Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a running, jumping and collecting game where you control Donkey Kong. A second player can control the Diddy Kong sidekick. The challenge is getting to the end of each level, but there are also letters and items to collect along the way for bonus points. Some of these items need you to unlock other characters to reach them.

The Switch version of the game features an assisted Funky Mode, where you have five hit points instead of two, and he can double-jump, hover in mid-air, stand on spikes and breathe underwater for an unlimited time. This makes the game a lot easier. It also means you keep any letters you've collected even if you don't finish the level.