Players select winter events and compete for scores or finishing positions. Events use side-view, overhead, or event-specific perspectives, with objectives ranging from completing a course quickly to performing accurate routines or jumps.

Progression is based on improving performances and accumulating results across selected events. The NES version supports competitive play, allowing players to take turns and compare scores, but it does not provide a story-driven campaign or persistent character development.

Learn each event separately before attempting a full competition. Small timing errors are especially costly in ski jumping, bobsledding, and figure skating, so consistent inputs are usually more valuable than aggressive ones.

For multiplayer sessions, record scores by event rather than relying only on the overall result. Repeating a difficult discipline several times is the most reliable way to identify its timing window and improve placement.