The Goonies is based on the Steven Spielberg film of the same name, in which a group of suburban kids in Astoria, Oregon, must save their homes from being foreclosed upon and find their salvation in a treasure map leading to an old pirate ship in a cavern. However, they must maneuver around an eccentric family of Italian criminals -- the Fratellis -- on the lam, who are also on the trail of the treasure.
The game is divided into eight screens based on scenes from the film, each containing puzzles that must be solved by coordinating the activities of two kids from the Goonies without getting killed by environmental hazards. For example, one player must wind up and hold a winch to lift a large stone so the other player can pass it, while navigating deadly water, timing passage under buckets, jumping on a rail, and sliding across to grab a key.
The game keeps a score and high score, with a limited number of lives that can be replenished at certain points or score totals. Without saving features, players must play the game in one sitting, aiming for perfection to see the ending. The Goonies can be played single-player or cooperatively, switching between characters using the joystick button.