You play Pitfall II: Lost Caverns as Pitfall Harry, searching for his niece Rhonda, her cat Quickclaw, and treasures in the Andes. Poisonous frogs, eels, scorpions, bats, and other hazards are obstacles to overcome.
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns is the sequel to Pitfall! , the original platform game. The gameplay remains similar, with each screen presenting a side view of obstacles to get past, and potentially treasures to collect. The landscape is more maze-like, with various paths and dead ends to search. Along the way, there are checkpoints in the form of red crosses that the player will encounter.
As you explore, you can collect gold bars, which award 5000 points. Your total score acts as an energy reserve. If your score reaches zero, the game ends, and you must restart from the beginning.