The Witch's Cauldron is a text adventure with graphics where the protagonist is turned into a slimy toad by the witch Hazel, apparently inspired by the classic fairy tale The Frog King. Imprisoned on the witch's island, the player needs to get the main character back to his original form by collecting ingredients and mixing them into the cauldron, with complementary adventure game puzzles.

During the game, the player will transform into various creatures, such as a bat, a cat or an ape, while trying to regain the human form. The screen has been divided horizontally in a graphic representation of the scene (top) and a lower part for the text description and commands. The scenes are not shown from a first-person perspective. Instead, the player is able to see its form in a third-person view from the side, showing the current location in relation to the objects.

There are about 100 rooms to explore and some puzzles require a specific form. If a shape change happens to quickly, it becomes possible to miss out on items.