PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords

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PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords is a single player and multiplayer casual puzzle game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Infinite Interactive and was released on January 29, 2008. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

In "PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords," engage in an epic single-player campaign with over 150 quests, where you save the kingdom of Etheria from evil through match-3 puzzle combat. Build your character, capture cities, and gain companions in this immersive puzzle game. Additionally, enjoy quick-play mode for a more casual experience.

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PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords screenshot

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,292 reviews

story146 positive mentions

grinding48 negative mentions

Puzzle Quest combines match-3 gameplay with RPG elements, creating a unique and addictive experience.
The game features a variety of character classes, spells, and quests, providing depth and replayability.
The nostalgic value and engaging story keep players coming back for more, even after many years.

The AI often feels unfair, with many players reporting that it seems to cheat by getting lucky matches.
Gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, especially with the constant random encounters.
The game lacks modern resolution support and can have performance issues on newer systems.

story
494 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story in Puzzle Quest is generally viewed as a standard fantasy narrative, often described as generic and linear, revolving around classic tropes like defeating a dark lord. While some players appreciate the humor and engaging RPG elements that enhance the experience, many find the plot repetitive and lacking depth, with a mix of side quests that can feel tedious. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the addictive match-3 gameplay, providing just enough context to keep players invested.
- “The story is interesting, and the artwork is great.”
- “The story is great - written with an amazing sense of humour - and is created by an Australian company.”
- “I found the story to be extremely compelling and at times humorous.”
- “The story is extremely lackluster here and it's boring around 80% of the time.”
- “But the story, the dialogue and the art direction are all so bland, so generic, so throwaway that I can't look or read anything without wanting to smash my head into the wall.”
- “The story is the typical fantasy fare with orcs, ogres and the like; the characters are usually stereotypes, but can be interesting at times.”
gameplay
224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The gameplay of this title is a unique blend of match-3 puzzle mechanics and RPG elements, creating an addictive and engaging experience that offers surprising depth and strategic complexity. Players appreciate the variety of character classes, spells, and crafting mechanics, although some find the gameplay can become repetitive and frustrating against AI opponents. Overall, it remains a nostalgic and enjoyable game that holds up well despite its age, appealing to both casual gamers and RPG enthusiasts.
- “The unlikely combo of puzzle gameplay and RPG mechanics makes it one of the most addictive experiences on Microsoft's downloadable service.”
- “The gameplay is exceptional, even for someone like me who never liked 'connect 3' games.”
- “The combination of all these makes for exciting, strategic gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is very repetitive and boring.”
- “The gameplay is frustrating, the UI is horrendous, and the use of abilities is inconsistent.”
- “The game stretched on way too long for the simple gameplay.”
music
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
56%
7%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its catchy and epic qualities that enhance the fantasy theme and gameplay experience. However, some have noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive and that the music occasionally cuts off abruptly, disrupting immersion. Overall, while the music is generally well-composed and enjoyable, it may not stand out as particularly unique or varied over extended play sessions.
- “Excellent gameplay, great characters, brilliant music.”
- “I can't stress how great the soundtrack is in this title as it expertly captures the fantasy theme of the game.”
- “Many of the songs are exceedingly catchy and really help to convey the mood of a certain location or bolster the feeling of winning/losing in a battle.”
- “The music is not anything to write home about either, but it isn't horrible.”
- “The only negative feedback is the music doesn't loop very well; it can break your immersion suddenly when the music jumps to the beginning of a track halfway through a note.”
- “As well, the music is simply a set of tracks that play on a continuous loop, over and over, with the game altogether stopping for 1-3 seconds when the music changes.”
graphics
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
52%
12%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reminiscent of DS-era handheld titles, with some users noting simplistic and flat visuals. While there are occasional graphical glitches, such as distortions in effects and static character images, the artwork is appreciated for its charm and JRPG style. Overall, players find that the engaging gameplay and nostalgic experience outweigh the graphical shortcomings.
- “The story does a good job of keeping the player engaged with its amazing graphics and solid storyline.”
- “Fantasy themed 'Bejeweled' with many RPG elements, fun characters/companions & dialogue, great artwork and cool music.”
- “The artwork is - of course - JRPG, but I think it's nicely done.”
- “Puzzle Quest had decent if simplistic graphics as a DS-era handheld game, but on PC it leaves a lot to be desired.”
- “It's not great graphically, with the story unfolding via static character images over backgrounds with text bubbles.”
- “Graphics are dated compared to Gems of War, but the gameplay is still there.”
grinding
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The game is widely criticized for its excessive grinding, which many players find tedious and repetitive, especially as they progress into the mid-game. While the initial gameplay is engaging and addictive, the reliance on grinding for gear and levels detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than a casual match-three title. Despite its fun elements and interesting story, the grinding aspect is a significant drawback for those who do not enjoy this style of gameplay.
- “Awesome game that, yes, does get a bit tedious at times - but holy crap is it addictive! I couldn't focus on anything until I finally put Lord Bane to rest.”
- “You have to grind too much, which makes it tedious, and the game throws you tons of unavoidable monsters in the way to every quest.”
- “It's a fun and addicting game, but it drags on for quite some time and eventually becomes tedious.”
- “As is, this is a very grindy game that's balanced against the player with increasingly difficult enemy encounters and heavy reliance on having good gear and stats, to a point where it feels more like a game about grinding than a casual match-three title.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through various classes, narrative choices, and gameplay strategies, allowing players to experiment and enjoy different experiences. While some users noted limited replay value for those uninterested in match-3 mechanics, many praised the game's engaging puzzles and challenges, which contribute to its longevity. Additionally, mods like "The Legend Returns" can enhance replayability further for PC players.
- “Absolutely amazing story, great gameplay, extremely replayable, a perfect game in my opinion.”
- “And after that, there is great replayability with the other classes, narrative choices, and play styles.”
- “I thoroughly enjoyed this game - it has great replay value as each puzzle is different, as well as the skills and spells.”
- “- Replay value is nearly non-existent unless you really need to play a match-3 game.”
- “Some replayability with the different classes and general randomness.”
- “It has different types of minigames and replay value in some of the storyline choices.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
42%
50%
The game has faced notable stuttering issues, particularly on Windows 10, which can make it unplayable at times. However, recent discussions suggest that patches may resolve these performance problems, and some users report consistent performance on consoles. Players are encouraged to seek out these solutions to improve their experience.
- “At least it had a consistent performance on that console.”
- “Originally, I had recommended against the game because of stuttering issues that made it unplayable after a period of time.”
- “There's a performance issue on Windows 10 right now that I've seen a few other people mention in the discussions.”
- “Even with a highly optimized wizard with ridiculous stats and a meticulous battle strategy, I still managed to only win about 70% of fights.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability, with users reporting minimal issues such as minor graphical glitches and no significant bugs or crashes. It performs well on both Windows 10 and the Steam Deck, making it a reliable choice for players despite a few distortions in specific visual effects.
- “Its a real fun game that is absolutely perfect for the Steam Deck, albeit with a few graphical glitches regarding the skull tokens (very distortive, but not terrible!).”
- “I've noticed 1-2 small graphical glitches with some attack effects, like lightning looking a little blocky, but otherwise it works great on it.”
- “I smell more confusion than a buggy flashback.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly enjoying the absurdity of actions like poisoning cities and finding certain dialogues amusing. The rebalancing between versions has also been noted as a source of humor, contributing to an overall compelling and funny narrative experience.
- “You can even poison cities, which I find utterly hilarious for some reason.”
- “Hilariously enough, between the original I played on handheld and this one on Steam... a few things have been rebalanced.”
- “I found the story to be extremely compelling and at times humorous.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a surprising emotional investment in a puzzle game, highlighting the satisfaction derived from achieving complex goals, such as auto-matching gems without direct interaction. This emotional engagement is tied to the sense of accomplishment and rewards that enhance the overall gaming experience.
- “mfw I'm emotionally invested in a puzzle game ‍♂️”
- “Get the gems to cascade and auto-match five times without touching the board to fulfill a heroic effort and get an experience reward on top of all the mana, gold, experience, and combat damage you already get from the matches.”
- “You can get through the game without touching them.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The monetization of the original Puzzle Quest is praised for its lack of aggressive microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics, especially in contrast to newer mobile iterations that exploit these practices. Reviewers appreciate that the game does not engage in manipulative monetization strategies, making it a more authentic and enjoyable experience.
- “I have been seeing many mobile games shamelessly rip off Puzzle Quest lately, and after seeing my grandmother spend nearly $60 on Candy Crush microtransactions, I feel that this game deserves its well-earned recognition more than ever.”
- “The new ones (e.g., Puzzle Quest 3, Marvel Puzzle Quest) are horrible pay-to-win mobile ports littered with microtransactions.”
- “After seeing my grandmother spend nearly $60 on Candy Crush microtransactions, I feel that this game deserves its well-earned recognition more than ever.”
- “It isn't greedware spamming, intentionally trying to get you addicted or advertising anything.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Reviews indicate a significant dissatisfaction with character development, highlighting a decline in quality compared to past games. Players feel that the narrative and motivations behind character actions are poorly executed, leading to a lack of engagement and a desire to skip through content. This sentiment reflects a broader frustration with the current trend of microtransaction-driven games overshadowing more immersive experiences.
- “The character development is so poorly executed that you'll just want to click through the dialogue.”
- “The motivations behind the character actions are unclear, making the development feel pointless.”
- “The lack of depth in character development leaves players feeling disconnected from the story.”

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85%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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17h Median play time

19h Average play time

9-40h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords is a casual puzzle game with fantasy theme.

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords is available on PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows, PC and others.

On average players spend around 19 hours playing PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords.

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords was released on January 29, 2008.

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords was developed by Infinite Interactive.

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Puzzle Quest 2, Might & Magic Clash of Heroes, Puzzle Quest Galactrix, Solitairica, Shadowhand and others.

PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords

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