Wii Play consists of nine games. All games are designed for 2 players, but can also be played by a single player, with a computer-controlled second player in games where it is necessary. No Nunchuks are required for any of the games; however, players can use a Nunchuk as a substitute for the D-Pad for the Tanks! game if they wish.

When Wii Play is first played, only one game is available. After playing each game another game is unlocked, until all nine games are available. In single player, points are earned in each game and the top 5 highest scores are stored. Getting high enough scores in single player awards the player bronze, silver, gold and platinum medals for that game. It also puts a message on the Wii Message Board saying which game and medal were unlocked, and gives a short tip for that game.