Blades of Time follows Ayumi, a female treasure hunter, as she disrupts a rite in her quest for a magical sphere that transports her to the fantasy world of Dragonland. In this world, she must fight against monsters and guild members using over-the-top hack-and-slash gameplay.
Ayumi's journey is filled with puzzles and challenges that require her to use her skills and weapons in creative ways. She can pick up diary pages from previous treasure hunters to learn about the effects of chaos magic on the environment, and she meets fellow treasure hunters along the way who aid her in her quest.
Gameplay involves linking slashes and kicks into fast combos, including finishing moves, as well as using long-ranged weapons like rifles or rocket launchers to solve puzzles. Ayumi can also learn new skills by discovering altars, such as freezing enemies or creating giant ice crystals. These skills can be used in conjunction with her rage bar to defeat opponents.
Ayumi's inventory is equipped through a menu system, allowing her to switch between items and weapons at will. She can craft new items using recipes and ingredients she collects on her journey. The game also features multiplayer mode called Outbreak, where players compete against each other in games that resemble Defense of the Ancients .
In Outbreak mode, players must defeat their opponent's energy tree while defending their own while keeping their own alive. Players can earn respawns and level up by defeating heroes and outposts, but beware as the losing team's experience will be detected with the introduction of Skyguard.