The handheld version of Tom Clancy's EndWar is a turn-based strategy game similar to the Battle Isle series. The game takes place in the 2020s and a conflict has arisen between the three big powers of the world: Europe, USA, and Russia. In the single player mode, the player can play through one campaign for each of the powers.
The gameplay consists of two phases: action and movement. When one player is in the movement phase, the other is in the action phase. When the phase ends, the commands are executed, first the actions and then the movements. This means that units only can move if they first survive the attacks of the enemy.
The player has access to both land, air, and sea units depending on the mission. The units get experience points when damaging and destroying enemy units. More experience points lead to more powerful and robust units. To get more units, the player can capture buildings such as depots, airfields, and harbors, which can produce a few more units.
The game also features special tactical manoeuvres, including blocking and jamming. Blocking means that the movement of a unit gets limited when its route is threatened by an enemy unit. Jamming involves surrounding an enemy unit with more than one unit, leading to a combat bonus. Different units have different capabilities in combat, such as airplanes attacking only other airplanes.