Welcome to the Pharaoh: A New Era Housing Upgrades Guide, which will explain the living conditions of your citizens and how to improve them. As a ruler, your ultimate goal is to create a thriving metropolis that meets the needs of its inhabitants, and housing upgrades and evolutions play a crucial role in that.
Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned player, this guide will provide a comprehensive understanding of the available housing upgrades and how to implement them effectively.
With several different types of housing available, each with varying levels of evolution, it’s essential to understand how to upgrade your housing to allow more residents and get more tax.
However, with greater progress comes greater demands for services such as water, entertainment, and healthcare, which require a more extensive workforce. This guide will also walk you through the different levels of housing evolution and the services required to keep your citizens happy and satisfied in Pharaoh: A New ERA.
The Pharaoh A New Era housing system consists of eight main types, each with subtypes, which evolve from marked-out vacant tiles. As you progress through each level, you’ll need to offer increasingly more goods and services to meet the specific requirements and boost desirability.
Houses need protection from fire and disasters, so you’ll need to build Firehouse and Architecter’s Post near your housing areas. Medical facilities also boost the desirability of your housing area, so build medical buildings for Physicians and Apothecaries.
Types of Housing Upgrades
- Hut
- Shanty
- Cottage
- Homestead
- Apartment
- Residence
- Manor
- Estate
Hut Upgrades and Subtypes
Hut is the most basic form of housing in Pharaoh: A New Era. You build this on vacant tiles and it has two subtypes with their own upgrade requirements. The huts is very basic and in the long run, if no upgrades are made, may diminish the desirability of the surroundings. Although they only require basic necessities such as food and water and have limited occupancy, it is advisable to move past this phase as soon as possible.
| Hut Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Crude Hut | Water Wells or Water Supply | 5 per tile 1×1 – 5 2×2 – 20 |
| Sturdy Hut | Food delivery from Bazaar | 7 per tile 1×1 -7 2×2 – 28 |
Shanty Upgrades and Subtypes
A Shanty is basically a basic shelter with a bit of color thrown in. There are two types of Shanty, one is Meager, and the other is Common. If you put a water source instead of a well early on, you’ll move up to the common Shanty in no time.
Although a Shanty looks a bit nicer than a plain Hut, it’s still not a very desirable place to live. As soon as you build your first temple, you’ll need to start paying attention to the gods. If you have a favorite god, then one temple and some shrines are okay. But if you don’t keep the gods happy, they’ll get mad pretty quickly.
| Shanty Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Meager Shanty | Water Wells or Water Supply | 5 per tile 1×1 – 5 2×2 – 20 |
| Common Shaty | Food delivery from Bazaar | 7 per tile 1×1 -7 2×2 – 28 |
Cottage Upgrades and Subtypes
Cottages have a better appearance, require less workforce for services, and don’t need any goods to be manufactured. There are two subtypes for Cottages including Rough and Ordinary; both have their own set of upgrade requirements.
Keeping your houses at the cottage level is a smart choice, as they are quite attractive and can accommodate a fair number of workers. You can set up cottages to funnel workers to various areas.
| Cottage Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Rough Cottage | Juggler Booth | 13 per tile 1×1 – 13 2×2 – 52 |
| Ordinary Cottage | Pottery | 15 per tile 1×1 – 15 2×2 – 60 |
Homestead Upgrades and Subtypes
Homesteads come in two subtypes; Modest and Spacius. They don’t don’t require many resources and workforce. If you’ve already provided a Physician to keep your city free of disease, upgrading to this housing level should be a breeze.
Homesteads require basic goods but also boost desirability and pay reasonable taxes. They are generally straightforward to evolve since pottery and beer are readily obtainable in most cities.
| Homestead Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Modest Homestead | Physician or Mortuary | 16 per tile 1×1 – 16 2×2 – 64 |
| Spacious Homestead | Beer and Bandstand | 17 per tile 1×1 – 17 2×2 – 68 |
Apartment Upgrades and Subtypes
Apartments represent one of the final housing tiers before the evolutionary requirements become more challenging. They are available in two Subtypes: Modest and Spacious. Incorporating courthouses into your city’s infrastructure can provide a significant boost and help reduce crime. However, constructing and operating schools and libraries demands a supply of papyrus, which can pose a challenge.
| Apartments Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Modest Apartment | Courthouse Access | 18 per tile 1×1 – 18 2×2 – 72 |
| Spacious Apartment | Scribal School or Library | 19 per tile 1×1 – 19 2×2 – 76 |
Residence Upgrades and Subtypes
Residences are available in four subtypes: Common, Spacious, Elegant, and Fancy. Although the evolution requirements for these houses are really high, they offer advantages that are worth the resources you spend on building.
Their service requirements are significant, but they generate substantial tax revenue and are highly sought-after by citizens. However, it is best to have houses of varying levels throughout the city to maintain a balance of amenities, labor, and space.
| Residence Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Common Residence | Two types of food and dentist | 20 per tile 2×2 – 80 |
| Spacious Residence | Linen supply | 21 per tile 2×2 – 84 |
| Elegant Residence | Two Temples and a Pavilion | 22 per tile 2×2 – 88 |
| Fancy Residence | Luxury goods | 23 per tile 2×2 – 92 |
Manor Upgrades and Substypes
Manors have high-capacity and generate substantial tax revenue. They come in four different types: Common, Spacious, Elegant, and Stately. As Manors evolve, they require more space to expand., providing gardens around the manor is the best way to go.
Residents living in manors make annoying demands and do not help around the city. Nevertheless, having a small group of upper-class inhabitants yields substantial taxes for the city’s treasury and enhances the city’s prosperity and happiness.
| Manor Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Common Manor | Physician and Mortuary | ~11.1 per tile 3×3 – 100 |
| Spacious Manor | Access to Priests from 3 Temples | 12 per tile 3×3 – 108 |
| Elegant Manor | Access to senet | ~12.9 per tile 3×3 – 116 |
| Stately Manor | Luxury goods | ~13.8 per tile 3×3 – 124 |
Estate Upgrades and Substypes
Estates are the most extensive and expensive housing available, and they are available in just two forms: Modest and Palatial.
Progressing to the estate level is relatively straightforward once you’ve reached the manor level; simply incorporate some gardens to expand into, and you’ll soon enjoy additional tax revenue. Reaching the Palatial estate level is an accomplishment, as these houses represent the pinnacle of Egyptian residential architecture.
| Estate Subtypes | Evolution Requirements | Max Occupancy |
| Modest Estate | Access to 3 food types from the Bazaar | 11.5 per tile 4×4 – 184 |
| Palatial Estate | No further evolutions are possible | 12.5 per tile 4×4 – 200 |
That’s all you need to know about housing types and their evolution requirements in Pharaoh: A New Era.