Following the style-blending lead of its home computer inspiration, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a handheld game featuring elements of role-playing, strategy, and puzzle game genres. The adventure is set in the Medieval fantasy realm of Etheria, familiar from the Warlords and Warlords Battlecry series of PC strategy games. Single players guide a customizable hero character around a game board, solving more than 150 puzzles to conquer territory and gain stat-improving experience. An "Instant Action" mode is also available, offering a non-stop succession of puzzles without any game-board questing. Multiplayer modes allow head-to-head competition over an Ad-hoc wireless connection.