But this won't be just some puzzle solving mental exercise. Set has seen to it that the catacombs before you are populated with some of the foulest creatures he could concoct. So stay alert and be ready to jump, dodge or run your way past everything from undead relatives of yours to fanged spiders with the agility and speed to suck you dry before the first scream can leave your lips! Aside from your mind and reflexes, you have been given the mystical Staff of Ra, a powerful weapon in your fight for your soul. But can you wield it well enough for it to be of any use? Order Pharaoh's Ascent today and find out if you are up to the challenge!

As the recently deceased pharaoh you must escape your pyramid tomb, venturing through the many rooms designed by your architects to entrap unwary intruders into this sacred domain. Little did they know that the traps they created to thwart tomb robbers would stand between you and salvation! But Set could not leave it as simple as that. He used his immortal cunning to twist your tomb into a challenge worthy of a god! After all, what feeble mortal mind could conceive a trap as sinister as one an immortal can create? It is up to you to decide which path to take, choosing which room to enter next. As in life, any rooms adjacent to a completed room can be attempted. While what Set has laid before you is deadly, you are agile and not easily overcome. As pharaoh you are able to push large boulders by hand or nudge them from afar with the Staff of Ra, a gift from Isis. The gameplay is a blend of BoulderDash and BruceLee updated with magnificent graphics and mind boggling levels!

Getting Started

The first time Pharaoh's Ascent is loaded, the game will run through an example level. After the example level is completed, the pyramid will appear. The first pyramid level is made up of 36 rooms. With the mouse, click on the room in the upper left hand corner of the pyramid. You will enter the Welcome to the Crypt room. Your objective is to move the round ankh stone into the keyhole indentation. An exit tunnel will appear which you can escape through to advance to the next room.

Default Keyboard Controls

Use the direction keys on the number keypad to move the pharaoh in a specific direction.

Ctrl + Direction shoots a bolt from the Staff of Ra.

Spacebar + Direction jumps in that direction.

Spacebar + Down gets the pharaoh ready to crawl.

Be sure to use the direction keys on the numpad so that you can fire and jump at angles.

To see the menu at any time, move the mouse cursor to the top of the screen.

If you make a mistake and want to restart a room, press Ctrl+Z.

To exit a room, press Ctrl+X.


Full Version Features

* 91 mind bending levels as you ascend to the Kingdom of Osiris.

* Wield your mighty Staff of Ra against the most daunting creations of the God Set!

* Duck deadly monoliths, evade sinister gas traps, leap expansive canyons, scramble over granite blocks, dodge fatal spears!

* Stunning 256 color backgrounds that make full use of available screen real estate (up to 1024x768)

* Supports Microsoft's DirectSound technology.

* Online hints available for the Pharaoh who appears perplexed.