The titular large-headed caveman is on a quest to recover half of the moon, which was stolen by the evil King Drool. Its multiple stages each contain several specific areas, which range from outdoors to trains to space to underwater. As in most platformers, Bonk has several crucial abilities: the A button causes him to jump; the B button causes him to "bonk," an action in which Bonk slams his head forward, inflicting a killing blow on most enemies; A jump-B combo causes Bonk to head-butt the Earth, killing enemies he lands on and creating a damaging shockwave; A frequent tapping of B in midair causes Bonk to rotate and hover, allowing for long, controlled jumps. Bonk can also use his large mouth to grip onto surfaces for climbing.