4000 years ago, on the eastern bank of the Nile, the foundations of the Temple of Amun-Ra were laid. Over the next two thousand years, the temple was gradually enlarged and became better known as Ipet-Isut ("the greatest of places"), along with the most important religious building in the world. Today the site is known as Karnak, located in Luxor in modern Egypt.

Join the ancient pharaohs to create and develop one of the most awe-inspiring sites the world has seen, honoring the Egyptian gods Horus, Ra, Hathor, Bastet, Thoth and Osiris. You need to carefully manage the balance of your actions, preparing for the judgment of the goddess Maat.

The Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun game board is divided into six sections, each associated with an Egyptian god: Horus, Ra, Hathor, Bastet, Thoth, and Osiris. In the center is an impressive obelisk (Tekhenu) which casts its shadow on different parts of the plateau. Therefore, the area around the obelisk is divided into sunny, shaded, and dark sections, depending on how the obelisk casts its shadow at a particular time. As the game progresses, the sun's rotation changes the sunny, shady, or dark sections.

In each phase, you gain victory points by having the most workshops or quarries of each type, for buildings built near the temple complex of Amon-Ra, the number of statues you have built, in according to the happiness of your people, or by having reached maximum production.

You must also conserve resources to support your population, otherwise you will suffer negative consequences. In addition, after the second and final phase, you can earn bonus victory points through various decrees that you have collected during the game.