Goblins is a black and white graphic adventure game where the player must type VERB NOUN commands to explore goblin country. The player starts in the middle of a field, and must gather all fourteen treasures, and return them to a safe space. Care must be taken, as the ancient goblin King Gobnarsk II has decreed a policy of isolationism among his subjects, and they will attack all who enter their lands. The player starts at sunrise, and only has 350 turns to gather the items, for the goblin hordes awake at sunset.

The player must gather various treasures, including: a diamond, a precious painting by Van Gob, a magic cup, money, a magic harp, a gold brick, a magic map, pearls, a magic ring, a valuable rose, and silver. To gather all of these treasures, the player must climb mountains, dive under the sea to meet King Neptune, ride a dragon, evade a dangerous ogre, and explore the land of the elves. Finally, these items must be stored in a treehouse that is guarded by a ghost. At the end of their allotted turns, the player receives a score based upon the completeness of their adventure.