Paddle Fighter is a digital version of the popular game of air hockey. Two players each control a round paddle, and must attempt to hit a puck into the opposing player's goal, with the winner being the first to seven goals. Each player has a number of special moves available to them, which include defensive moves like blocking the goal for a short period of time, as well as offensive moves like splitting the puck into five "phantom pucks" which can distract the opposing player. There is a single-player mode where a series of increasingly difficult opponents must be defeated, as well as a two-player mode where any of the eight different characters can be played as.