When only two players are playing the game, the short edges of the gate cards must be touching. The owner of the card must play the card away from them closer to their opponent (farthest from you). This is similiar with up to four players where the gate cards are essentially set up across from each other. All players select 3 Bakugan, 3 ability cards (limit 1 special ability card each), and 3 metal gate cards. Youngest player goes first and the play then goes counter clockwise. Each person must shoot at least 2 card lengths away. Your first card played may not be a special ability card.

Battle is generally one vs one Bakugan as two different players end up on the same Gate card. When this happen, both G-power ratings are revealed from each Bakugan. The Gate card is then revealed, and the action must be performed. Ability cards can then be played (first by the person whose turn it was), action must be done, and the card then goes into the used pile. After both players are done with playing ability cards, each Bakugan adds on the G-power boost that the gate card displays according to the color of the Bakugan corresponding to the attribute marked. The highest total wins the gate card that gets placed in the used pile. If a tie occurs, each player rolls an unused Bakugan onto the gate card. The first person to make their Bakugan stand, wins the card.

During multi-player battle, you can only play "play in battle" cards only when you actually have a Bakugan at the battle. This includes those that say "play before a battle" or "play after a battle." There are cards that can be played outside of the battle that can be played befrore or after an opponent rolls. If two players want to play a card at the same time, the person who is next in turn, gets to play the card first.

There will be instances when a player will run out of Bakugan, leaving him or her empty handed on their turn. (Doom card is a possibility of this happening) If this occurs, on the turn, the player may move the Bakugan to another gate card that would start a battle instead of rolling on the turn. In the rare instance that there are no enemy Bakugan standing, the player moves ones of the Gate cards that he has standing directly to the used pile along with all of his or her Bakugan.

Clear Bakugan will share the same attribute as the Bakugan during battle. If the opponents' Bakugan is also clear, both players announce the specific color their Bakugan is at the start of the battle before the gate card is revealed.

First player that accumulate three gate cards win! If a discrepancy occurs, and the rules do not provide a solution to the situation, a vote or a coin flip should take place to resolve it.