Steven and three crystal gems - Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl - travel through five color-themed worlds. Players move around the map by swiping the touch screen and can interact with treasure chests, mechanics and hidden areas to obtain items that can be used in battle or to open other areas. 

Certain areas may be inaccessible until the player solves a puzzle or obtains the necessary items from another level.In combat, the protagonist and enemies take turns attacking, and Jewel fights enemies while Steven provides support, being able to use healing and defensive abilities as well as acquire items. Most actions that characters can perform require star points, of which there is a limited supply each turn, but players can use items to increase their star points or choose to save them for the next turn.

Similar to games like the Paper Mario series, many of the actions perform gesture-based controls. Simple well-timed taps on the screen can be used to deal additional damage or reduce the damage caused by enemy attacks. Other abilities can be unlocked with each character's experience upgrades, featuring unique mechanics such as aiming to shoot or repeatedly swiping the screen.

If gems lose all their harmony (life points), they will retreat back into the gem until an item revives them or the battle ends, or the game ends if all three gems are defeated. Players can find emblems to equip gems, providing them with attribute boosts, as well as earn currency that can be used to purchase additional items.