I have really enjoyed my plays of several solitaire games designed by R. Ben Madison. He has a knack for including elements of the history into the gameplay while placing the events into the framework of his chosen system, which is usually the States of Siege Series…but not necessarily always. His newest offering is called Gift of the Nile: The Rise & Fall of Ancient Egypt from White Dog Games and is a solitaire only game that uses the States of Siege Series System and delves into Ancient Egypt and the rule of the Pharaohs covering over 30 dynasties starting with the Old Kingdom in 2,600 BC to the Late Period starting in 700 BC and ending with the intervention of Rome. This is a long and involved game (ranging from 36 turns to something less based on certain conditions happening or a player loss) that really gives the player a good feel for the might and power of the Egyptians, as well as the various threats and enemies they had to deal with to survive for nearly 3,000 years.

We published an interview with the designer R. Ben Madison and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2024/03/11/interview-with-r-ben-madison-designer-of-gift-of-the-nile-the-rise-fall-of-ancient-egypt-from-white-dog-games/

I also wrote a fairly in-depth First Impression look at the game and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2024/04/03/first-impressions-gift-of-the-nile-the-rise-fall-of-ancient-egypt-from-white-dog-games/

Finally, I wrote a series of Action Point posts on the various aspects of the game and you can read those at the following links:

Action Point 1 – Game Map

Action Point 2 – Purpose and Makeup of the 3 Different Draw Cups

Action Point 3 – Nile Phase

Action Point 4 – 4 Different Kingdoms or Time Periods

Action Point 5 – Action Phase

Action Point 6 – Strategy Pointers

-Grant