The game adopts the classic triple elimination gameplay, there are six colors of ordinary candies plus five special candies, players will match three and more of the same candy elements in the game. When the player matches 4 or more candies, a special effect candy will be triggered; depending on the number of matches and the range of candies, special effect candies will be generated, which can help the player eliminate a whole row, a whole column, an area or a whole page of candies. Therefore, players match candies to get as many of the same candy elements together as possible.

The game is based on a level system, where the next level is unlocked only after completing the previous level. In each level, there are level tasks that players need to complete, such as eliminating soda, saving bears, eating chocolate, etc. Players must complete the tasks within the required number of steps. The more steps left after completing the task, the higher the score the player will get.

Level mode is divided into soda mode with soda bottles and general mode. Soda mode levels will be cleared by candy machines or randomly dropped soda bottles, and then filled with soda from bottom to top until the soda is completely filled and no more soda bottles are dropped.

In addition to the main levels, there are also monthly seasons in Candy Crush Soda Saga. Participating in seasonal events to complete tasks can bring more rewards for players.