Watergirl and Fireboy constantly find themselves in mysterious temples, trying to get rid of them each time. To escape, they must solve puzzles and cooperate with each other. You can either play alone, move each character at once, or try to move them all at the same time. But it's more fun to play this game with a friend or a brother, so each one plays a different role.
In each temple, boy and girl must run and jump between fire and water. You should know that Fireboy is not sensitive to fire, so he can walk freely in a pool of boiling lava, but he must be careful about stepping into the water. Watergirl can resist the pool, but will be hurt when stepping into the lava. Both should be aware of any other spikes on the path. On each screen, the goal is to reach the door that will lead you to the next room in the temple. Fireboy should come to the door marked in red and Watergirl should find the door leading to the one marked in blue. On their way, both characters should collect diamonds of the same color as their own. The faster you reach the door on each screen, the higher score and ranking you will receive.
To find the solution to each screen, you must step on buttons to trigger lifts, push boxes and bricks to help climb higher and move switches.
But it's not just about running and jumping over death pits. You'll have to use some golden old-fashioned teamwork, using one character to hold down a switch or platform to open up a path for another, then finding a way to recombine them at the end. Some levels simply want you to complete the mission as quickly as possible. Others will require you to move two heroes at once. Still others will require you to collect special items before you leave. At the end of each, you will be graded on your performance. If you wish, you can return and replay older levels to improve your rating, or practice your water and fire skills.