Sylvan Tale is an action-adventure game for the Sega Game Gear where players control Zetts on a quest to navigate a mystical world. The gameplay involves solving puzzles, engaging in combat, and interacting with non-player characters to gain special powers and items. Progression is linear, as new areas become accessible only after obtaining necessary abilities from earlier regions.
Sylvan Tale follows the typical action-adventure game formula: The player controls a character who must solve puzzles, fight enemies, and talk to non-player characters in order to acquire special powers and items that will allow him to unlock new areas of the game world and solve the puzzles within. While the player may revisit areas, the game progresses in an essentially linear fashion, as each area can only be accessed if Zetts(the player character) has acquired a specific item or ability from the previous area.