Goodness Gracious is a side view single screen game where you play the role of a frog-like dinosaur protecting a red gem which gives them their power, from various life-forms that inhabit the same world. The life-forms will attempt to get the gem over various levels, one at a time and move across the screen in various directions on each level. Your dinosaur has the ability to shoot a fireball from it's mouth and this is achieved by holding down the spacebar or fire button, and the longer they are held the further the fireball travels. The fireball will move in a certain direction before falling down the screen and a life-form can only be killed when the fireball is falling downwards. You have a limited supply of fireballs but you receive extra when you hit a life-form and it is game over if you run out or a life-form reaches the gem. Once three life-forms have been killed then it's on to the next level. At the start of the game you can select either beginner (10 fireballs, one extra awarded) or expert (5 fireballs, 2 extra awarded).