The core gameplay consists of elements of a platformer, a puzzle game, and a third-person shooter. The player assumes the role of either of the three Baudelaire orphans, and can cycle through them depending on the version.
The Baudelaires can eventually gain access to a multitude of inventions as well as ammunition throughout the game, which are mostly those that tend to run along the lines of things a child might actually attain, such as rotten eggs, bubble gum, bees, eau de toilette, and garlic, among other things.