the same as you: power over Egypt.

In Pyramidion, each player plays an Egyptian foreman in charge of a resource supply for the gigantic construction site of the Cheops pyramid. On your turn, you activate sites and play cards in order to gain the biggest influence on these sites. Each foreman will use his contacts among merchants, negotiators and torturers (!) to supply boats located in major cities of Egypt. These boats will set sail in the direction of Giza only when full capacity is reached with the resources they require. The foreman who most effectively furnishes the construction site – the one who first obtains ten victory points – will be rewarded by the Pharaoh himself.

Pyramidion is both a strategic and tactical game, with some luck involved and a lot of player interaction. Are you going to thwart others – or focus on your own success?

From the back of the box:
Akhenaton, Pharoah of Upper & Lower Egypt, God among men, all powerful sovereign, he trembles before no-one. There is, however, one mistake that even an immortal king cannot afford to make: forgetting his wedding anniversary. Especially when his wife is the exquisite Nefertiti.
Alas, the powerful monarch has almost made such an unforgivable blunder, remembering the event a mere two days before it is to take place. Now, he must find a veritable shower of queenly gifts.
The task of finding beautiful & original gifts falls upon his councilors - YOU!
It's time to play! Send you servants to the four corners of Egypt, from Gizeh to Abou Simbel & gather up the most impressive objects the realm has to offer. If your gifts are noteworthy and please Nefertiti, there is no doubt that the Pharaoh will reward you most generously.

(from publisher)
Egypt 1926. The Valley of the Pharaohs holds many secrets, but none so great as the Scepter of Amun-Ra. In this grand adventure you play a character tasked with collecting the legendary Scepter. As you make your way to the Valley of the Pharaohs you will face desert bandits, blinding sandstorms and the ill wishes of your fellow players. But safe haven and good fortune can be found within the oasis of the friendly Bedouin. If you’re feeling lucky you can spin the Wheel of Fate. Collect resources to overcome obstacles or lay obstacles to hinder your opponents. Roll doubles and you control the mummy, but beware no one masters the mummy for long. Valley of the Pharaohs comes packaged in an authentic wooden book-box and is played on a beautifully illustrated map of Egypt. Cast metal playing pieces, metal coins and individual character cards provide rich context and detail to this exciting game of fortune and peril.