In Philosoma, you blast through 18 vertical scrolling deep space environments in search of the mysterious distress call, destroying enemies and obstacles in your path. Go up against a variety of vehicles including the "Hover Carrier," the "Makkon," and the "Missile Walker" as you clear your way with one of four main weapons such as the Vulcan, Laser, A-Break, or Ray-B. Each weapon can be upgraded up to three times when specific power-up icons are collected. A secondary weapon such as Buster grenades, MRMs, and SRMs are equipped at the beginning of a level or acquired through a power-up.