skate. is the first in-house developed skateboarding game by Electronic Arts, after publishing the Street Sk8er series in the past. Players can create a custom-design character and move it through the fictional town of San Vanelona. To become a top skater, players has to enter skating challenges marked on the map to gain notability, attracting sponsors and having tricks photographed or filmed. By performing well, spots can be "owned", and there are also jam sessions and death races against other skaters. Completing challenges is also rewarded with new equipment, clothing, characters and additional challenges.

There are two different paths to follow: Skateboard Mag and Trasher, both with the aim to get coverage in different magazines. The Skateboard Mag path follows a more formal career skater format, where progress through the path relies on completing photo moments, demos, contests and filming parts. The Thrasher is more of an anti-authority path, with downhill races, and screwing with security. By completing either path the player gets access to the Xgames, and the mega-ramp, which is a gigantic ramp based on a real construction.

Unlike the Tony Hawk series, movement and tricks are entirely controlled through the analog sticks.

skate.reel and the in-game replay editor allow players to go back at any time and look over there last 15-25 seconds of gameplay and view it from multiple angles. That footage can also be uploaded directly to the skate.reel website, where players vote for their favorite footage. The game supports online play with a number of challenges duplicated from the offline game as well as some unique online modes.