Karls Kavern is a platformer in the style of Manic Miner. It consists of thirty single screen levels where the objective in each is to simply collect all the boxes that lies scattered around. To make it the player has to jump between platforms (including moving ones) and avoid getting touched by any of the dangers that exist in the underground. Any contact will lead to a loss of life and so will a long fall. Part of the levels are also collapsing platforms and conveyor belts. The player has five lives and when they are all used up the game ends.