Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs , based on the animated movie of the same name, follows the story where Sid gets kidnapped by dinosaurs and his friends need to save him. During the course of the game, the player takes control over six characters - most of them vary notably regarding gameplay.
The gameplay is primarily spent in a 3rd person platformer where the player controls their character while jumping over gaps, avoiding enemies, and collecting items. Depending on the character, the player has different attacks at their disposal. The game features numerous levels with various mini games, including classic 2D platforming sections, side-scrolling shooters, balancing on a snowball, or dogfights while riding a pterodactyl.