Some reviewers were mixed regarding the gameplay and sound design, and criticized the lack of replay value, limited color palette, and letterboxed resolution.

The player advances into the next olympic venue by reaching the top three positions depending on the time rankings or standing points obtained after finishing each discipline.

[1][2][3][4] In both bobsled and luge, players must press left and right on the d-pad to gain initial speed at the starting gate and get to the bottom of the course in the fastest time possible.

[8][9] Lead graphic artist Rune Spaans, who was hired by Funcom in 1994, was in charge of the 3D models, and co-programmers Frank Stevenson and Paul Endre Endresen were responsible for the 3D tracing and physics respectively.

[3] Spaans revealed that the graphics were realized with 3D Studio using DOS computers, and characters were done with Alias PowerAnimator using a SGI workstation provided by Nintendo that cost US$50,000 (equivalent to $97,100 in 2023).

[7] Spaans said that the team wanted to avoid on-rails gameplay when developing games that are played over full motion video backgrounds such as Star Wars: Rebel Assault, so the team developed a track system enabling an infinite number of courses out of eight distinct parts and having similar frames on each sequence to use as a transition into a new track section.

[10][13] Hobby Consolas's Roberto Lorente praised the fast-paced polygon graphics, sound design, playability, and fun factor but found the color palette as not very flashy.

[14] MAN!AC's Martin Gaksch gave positive remarks to the funky presentation, interesting 3D polygon visuals, and fast pacing of each discipline but was mixed regarding sound and criticized the poor color palette with the same sentiment as Lorente, and the letterboxed resolution.

[11] Video Games' Thomas Wiesner regarded the fast-paced 3D graphics as very impressive for Super NES standards, innovations of each discipline, controls, music, and sound design but, like Berg, he criticized the lack of gameplay variety in Winter Gold outside of improving personal time records and competing against AI opponents.