The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on the film of the same name. In this version, the player takes control of the Grace siblings - Jared, Simon, and Mallory - each with their own strengths and abilities, as well as Thimbletack the Brownie who can explore small passages in the Spiderwick mansion .
The gameplay consists of exploring the estate with their characters in a series of quests to find ordinary items like hose nozzles, solving puzzles, fighting mythical creatures such as trolls and goblins using novel weapons unique to each character. The player can also acquire special abilities and replenish health by capturing fairies using a fairy net scattered throughout the stages.