Puss in Boots is game based on the computer-animated film of the same name. The film in turn is a spin-off of the Shrek series as it stars one of minor characters as the protagonist; the feline hero Puss in Boots. The story is set before the events of the film Shrek 2 before Puss meets Shrek and Donkey. Puss is a wanted outlaw and discovers that the couple Jack and Jill have found the magic beans he has been looking for all his life, a reference to fairy tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. The beans are said to lead to treasure in a giant's castle, which Puss intends to use to repay the debts he made to his home town of San Ricardo.

It is an action game played from a third-person perspective where the player controls Puss. The game follows the events from the film and the cat needs to defeat many bandits. He wields a saber that is controlled through the player's movements, by moving a Wii Remote (Wii), Kinect (Xbox 360) or Move (PS3). For the Xbox 360 version Kinect is required, for the PS3 Move is supported. Puss is also able to block incoming slashes, kick enemies to make room, and attack with claws. The latter two are activated through a gauge that is filled up by attacking enemies. Kicking opponents into certain pieces of the scenery that contain traps is often rewarded with coins. During fighting sequences movement is restricted. Puss can only move in a half-circle around opponents. At times Puss is also able to play a tune on his guitar when the instrument is discovered in the environment. After having the bandits dance to his music, he can attack with it. The 3D environment is explored through a linear path. Puss can move around freely, climb ladders, jump, dodge, break objects, hang from ledges, balance on ropes, and glide on rails. The cut-scenes between missions are in 2D.

In other sequences Puss has to sneak around without being spotted, do a dance battle with the masked cat Kitty Softpaws who is also after the beans, ride a piece of luggage tied to a stage-coach through a canyon, and glide over a beanstalk. Players can collect nine wanted posters and nine golden eggs throughout the game. At the end of each level the player is rated with a bronze, silver or gold medal. There are nine missions in total and each of them is set in a different location. Next to the main adventure mode there is a challenge mode for up to two players with five mini-games based on gameplay mechanics from the adventure mode.