Gardenscapes: New Acres is a three-drop puzzle game whose core gameplay is based on swapping two adjacent elements to form rows or columns or groups of at least three elements. Each level has a goal, which includes collecting a certain number of elements (e.g., pears, flowers, apples, lemonade, mystery sacks, berries, fish floats), discovering garden gnomes, digging up emeralds, setting off firecrackers, finding rabbits or removing ivy, all of which are accomplished through different triple-canceling mechanics. By completing three games, players can earn stars and coins to complete tasks and complete the storyline by unlocking new areas.

After completing a mission, players can choose from three different decorative items in specific sections of the garden, just like in previous games. Players also have the opportunity to make friends with in-game characters, follow them on the in-game social network, and have animated dogs for company.

As of May 17, 2021, there are 8325 levels. After completing the final level, you can enter the Gold Cup, where you can climb the leaderboard to win more prizes until the next set of levels appears. Typically, 40 new levels are released each Thursday.