Royal Gems
- April 1, 2019
- 8floor
Get on Steam"Royal Gems" is a captivating puzzle game with over 160 levels and 10 hours of gameplay. Your goal is to create gem formations on the board to earn bonuses and crystals. Use these crystals to buy upgrades and spells, and fill your slot machine for even more rewards. With stunning effects, vivid 2D graphics, and a charming soundtrack, this game offers a royal adventure filled with countless bounties.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features visually pleasing graphics and a fun, engaging gameplay style reminiscent of classic match-3 games.
- It offers unique mechanics such as chain matching and power-ups that can be created by forming specific shapes, adding a layer of strategy.
- Players find it enjoyable for casual play and a good way to pass the time, with some appreciating the challenge it presents.
- The game is criticized for being a low-effort mobile port with bland, generic gameplay that lacks depth and innovation.
- Technical issues such as lack of resolution options, crashes, and unclear instructions detract from the overall experience.
- Many players feel the game is not worth its price, especially given the abundance of free, higher-quality alternatives available on mobile platforms.
- graphics20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are primarily simple, cartoony 2D visuals reminiscent of low-effort mobile apps, lacking options for resolution changes or meaningful tweaks. While some users find the graphics visually pleasing and suitable for a younger audience, many criticize the overall quality as insufficient for a PC game, suggesting that improvements are needed to meet the expectations of adult gamers. Despite these shortcomings, the graphics are described as nice, with some praise for the accompanying music.
“The graphics are great, but a little improvement would bring it to new heights.”
“Graphics are really nice, the music is fantastic, the best I've heard since Bejeweled, and there are separate volume settings and windowed mode with a fixed size.”
“Graphically, it is very pleasing.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“The game features simple, cartoony 2D graphics, of the type you normally expect to see in low-effort mobile apps.”
“Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as a unique take on the match-3 genre, featuring a chain-gem mechanic that some players found unclear initially. While the game is well-crafted, there are suggestions for potential improvements in gameplay scaling as players progress through levels. Overall, it offers a distinct experience compared to traditional match-3 games.
“However, the gameplay is different.”
“In short, a well-made match-3 game, with its own unique gameplay.”
“If you want to see the initial gameplay, I made a short video which you will find in the community hub.”
“I played so many match-3 games that are based on different mechanics that I couldn't understand what is asked from me.”
“The mechanics of putting the gems in a chain wasn't clear to me.”
“I can't speak for more than the part I played; there may be some things to improve even in the scaling of the gameplay in later levels.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Royal Gems is criticized as a blatant cash grab, with a price point of around $5 USD deemed unjustifiable given the game's defects and the availability of superior free alternatives on Steam. Reviewers highlight the developer's history of reskinning mobile games for profit, reinforcing the perception of this title as low-effort shovelware.
“This is a cash grab.”
“Royal Gems has the cash grab price of around $5 USD; it's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings with the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
“Royal Gems is more shovelware from 8floor, known asset flippers who keep copy-pasting the same mobile games with reskins onto Steam as cash grabs; this isn't really any different.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as high-quality but polarizing, with some finding it annoying, heavy, and chaotic, while others praise it as fantastic and reminiscent of classic titles like Bejeweled. Despite the separate volume settings, the persistent sound effects can detract from the experience. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated, it does not compensate for the game's shortcomings.
“The music is fantastic, the best I've heard since Bejeweled.”
“The soundtrack alone was worth the 39 cents I paid.”
“The music is quality, but really it is annoying, heavy, chaotic, and negative.”
“I have to say, the soundtrack alone was worth the 39 cents I paid (you should only buy any games by 8floor at 90% off), but as a game it's not recommended at all, and they're definitely not gonna rebalance goals or add a relaxed mode, which would easily make it one of the best match-3 games on the market instead of one of the worst.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is tied to performance, with players able to earn up to 3 stars and 30 purple gems per level, indicating a clear incentive for improving gameplay efficiency. However, the repetitive nature of this reward system may lead to a lack of engagement over time.
“Up to 3 stars and 30 purple gems are awarded per level, based on your performance.”
