Brothers is a single-player cooperative game where the player controls two brothers independently and simultaneously. The game starts in a village where the two young brothers live. Their mother drowned in the sea and their father is ailing. The two set out to find the Water of Life, which is said to hold the power to cure their father.
The gameplay focuses on exploration and environment-based puzzle-solving to progress. Players can move both brothers at the same time, climb, hang from ledges, and slide down. However, enemies cannot be fought directly - a more inventive approach must be found. The game's linear level design requires players to follow a single path to progress.