Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is an isometric platform game starring the titular heroine. While she is exploring a Mayan tomb, Lara finds a magic relic, and suddenly is surrounded by bad guys. In the following events, an ancient Mayan demon, Xolotl, is released by mistake. Now Lara must survive the traps laid out by the demon. She receives the help of Totec, the guardian of light, who imprisoned Xolotl many years ago.

The game combines action and platforming, and features physics-based environment puzzles. Team work is possible through offline co-op. Most of the time Lara must use her grappling hook, Totec's spear, or in the case of co-op, the help of Totec's shield to reach higher places. There is also a small RPG component, in the form of collectibles and challenge rooms that bring many relics and upgrades to Lara's arsenal.