Gemfire

At the outset of the game, the player has the option of selecting a scenario and house. All four scenarios use the same game board, but they differ in which houses are present and what provinces, vassals and gems they have. Ultimately, the player must conquer the entire map to win the game.

Gameplay is divided into the main tactics screen and individual battle screens. On the tactics screen, the player is allowed one action per turn (in-game month) per territory. With that action, the player may hire or move troops, upgrade the territory's economy or defenses, engage in diplomatic actions (such as plunder an adjacent province or propose alliance with another house), or attack an enemy territory.

Gemfire takes place on the fictitious Isle of Ishmeria. Long ago, six wizards, each wielding a unique brand of magic, used their powers to protect the island and maintain peace. This was disrupted when they were collectively challenged by a Fire Dragon, summoned forth by a wizard intent on plunging the country into darkness. The sea-dwelling dragon of peace known as the Pastha charged the six wizards with the task of fighting back.

They succeeded, sealing the Fire Dragon away into a ruby at the top of a crown, and themselves became the six jewels around the crown's base. The crown, called Gemfire, became a symbol of utmost power and authority.

Gemfire has received mixed reception from critics.

Writing for Questicle.net, Dylan Cornelius criticized the game for being too difficult to get into, citing the game as having an overwhelming amount of things to do. The reviewer concluded that, while the game could hold the attention of Koei and strategy game fans, because the game fails to teach its rules properly, it couldn't be recommended by them.

On May 21, 1999, a sequel to Gemfire entitled Royal Blood II: Chronicles of the Kingdom of Dinar was released exclusively in Japan for Microsoft Windows computer operating systems.