
When shot, the toy soldiers explode into plastic chunks but do not display blood, in order to keep the game family-friendly. When the player takes control of a single unit, the other emplacements are automatically controlled by artificial intelligence. They can also command fixed emplacements that they create such as howitzers, mortars, and machine guns, or drive various vehicles such as tanks, biplanes, and bombers. Players can create and control numerous units from a strategic command perspective or one unit on the field from a third-person action perspective. The game features 50 different controllable units including machine guns, mortars and tanks, with the fixed emplacements being upgradable to more powerful versions. The diorama is set in various locations, such as a child's bedroom, library and lounge, and objects such as dressers and reading lamps are at times visible in the background.

Players control one of two armies of miniature toy soldiers on a World War I model diorama with wooden and plastic landscapes. In Toy Soldiers players control their army using real time strategy and can selectively play as individual units.
