Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a platform fighter, with players battling on different stages and attempting to launch their opponents off the arena and out of bounds.[5] Movement takes place on a two-dimensional plane, with characters able to move around by running, jumping, double-jumping, or performing a mid-air dash in any of eight directions. Characters have three different types of attacks: light attacks, which are weak but quick and can be used to perform combos; strong attacks, which are slower but do more damage and knock opponents back further; and special attacks, the properties of which vary by character. Different attacks can be performed by pushing up or down or running in combination with one of the three attack buttons. Players can also grab and throw opponents or enemy projectiles, even in the air, and guard against attacks without penalty, though they will be pushed back in doing so. Unique to the game is the "strafe" function, where players can hold a button to prevent their character from turning around while moving in different directions; this can be used to continue attacking an opponent while actively retreating from them. As characters take damage, the amount of knockback caused by opponents' attacks will increase, making them easier to knock off the stage. Each stage offers a different layout, with some also having additional hazards that can cause damage to the characters. An update in June 2022 added 16 items to the game, which can be toggled in the match options. These items will spawn intermittently on the battlefield and can be grabbed and thrown to inflict damage on opponents in different ways.[6]