Unlike its predecessor, Beyond Shadowgate is a classical point-and-click adventure viewed from a platform perspective.

[1] The player controls Prince Erik, the descendant of the hero from the first game, Lord Jair.

As in Shadowgate, the player must solve a series of puzzles throughout the castle in order to proceed to the end of the game.

As stated by one of the original designers of Shadowgate, Dave Marsh, the game lacked a player base since it was the sole installment of the series available on the platform.

They criticized the slow pacing but praised the eerie mood, the graphics, the intellectually stimulating puzzles, and the ability to interact with nearly every item in the game.