Daisenryaku II: Campaign Version is a turn-based war strategy game that relies on the gameplay template introduced in Daisenryaku II: up to four players engage in battles against each other or computer AI, represented by differently colored armies (blue, red, green, and yellow); the belligerents produce units and vehicles and navigate them on a hex-based grid, trying to occupy the enemy's major cities and harbors.

The game includes a main campaign with introduction and background information about the fictional countries involved in the conflict. In addition, at least a dozen playable maps are included, some representing real geographical areas. The MSX and PC Engine (TurboGrafx) CD versions feature enhanced graphics, full-screen battle sequences with backgrounds, and many additional maps.