In Arka, the player controls a character who advances through a series of scrolling stages. Enemies appear from the edges of the screen or from fixed positions, and the player must avoid their attacks while making progress toward the end of each stage. The pace increases as the stages advance, with denser enemy patterns and stricter timing.

Since enemy formations often appear at fixed locations, memorizing their timing makes later playthroughs much easier. Keep a favorable position on screen and avoid being cornered near walls or edges. Avoiding enemy fire is often more important than destroying every enemy quickly.