Instead of forcing players to call upon the usual roll call of spells and take part in non-interactive battles, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords asks them to use their puzzle-solving wits to survive. They begin the game by selecting a specific character class, such as warrior or wizard. From there, they embark on a small training quest to learn the basics of play. The playfield resembles Bejeweled, as gamers must line up three or more items in a row to eliminate them. However, Puzzle Quest goes much deeper than that.

Each battle has the player going back and forth with their opponent. The player makes a move, and then the selected character takes its turn. Instead of littering the screen with useless colorful icons, the objects actually have a purpose. Lining up three skulls in a row causes life-dwindling damage, and the first player to hit zero loses the fight. Coins, multiplier squares, purple mana hit points and gems can also be picked up over the course of a contest. Scoring four or more icons in a row earns an extra turn, along with the occasional "wild card" that can be thrown in for devastating results.

The gems serve a greater purpose as well. If enough of them get collected, gamers earn the ability to activate a special attack, highlighted on the left portion of the screen. These change quite often, ranging from quick attacks to smoke screens executed to confuse the opponent. The enemy has its own special attacks as well, giving the game a rather unique balance. It might seem kind of odd at first to watch a bat or a rat work its way through a game of Bejeweled like a pro (they don't even have hands), but keep in mind that it relies heavily on fantasy.

On top of battle strategy, Puzzle Quest offers a huge load of options. Players can complete a main quest, or try their luck with side quests to earn extra coins and power-ups. Seven different categories can be leveled up throughout the game (including earth powers and battle skills), and new members can join the party. Along the way, players can acquire new armor, weapons and other items or as a twist, enemies can be recruited (enslaved?) as allies. This enables players to create their own vast empire, eventually taking over troublesome towns and creating a majestic kingdom. This gives Puzzle Quest vast replay value, a plus for any puzzle game.