Bust-a-Move Universe is an arcade-style puzzle game in the Bust-A-Move series. The player's goal is to aim and fire bubbles at falling bubbles to clear groups of three or more bubbles of the same colour, preventing them from reaching the bottom of the screen.
The gameplay modes include Puzzle mode, which features eight worlds with ten stages each, plus a final boss fight. In this mode, keys found in each level unlock a dragon that gives the player a rapid fire ability. Challenge mode allows players to set their own time limit and aim for high scores.