Each round presents a pyramid whose cube tops need to reach a target color. Q*bert changes them by hopping, but movement follows the pyramid's diagonals rather than an ordinary horizontal floor. Enemies descend through the same space, with Coily's pursuit making an unfinished corner especially uncomfortable.
Escape discs offer a way out when the edge becomes dangerous. Later color rules demand more thought than simply touching every cube once, so an efficient route must consider where you will need to return. The compact board makes the action easy to read until several moving threats suddenly turn a tidy plan into an improvisation.
