The game consists of 25 levels in 5 different worlds. Playing through the levels, the player must jump over platforms, make difficult leaps, and fight against 30 different types of enemies. They also help free captured friends and solve many puzzles. Occasionally, Kao gets to ride a vehicle like a barrel or a snowmobile.
Kao can find purple crystals, which can be spent to buy minigames to play. There are also stars - collecting 50 of them upgrades one of Kao's abilities, such as giving him the ability to stomp on the ground to defeat enemies around him. A rarely encountered item is a winged helmet, which allows Kao to fly for a short while when grabbed.