A curse has fallen on the island of Arulan called Shades and it causes people to vanish and reappear elsewhere. Whatever brought the curse also brought monsters and traps making the island a dangerous place to be. You play a hero determined to find out the truth and rid the island of the curse, monsters and traps, and make the island the lovely place it used to be. You can attempt this quest solo or you can allow three other players to attempt the quest as well, each taking it in turns at various points. Three skill levels can also be picked.

Shades is a flick-screen arcade adventure where each screen is viewed from an elevated angle as you explore the island. You are armed with a sword (a crossbow can be found later) and as you move about the island you can encounter many monsters who can either be avoided, fought or pleaded with but if pleading fails then you can fight or run away. On each screen are many traps and you can search by pressing T but be careful because if there are many traps then not all will be revealed at first. Secret doors can also be searched for by pressing E and these are an important part to complete your quest. Fighting or hurting your self on traps decreases a Physical State bar but if you can avoid battles this can increase slowly if in the green section. Once the bar is empty then it is game over for that player.

Scattered around the island are chests containing various objects to help you in your quest. You can carry up to eight items and any items carried can be dropped or used in various locations to aid you on your quest. Objects cannot be dropped on stairs or The Moors as the winds would blow them away. Taking objects or fighting monsters increase your experience and is used as a high score at the end of the game. As you explore the island the Shades curse can hit you and transport you to an earlier location you visited. Once all the players are dead then the game is over.