There's a strange satisfaction in playing older computer games; what with all the emphasis on the newfangled gadgets that come out, we forget that these older games are still quite enjoyable. One of my favorites is Pharaoh, released in 1999, which is (basically) a city-building simulation set in Ancient Egypt. The player has to build houses, agriculture, industry, and amenities, as well as temples, military installations, and monumental building projects. The game is well-made, with quite good graphics (for its time!) and excellent music. Its expansion, Cleopatra (2000) provides more missions, from the New Kingdom to the Roman conquest.

If you see Pharaoh in a bargain bin somewhere (the game, that is; not the ruler of ancient Egypt), you should get it. Besides, it's probably quite cheap. Get the expansion, too, if you can. You can always search Amazon; there are several people selling it there.

There's little I can say here that hasn't been already done better somewhere else on the internet, so here are useful links:

Pharaoh Heaven, a large site with many resources.

Which Way to Thebes?, Grumpus the Elder's excellent Pharaoh page.

Granite Chippings, a collection of odds and ends about the game.

Courtesy of the Wayback Machine, we can view the Official Pharaoh site that's been shut down for several years.
 

Happy Pharaoh-ing! Remember, if Charlton Heston asks you to let his people go, you should probably let them go.