Briganty: The Roots of Darkness is a side-scrolling action game with role-playing, platforming and beat-em-up elements. Stages are selected from a map and for the most part must be completed in a linear order, though at some points the player can choose which stage to tackle first. In the town it is possible to heal and save the game. The player controls Gady most of the time, though in some stages Sephina is the playable character. Both can jump, defend, and dash, Gady uses fists to beat up enemies, while Sephina fights with a sword.

Stages are populated by various types of enemies and usually culminate in boss battles, jumping on platforms and avoiding hazards is fairly frequent. Experience points are awarded for defeating enemies. As the two protagonists level up they learn various combo moves and magic attacks. The game contains some cutscenes with explicit nudity.