The gameplay mostly consists of platforming obstacles and puzzles.[clarification needed] The player has a health-meter represented by the feather on Tak's head. Tak's abilities are jumping, attacking, and a unique feature, the ability to interact with and get past obstacles with the help of animals.
- Orangutans: Bend trees, then release them. If the player is standing on a specific leaf, they will be sent flying. This is usually to cross large gaps and chasms.
- Rhinos: Can be guided to smash obstacles, usually walls, while being ridden by the player.
- Monkeys: If attacked in some way, they will throw a coconut at whatever is nearest to them.
- Emus: Controllable when ridden with a larger jump distance than Tak.
- Sheep: Can be placed on treadmills to activate primitive contraptions such as doors and simple lifts.
When the player receives the Spirit Rattle, they gain access to the use of "Juju Powers" which are acquired by collecting tokens scattered around the environment. To restore Tak's health and mana the player must collect feathers, which are much more common in the environment than Juju Power tokens. The game heavily features collecting various other items. One of the game's developers said that the gameplay was based on Sly Cooper, the level design on the Jak and Daxter trilogy, and the humor of Ratchet and Clank[citation needed] which are all PlayStation exclusive franchises.
