Like the previous game, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 revolves around the two different gameplay styles of the Puyo Puyo and Tetris series respectively. Players can choose between Puyo style, which involves arranging colored blobs (puyos) and matching them together to set off combo chains, and Tetris style, which involves placing shaped blocks (tetriminos) to create lines and removing them from the grid. Players compete against each other with the style of their choosing, with the aim of sending garbage to their opponents, causing their play field to overflow and eliminating them. The game features all the modes featured in the original Puyo Puyo Tetris, including the Swap and Fusion modes which feature both styles.
In addition to a new story and characters, the game introduces new modes, such as Skill battles which allow for character based skills and items to quickly change the game. It was also stated to have an improved online mode from the first game, allowing for more competition in leagues and free play, as well as new modes.[4] In Adventure mode, the players traverse an overworld and engage in Skill Battles with other characters in the story, that acts more like a JRPG.[5]