Fish 'n' Flip is a game about maritime creatures caught in fishing nets as bycatch. Players can compete or cooperate in freeing as many of them as possible. Animals are laid out in rows and columns. On a turn, a player may play one of their two action cards. These cards can swap positions or flip a card so the animal looks the opposite way. When several of the same animals are looking in the same direction, they escape from the net, while any animals on top of them will slide down (tetris-style), which may lead to other groups of animals being able to escape. After every turn, another animal is added at the top of each column. When a column is seven cards high, all players will lose. When all animal cards have been played, players can compare how many animals were remaining in the net (cooperative mode) or how many they freed (competitive mode).

The game has a campaign mode in which difficulty rises in each level. For one, every animal has a special ability. These make the game both easier but also more complex. On the other hand, more animals are added, which also makes it harder to form groups. Also, garbage cards are added into play. These can disrupt groups or stop animals from utilizing their special abilities.