The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a single-player and multiplayer action game in the Legend of Zelda series.

The game takes place in the fashion-obsessed kingdom of Hytopia, where a magical curse has forced the princess to wear an ugly outfit that she cannot remove. The king calls for heroes to break the curse, and three adventurers resembling Link answer the summons. These heroes must work together to explore the Drablands, a collection of themed regions filled with puzzles, enemies, and bosses. The player takes the role of one of these heroes and either cooperates with others online or controls all three characters in single-player mode.

Gameplay emphasizes teamwork and puzzle-solving. The three heroes share a single life meter, requiring careful coordination to avoid damage. They can form a "Totem" by stacking on top of each other to reach switches, platforms, and enemy weak points otherwise inaccessible. Dungeons contain puzzles built specifically around three-character cooperation, such as moving platforms, weighted switches, and multi-target combat encounters.

Each hero can carry one item per stage, drawn from a pool of classic Zelda tools including bows, bombs, boomerangs, and fire gloves. Item placement varies per dungeon, ensuring that each playthrough demands different problem-solving approaches. Many puzzles require synchronized use of items, such as one player freezing water with the Ice Rod while another uses the bow to strike targets across the frozen surface.

Outside of dungeons, players collect materials used to craft outfits. These costumes grant unique abilities, such as increased attack power, faster movement in water, or specialized elemental resistances. Costume selection before a dungeon often determines available strategies, making outfit progression an important part of replay value.

The game supports both local wireless and online multiplayer, with communication handled through simple emotes. In single-player, the player controls all three heroes by switching between them, with the inactive characters acting as “doppels” that remain in place until commanded. Progression is structured into sets of dungeons grouped by theme, with a boss battle concluding each area.

Additional modes include the Coliseum, a competitive battle arena where players fight against each other using the same mechanics as the cooperative dungeons. Extra challenge variants, such as time limits or enemy restrictions, can be unlocked for each stage.

Although set after A Link Between Worlds in the series timeline, Tri Force Heroes differs by focusing primarily on cooperative play and puzzle-based teamwork rather than traditional solo exploration.