Rick Swan reviewed the adventure in "The Space Gamer" No. 71. Swan called this an "extremely playable example" of TSR's "One on One" module line meant for only one player and one DM. Swan felt that "there are enough obstacles and encounters along the way to make it a real challenge". Swan listed the game's strict time limit of one hour, the ready-to use character sheet, and sixteen page map book among the aspects that make the module "a pleasure to play", although he concluded that because the adventure is only good for an hour of play, "replay value is virtually nil". He concluded by saying ""The Gem and the Staff" does an excellent job of filling a roleplaying niche by providing quality material for just two players ... but let's also hope that next time out we get a little more for our money."