LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure continues the players' journey through the Indiana Jones universe with a humorous, light-hearted take on the fourth film's story. The game features three campaigns retelling the events in a humorous way, similar to other games in the LEGO series. The gameplay is a third-person platform/action game where players control various heroes, including Indiana Jones and his son Mutt, each with unique abilities, fears, and weapons. Characters also have different phobias that affect their personalities.
In this installment, instead of a central hub, the story and locations progress simultaneously. The game starts on the University campus but eventually moves to a dig-site in South America. Players can unlock new areas by acquiring vehicles or characters, which can be found in hubs or purchased with studs. Studs are collected by destroying scenery objects or building structures.
The game features an editor to create unique heroes and a level editor where players can spawn items and place them on the map. Two-player co-op mode returns, allowing two players to play through the whole game together, moving freely around each other's screens as they progress.