Gems of War Review: Worth Playing in 2025?

Gems of War, the mobile match-3 RPG puzzle game, is a pretty rewarding game to play.

While it has a simple look, the gameplay loop offers top-drawer quality and entertainment.

I’ve been playing Gems of War for a while and wanted to thoroughly test it before recommending it to my readers.

Gems of War isn’t a new game—far from it. It was released in October 2014.

In fact, I tried it in the past but never managed to engage properly until a recent download.

Gems of War can be tricky to play compared to most gem-matching puzzlers.

See, before you get started, you have to understand how the trickle-down Mana system works and how the gems on the puzzle board directly relate to Mana.

However, once you get it, Gems of War becomes a fantastic waste of time.

This post may contain speculation, personal opinion, and adult comedy. It is not advice and is solely for entertainment and informational purposes.

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Gems of War is a Great Match-3 Puzzle Game (2025)

If you’re looking for an adult-feeling, fun, fantasy match-3 RPG mobile game, Gems of War could be it.

The game is available on mobile (iOS, Android/Google Play), PS5, XBOX, and PC, although it only has a landscape mode (no portrait).

Gems of War can be daunting initially when you’re first hit with everything to do.

However, remember that this game has been out since 2014 and appears to have been under constant development.

Oh, and for reference, all the “Heroes” in this game are called “Troops”. With your own Profile picture (i.e. YOU) being your team’s only real “Hero”.

Gems of War Troop Card Screenshot — Goblin Bomber Troop Card (Gems of War)

In Gems of War, you’ll find several modes of play, including World Maps, Guild Quests, PvP, Daily Quests, Dungeons, and much more.

I personally enjoy unlocking the Kingdoms and playing some PvP (although PvP doesn’t feel very relevant).

While Gems of War does have promotional offers, they don’t feel intrusive. And, if you do your research, you’ll discover that many within the community [Reddit] argue that this game can be played for free.

Does that mean Gems of War isn’t Pay-To-Win?

It’s too early for me to say; however, it feels like that.

To be more precise, it feels like I could pay to make quicker progress but not to win. -Which seems fair enough.

Overall, Gems of War feels like a pretty cool game, with plenty to get involved with.

Gems of War Review: Guilds (Multiplayer Teams of 30)

Gems of War Guilds Screenshot — A Guild Homepage in Gems of War

I do a load of research when I’m interested in a game, and that’s what I did with Gems of War.

A key tip I kept reading was to join a Guild because the rewards are fantastic.

And that has proven to be the case.

In Gems of War, “Guild” describes a group of human teammates; other games might call them Alliances or Clans.

The Guild I joined isn’t awfully chatty, but they seem to get the job done.

I’m not a huge fan of the current Guild Quest (“Journey”, as seen in the image above) because, so far, games seem to take a long time.

That may be down to the fact that I don’t have many levelled-up Troops yet.

In short, you fight elemental battles where you can only use Troops from one colour group. That means using Troops you might not be familiar with or like.

-It’s just not as fun.

However, I’m gonna persist with this because the rewards demand that I do!

Is Gems of War Worth It? PROS & CONS and Recommendation

Gems of War Pros and Cons.

PROS:
✓ A deeper match-3 puzzle game that requires thought and strategy
✓ Vast amounts of content and a great tone/vibe to the game
✓ Leveling your Heroes, Troops, and Kingdoms creates a sense of progression
✓ Developers do not feel like money grabbers!

CONS:
✗ Missing the human element in PvP. It can feel quite boring
✗ You never really get a sense of achievement. Rather, it can feel monotonous at times
✗ There are way too many chests to open (albeit free) and way too many Troops to discover

Do I recommend Gems of War?