The game features two different modes - the first is Story Mode, which has the toys retelling the events of the movie to their new found friends. In this mode, players take control of Woody, Jessie and Buzz, each with their own unique moves to help them explore the world. Story Mode revisits Andy's imagination of Woody in the wild west, lets players play the Buzz Lightyear videogame seen at the start of Toyn Story 2 , has them breaking out of Sunnyside in a stealth level, and even takes them to a Haunted Bakery! Each level has secret cards hidden throughout - these cards unlock special bonuses such as concept art, a short making of movie, and best of all, new toys for the Toy Box Mode.
Toy Box Mode is a deeper experience than Story Mode. In this mode, players can explore all of the world of Woody's Roundup as either Woody, Buzz or Jessie (as well as Emperor Zurg in the PlayStation 3 version). In this mode, players build a town for Mayor Hamm using the money they find by completing missions, which can be anything from rescuing cows, to destroying a dam, to taking photos of people or places, to racing in a giant stunt track, to catching bank robbers and throwing them in jail, to pretty much anything!