The handheld version of Stargate is a matching puzzle game, similar to a 3-D Tetris. Players drop tiles into a Stargate, and try to stack three identical symbols. Doing so clears those tiles. Mismatched tiles simply build stacks higher and higher, and the player loses if the tiles reach the top of the gate. The player is also given a seven-symbol Stargate "address" along the top of the screen. Stacking three copies of a symbol listed in the address will clear the stack and counts toward completing the address.