Unlike most Nintendo DS titles, Winx Club: Magical Fairy Party is played vertically instead of horizontally, which requires the player to hold the DS system sideways like a book. The game is played by tapping the stylus on the touch screen.[4]
The storyline covers a year at Alfea College for Fairies, where the player is a new student. The player designs the new fairy by choosing from hundreds of different clothing and wing designs.[3] Through a series of minigames, the player helps prepare for an end-of-year party. Each of these games is based on one of the six main characters from Winx Club. The minigames are Bloom's Fireworks (making fireworks by matching shapes), Stella's Cakes (decorating a cake), Tecna's Poster Store (designing and coloring posters), Aisha's Alchemy (connecting straws to mix fruit punch), Musa's Music (choosing a soundtrack by collecting music notes), and Flora's Centerpieces (decorating a plant centerpiece).[5]