Digimon World DS is the first Digimon title for the DS, and is the fourth installment in the Digimon World series, which was previously limited to the PlayStation. The game features the monsters, setting, and some characters from the Digimon TV show.

The gameplay uses many devices from traditional JRPGs, including random encounters and a battle field similar to Dragon Quest. The main goal of the game is to properly raise your team of digital monsters (or Digimon) either by leading them in battle or maintaining them in a Digi-farm. Along the way, you will have to complete dozens of quests which you discover by interacting with your Digimon. When you're not completing side-quests or moving along the main storyline, you can battle and trade with your friends via Wi-Fi.