Dream Chronicles is a seek-and-find adventure game. Its gameplay consists of a series of puzzles that the player must solve to reach the next chapter. Each scene incorporates one or more puzzles. Most involve searching for and making use of hidden objects, while others are logic puzzles. Players are required to collect items from the scene and put them back where they belong.
When the player enters a room or location for the first time, the main character, Faye, makes an entry statement, serving as brief instructions for the player. Almost all objects in a room can be described to the player by Faye.[11] Items can be collected and placed in the inventory. Once there, the player can use them on other objects, and combine them to solve puzzles. Unlike "hardcore" adventure games, items only function within the room in which they are collected, and not in future puzzles. Solving the puzzle at hand unlocks the door to the next location.[12] The game itself is separated into many segments, separated by cut-scenes that tell the story through the main character Faye's point of view.
Various colored gems are present throughout the game. These are Dream Pieces, gems that make up the Dream Jewels collection. They provide detailed information about some important fairies and their roles in the Fairy Realm which features in the series. Finding and completing Dream Jewels adds to the player's score at the end of the game. Though regarded as borrowing Myst series' concepts, Dream Chronicles is one of the earliest casual games combining the adventure game's elements with hidden object game's proportions (along with Azada and Mortimer Beckett).[13]
At the end of the game, the player earns a high score, depending on completion time and number of Dream Pieces found. When re-playing the game under the same name to beat the score, the location of some items changes.[14]