HETEROTOPIAS is a topdown action-adventure game that players are Gene Hunter who possess supernatural abilities. With the goal of completing missions for the syndicate, Gene Hunters stop at nothing. They wield Elecsaber that have the ability to hack, they also have artificial limbs made of liquid metal and close quarter fighting skills.

Hacks can be initiated in multiple ways. Players can hack a piece of equipment to gain access to a certain area or hack a gasoline pump to set off an explosion. They can even hack enemies to scramble their genes or cause mutations. As players take on missions and find their targets in cities, they can directly hack into their targets, hack into and use objects nearby to damage them, or simply take them through force. In the world of HETEROTOPIAS, players have freedom to play however they like.

Throughout the process of taking on missions, players may enter the same area more than once, but the environment is constantly changing. Factors like time, people nearby, weather, and roadblocks vary, and there's always an element of randomness to keep players on their toes. To successfully complete missions, players must constantly adapt their equipment and skills.