Zig-Zag is a cross between the word games Hangman and Mastermind. The computer selects a secret word and then the player must try to guess it by placing other words in a crooked pattern and evaluating a point score based on the number of correct letters and their location compared to the letters in the secret word.

In addition to freestyle word guessing, the game contains four "Quests" where the player moves across Hawaiian maps solving zig zags to traverse obstacles.