If you've ever thought of what it feels like to be the ball in a pinball machine, playing PaTaank might give you some idea. Instead of flapping the flippers, the player controls the ball, or in PaTaank, a UFO-shaped puck around the three different tables. The tables are named Surf Room, Luv Room, and Disaster Room and they are connected to each other via Nexus. Player can choose to play one room or in the MetaGame mode, all of them in sequence. Each room has an objective and in the MetaGame mode, player must reach that objective to advance into the next room via the Nexus.

Like any pinball, there are targets, tunnels, blocks, and all sorts of flashing things that increase the score, light up letters, or grant bonus items. In addition to inertial control of the puck, player can apply thrust, which is limited, and activate magnetos, which are scattered around the room.