Eli's Ladder is an educational game where you guide Eli up a ladder by solving math problems. The goal is for Eli to reach his spaceship after 20 questions. You'll be presented with four answer choices, and you must select the correct one using the joystick. If you answer correctly, Eli will progress up the ladder. With correct answers, the word "WOW" will flash on screen.
Gameplay involves moving the joystick left or right to choose an answer, then pressing the button. In two-player mode, the parent controls the game progression and counting apples, while in one-player mode, the game advances automatically. The difficulty level and game type can be adjusted at the start of each game. There are three types of games, including Practice, Pacer, and Phantom, each with up to ten levels and varying time limits.