Gems of War is Infinity Plus 2's match three RPG where two teams of four trade turns on a single 8x8 board. Matching gems fills each troop's mana in that colour, matching skulls sends your front troop in to attack, and matching four or more gems hands you another turn. Over 1,400 troops and more than 30 kingdoms across Krystara sit on top of that one loop.
Starting Gems of War - Puzzle RPG can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Gems of War - Puzzle RPG is a puzzle game built around Mana colours and spell casting and Skull damage. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Titan | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Frostmage | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Necromancer | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Sunspear | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Archer | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Frostmage. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Archer as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Mana colours and spell casting
Six colours feed troop spells, and a troop only casts once its bar is full. Team building is mostly about covering colours without stacking four troops that all drink from the same two.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Mana colours and spell casting works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Whitehelm
One of the first kingdoms most players level, with a Glory tribute worth 10. Every kingdom you reach level 10 grants all your troops plus one to a particular skill, and plus two once Kingdom Power hits five gold stars.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Divine Protector: it's the most accessible early upgrade. The hero weapon slotted into the standard Divines team alongside Infernus, Ubastet and Divine Ishbaala. It exists to make the hero a fourth Divine rather than a passenger.
Step 4: Understand Skull damage
A skull match sends your first surviving troop to attack, measuring its Attack against enemy Armour and then Life. Doomskulls hit considerably harder, and several spells create them deliberately, so a skull heavy board is not automatically yours to use.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Broken Spire
The ogre kingdom, whose people worship a Lava Wyrm, and the kingdom that opens access to the Arena draft mode. Its tribute pays 200 Gold rather than Glory or Souls.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Mana colours and spell casting
Six colours feed troop spells, and a troop only casts once its bar is full. Team building is mostly about covering colours without stacking four troops that all drink from the same two.
Skull damage
A skull match sends your first surviving troop to attack, measuring its Attack against enemy Armour and then Life. Doomskulls hit considerably harder, and several spells create them deliberately, so a skull heavy board is not automatically yours to use.
Extra turns from four and five matches
Matching four or more gems returns the turn to you, and chaining those turns is where the skill ceiling sits. A team that loops reliably beats a team with bigger numbers that hands the board back every turn.
Traits and traitstones
Each troop carries up to three traits unlocked with Minor, Major, Runic, Arcane and Celestial traitstones. The third trait is usually the one that changes a team, and Arcane traitstones are the bottleneck that farming teams exist to solve.
Hero class and weapon
Your hero takes one of the four slots, carries a weapon such as Dawnbringer or Essence of Evil, and runs a class like Titan or Frostmage. Classes level to 20 with souls and unlock seven talents through Champion Levels earned by winning with that class equipped.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Stacking four troops that all need the same mana colour
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
2. Spending souls levelling troops you will replace instead of levelling a hero class to 20
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
3. Ignoring daily tributes, which are free Glory, Souls and Gold for a single tap
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
4. Casting a spell immediately instead of setting up two more extra turns first
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
5. Bringing a general purpose team into an Underworld faction run limited to two banner colours
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Mana colours and spell casting and Skull damage
- Choose Frostmage as starting build
- Clear Whitehelm main content
- Acquire Divine Protector or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Broken Spire
- Build every team around covering four different mana colours. Two troops competing for blue means one of them sits at half mana all battle while the enemy casts freely.
- Run Valkyrie in any session where you need souls. Her spell gives 10 souls per cast, and three Warlocks behind her add 50 percent each through the Necromancy trait.
Tips for New Players
- Build every team around covering four different mana colours. Two troops competing for blue means one of them sits at half mana all battle while the enemy casts freely.
- Run Valkyrie in any session where you need souls. Her spell gives 10 souls per cast, and three Warlocks behind her add 50 percent each through the Necromancy trait.
- Collect kingdom tributes whenever you open the game. Most kingdoms pay around 10 Glory of value, Khetar pays 40 Souls and Broken Spire and Stormheim pay 200 Gold, and it costs nothing but a tap.
- Push each kingdom to level 10 before spreading gold thinly across all of them. Level 10 grants every troop you own plus one to a skill, and that bonus applies in every battle forever.
- Set up two farming teams rather than one: a fast Explore team for Arcane traitstones and a separate Underworld faction run for Legendary and Mythic ingots. They solve different bottlenecks.
- Chain extra turns before casting a finisher. Matching four or more gems returns the turn, so a player who sets up two loops first will often cast twice while the opponent never moves.
- Third traits are the ones worth Arcane traitstones. First and second traits are usually small stat bonuses, while the third is what makes a troop worth a team slot.
- Class talents come from Champion Levels earned by winning with that class equipped, so pick one class and stay on it for a stretch rather than switching every session.
- Doomed weapons are traited with Forge Scrolls from Tower of Doom, not with ingots. If your guild runs the event, participating is the only supply line for those weapons.
- Underworld faction runs restrict your team to the first two colours of that faction's banner, so the lineup has to be built inside the constraint rather than being your best general team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gems of War free to play?
Yes, and it runs on match three battles rather than an energy timer. Progress is gated by troop levels, traitstones and kingdom levels rather than by a stamina bar.
What is the best beginner team?
Treant, Alchemist, Valkyrie and Banshee on the Scales banner. Nothing in it is above Ultra-Rare, it loops the board through conversion spells, and Valkyrie funds the souls you need next.
How do you farm souls?
Valkyrie casts for 10 souls, and three Warlocks behind her add 50 percent each through Necromancy. Run it on a low difficulty so each battle finishes quickly.
What are traitstones for?
They unlock troop traits, in Minor, Major, Runic, Arcane and Celestial grades. Arcane traitstones are the limiting resource because third traits almost always need them.
How many kingdoms are there?
More than 30 across Krystara, each with its own quest line, troops, banner and tribute. Underworld factions add their own separate runs on top of the overworld kingdoms.
More Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Guides
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Overview
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Best Builds
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Tier List
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Walkthrough
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Tips & Tricks
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Weapons Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Combat Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Boss Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Maps & Locations
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Crafting Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Gems of War - Puzzle RPG, check out these related guides:
- Escape Simulator Beginner's Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Pico Park Beginner's Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Portal Beginner's Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
