Periodically, random balls will display power-ups that the player can collect by destroying the ball. In Challenge mode, the player has three minutes to score as many points as possible, collecting powerups that increase his or her score multiplier along the way. The player must then clear all of the remaining balls from the playfield to move on to the next level. In each mode except Challenge mode, the player must reach a general point goal to achieve 'Zuma', at which point the game stops adding balls to the string(s). The strings are always 'pushed' by the last ball in the string, so any balls that are not connected to the rearmost string do not move on their own. If they reach the emblem, the player loses a life, and the game is over when the player has lost all of his or her lives.
The strings of balls constantly roll along their tracks toward a skull emblem at the end.
Gaps are automatically closed if the balls at both ends of the gaps are (or become) the same color, potentially leading to chain reactions. Gaps can be formed through which the player can shoot more balls or collect fruit. When three or more balls of the same color are matched together, they are cleared from the playfield. The frog always points in the direction of the mouse. The player controls a frog that shoots colored balls at the strings. As in Zuma, the main objective of Zuma's Revenge! is to clear strings of rolling balls by matching balls of the same color.
