The Goonies is based on the Steven Spielberg film of the same name.

The game is divided into a series of eight screens based on scenes from the film, each of which contains puzzles that must be solved by coordinating the activities of two of the kids from the Goonies (and in the last screen, the elephant-man-like Sloth) without getting killed by deadly bats, homicidal Fratellis, flying demon-skull thingies, or other environmental hazards.

The Goonies are a group of kids or youths. Everything starts with an unscrupulous property shark who wants to purchase the kids' housing complex and the parents lack the money that is needed to prevent the pending sequestration.

In the house of their leader Mikey the group makes an unusual discovery. They find a treasure map which is supposed to lead to the hideout of "One-eyed Willie", a pirate.

Mikey can convince his friends to go for a treasure hunt. This starts in an abandoned restaurant. The evil Fratellis have settled in there. So after all Goonies, except for Chunk who is supposed to call the police, have entered a system of catacombs through a manhole in the restaurant, the adventure really begins. So the kids do not only have to beware of mean traps and bats, but also of Mama Fratelli.