Gem Rush is a brilliant digital translation of the classic board game. It strikes a perfect balance between being easy to learn and difficult to master. The core loop of digging through a mountain by building rooms using gem cards is incredibly rewarding. The 'Rush' mode provides a frantic race against other players, while 'Crisis' mode offers a tense, cooperative experience against an ever-ticking clock.
The app itself is extremely well-made, which isn't surprising given it was programmed by the original board game designer. The UI handles the card management and room abilities elegantly. I especially love the inclusion of dwarven poetry for the player skillsβit adds a layer of flavor that makes the world feel alive. With cross-platform multiplayer and a robust solo mode, itβs one of the best strategy board games on the App Store that many people haven't heard of yet.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.4.1Wed Feb 26 2025
Additional AI difficulty level, iOS 18 support
The Classic Board Game comes to your iPhone and iPad!
This mountain is rich in mystic gems. Combine gems to open up new rooms, providing new ways to dig up gems. Race against other players or race together against the clock to dig the greatest mine in this fast-paced, easy-to-learn strategy game.
FEATURES:
- Leverage more than 60 room abilities
- 20 unique player skills adorned with dwarven poetry
- Competitive, cooperative, and solitaire game modes (1-7 players)
- Online and pass-and-play multiplayer options
- Cross-platform multiplayer (mobile and PC)
- Play a quick game and watch the action unfold, or play an asynchronous game where you only need to take one turn per day
- 4 levels of AI to play with or against
- Faithful adaptation of the Gem Rush board game, programmed by the designer
REVIEWS OF THE BOARD GAME (first edition)
"The gameplay is great, I think it's a super fun game...This is a great tile-laying exploration game, one that I would very much recommend..."
Zee Garcia - The Dice Tower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sFqPxqdgj4
"It's a nice little filler game...it's all about optimizing your turns, making sure you're in a position where you can maximize your options depending on which cards you're going to draw."
Ricky Royal - Box of Delights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h_RxwPD3TA
"A simple, light game...the gives me enough to think about and keep me engaged. I personally like the fact that the game feeds me constantly new problems to solve."
Marco Arnaudo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXzd2r-sOwA
HOW TO PLAY
On your turn, move up to 3 steps in the mine, then do one action.
Building Rooms
Building rooms is the main way to score points! If you move into a room that doesn't exist yet, you have to build it. Spend cards from your hand that include all the gems on the door you're building. (Most cards have 2 gems, and can be spent as either or both!) Choose the rotation of the new room and add it to the mine.
Collecting Gems
For your action, use a room's special ability to draw more gem cards. Different rooms have different rules for drawing cards, so choosing the right room for your situation is key! (If you can't find a useful room, you can always draw a single card instead.)
At the start of your next turn, if you have more than 4 cards, you'll have to discard down to 4.
Winning
In Rush Mode, the players race against each other. Have the most points at the end of the round when anyone reaches the point target.
In Crisis Mode, the players race against the clock. You'll be forced to "burn" cards from the deck every turn, removing them from the game. Reach the target score before the cards are all gone!
Requires iOSΒ 15.6 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPodΒ touch.The Classic Board Game comes to your iPhone and iPad!
This mountain is rich in mystic gems. Combine gems to open up new rooms, providing new ways to dig up gems. Race against other players or race together against the clock to dig the greatest mine in this fast-paced, easy-to-learn strategy game.
FEATURES:
- Leverage more than 60 room abilities
- 20 unique player skills adorned with dwarven poetry
- Competitive, cooperative, and solitaire game modes (1-7 players)
- Online and pass-and-play multiplayer options
- Cross-platform multiplayer (mobile and PC)
- Play a quick game and watch the action unfold, or play an asynchronous game where you only need to take one turn per day
- 4 levels of AI to play with or against
- Faithful adaptation of the Gem Rush board game, programmed by the designer
REVIEWS OF THE BOARD GAME (first edition)
"The gameplay is great, I think it's a super fun game...This is a great tile-laying exploration game, one that I would very much recommend..."
Zee Garcia - The Dice Tower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sFqPxqdgj4
"It's a nice little filler game...it's all about optimizing your turns, making sure you're in a position where you can maximize your options depending on which cards you're going to draw."
Ricky Royal - Box of Delights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h_RxwPD3TA
"A simple, light game...the gives me enough to think about and keep me engaged. I personally like the fact that the game feeds me constantly new problems to solve."
Marco Arnaudo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXzd2r-sOwA
HOW TO PLAY
On your turn, move up to 3 steps in the mine, then do one action.
Building Rooms
Building rooms is the main way to score points! If you move into a room that doesn't exist yet, you have to build it. Spend cards from your hand that include all the gems on the door you're building. (Most cards have 2 gems, and can be spent as either or both!) Choose the rotation of the new room and add it to the mine.
Collecting Gems
For your action, use a room's special ability to draw more gem cards. Different rooms have different rules for drawing cards, so choosing the right room for your situation is key! (If you can't find a useful room, you can always draw a single card instead.)
At the start of your next turn, if you have more than 4 cards, you'll have to discard down to 4.
Winning
In Rush Mode, the players race against each other. Have the most points at the end of the round when anyone reaches the point target.
In Crisis Mode, the players race against the clock. You'll be forced to "burn" cards from the deck every turn, removing them from the game. Reach the target score before the cards are all gone!














Gem Rush is a digital adaptation of the acclaimed strategy board game. Players take on the roles of dwarves mining a mountain for mystic gems. By spending gem cards from your hand, you build new rooms that provide unique abilities and help you score points. The game features three main modes: Rush (competitive), Crisis (cooperative), and Solitaire. With over 60 room abilities, online cross-platform multiplayer, and 3 levels of AI, Gem Rush offers deep replayability for strategy fans.
60+ unique room abilities
20 unique player skills
Competitive and Co-op modes
Cross-platform multiplayer
Detailed tutorial and AI bots
Always try to build rooms that connect to multiple doors; this maximizes your movement options and potential for future room placements.
Play the digital adaptation of the beloved tabletop board game. Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle for control of a vast...
AppAdvice - Fri Jun 27 2025
Select a card with the matching gem icons to construct a room and expand the mine's layout.
Yes, it supports both real-time and asynchronous online multiplayer, as well as local pass-and-play.