Gems of War

Overview

Gems of War is a free-to-play puzzle RPG from Infinity Plus Two, the developer behind the Puzzle Quest series. It combines match-3 board play with troop collection, team building and fantasy quests set across Krystara. Published by 505 Games, it was released on Windows on November 20, 2014.

In battle, matching gems earns mana for troop abilities, while skull matches deal direct damage. Players can bring a hero and build a squad of up to four troops, choosing a team to suit the challenge. The game’s campaign spans more than 30 kingdoms, with individual quest lines, alongside battles in the Underworld and competitive player-versus-player modes.

Infinity Plus Two has made several other puzzle-focused games, including Puzzle Chronicles, Puzzle Quest 2, Puzzle Kingdoms, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, as well as Warlords Battlecry III. See more games by Infinity Plus Two.

Key features

• Match-3 combat: Match colored gems to build mana and activate troop abilities, or match skulls to damage opponents directly.
• Squad building: Unlock and upgrade a roster of more than 1,400 troops, equip a weapon to the hero, and assemble a team of up to four troops.
• Quests and regions: Follow quest lines across more than 30 kingdoms in Krystara.
• Underworld factions: Take on factions in a separate area with loot to earn.
• Competitive play and alliances: Fight other players on the regional map and join an Alliance to contest control of Krystara’s regions.
• Steam features: The Windows release lists achievements, trading cards, cloud saves, family sharing and partial controller support, as well as multiplayer and cross-platform multiplayer.

Pricing

Gems of War is free to play. The Steam listing includes in-app purchases; no purchase prices are specified here.

Platforms

The listed platform is Microsoft Windows. Steam features include multiplayer and cross-platform multiplayer, but the platform details provided do not identify which other platforms are supported.

Who it's for

Gems of War is suited to players who want match-3 battles with RPG progression and a substantial troop-collection focus. Its campaign, faction encounters and competitive modes offer different ways to use team-building and board strategy. Players interested in hosting, modding or streaming should note that the available feature information specifies Steam Cloud and multiplayer, but does not describe dedicated server hosting, mod support, or recording and streaming tools.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Combat gives gem matching a tactical role through mana, abilities and direct skull damage.
• A large troop roster supports experimentation with squad composition and upgrades.
• Campaign quests, Underworld factions and competitive play provide several distinct activities.
• Steam Cloud and cross-platform multiplayer are listed among the Steam features.

Cons

• In-app purchases are part of the free-to-play release, though specific prices are not given.
• Controller support is partial.
• The listed information does not establish dedicated server, modding or streaming support.

Alternatives

For other games from the same developer, see Games by Infinity Plus Two. The listed related games include Puzzle Chronicles, Puzzle Quest 2, Puzzle Kingdoms, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Warlords Battlecry III.

Verdict

Gems of War builds its RPG progression around a clear match-3 combat loop: gem matches fuel abilities, skulls hit directly, and troop choices shape the team’s approach. Its kingdom quests, Underworld factions and regional PvP broaden that foundation, while the roster of more than 1,400 troops gives collection and upgrades a central role. It is a Windows free-to-play option for players drawn to puzzle tactics and team building; the available details do not point to dedicated server hosting or mod support.