Bust-A-Move 4 is a puzzle game that continues the series' tradition of releasing colored bubbles to match and disappear. The game offers new characters to choose from and a Story mode where players can win Tarot cards after completing stages. In this mode, the player progresses through the story as they defeat each CPU-controlled character.
The gameplay also features Win Contest mode, which challenges players to win as many games in a row against the computer. Completing Challenge mode, where puzzles must be solved quickly and with technique, unlocks Edit mode, allowing players to create their own puzzles and compete with others.