On their turn, a player selects one of four actions: Explore, Harvest, Build, or Collect Energy. All players get to take the action, but the player who selected it gets an extra bonus. A player cannot select the same action two turns in a row. The actions allow players to select tiles and place them in their tableau, building out their landscape of Skylands, forest, and quarries. Completing these geographic features allows them to harvest resources, collect crystals, and build special buildings. The game continues until one player fills their tableau or all the tiles have been placed. Players receive points for their special buildings, materials, and points earned during the game, and the player with the most points wins.

Skylands includes special buildings for beginner, intermediate, and advanced play, as well as a campaign mode, and three small expansions ("Queenies") for more complexity.