The game is played from a first-person perspective inside a maze-like spacecraft or facility. The main objective is to explore the installation, survive encounters with xenomorphs, locate useful equipment, and find a way to complete the mission. Corridors and rooms must be examined carefully because progress depends on navigation and finding access routes.

The player moves through the environment, engages hostile creatures, collects and uses equipment, and manages limited resources. The level structure is exploration-driven rather than a sequence of short arcade stages, with progression coming from opening routes, reaching new areas, and solving the installation's hazards.

Map the corridors as you explore, since returning to earlier areas is often necessary and the layout can be confusing.

Conserve ammunition and supplies whenever possible. Check rooms methodically and avoid rushing into unfamiliar spaces, especially when an encounter may leave little room to maneuver.