California Games , originally titled "Extreme Games", was a collection of sports games that simulated various sun-kissed activities. Players could choose to sponsor their athlete and compete in events such as skateboarding, footbag, surfing, BMX, and flying disc. The surfing event was judged by a panel, which awarded points to help players improve their skills.
The Atari Lynx version of the game offered six sports to play: skateboarding, footbag, surfing, BMX, and two other events that were missing from some other versions. There were slight variations in the content between different platforms, with some lacking certain events altogether.