Up follows the storyline of the film, featuring Carl, Russell, and Dug walking through the jungles of Venezuela. All of the mentioned characters are playable in the game, and in all versions, the player must switch between them to take advantage of their unique abilities to overcome obstacles, while being careful to avoid injury as all playable characters (depending on the version) share a single health bar.
The PlayStation 3 version of the game was the first game based on a Pixar film to support the trophy system. This version and the Xbox 360 version feature online achievements that are themed off of Wilderness Explorer badges. All versions feature multiplayer aerial combat in addition to the main story mode.