In Treasure of Cutlass Reef, the player takes control of a pirate ship as they battle through twelve stages and a seemingly unending armada, to reach Cutlass Reef and claim the buried treasure. There are three difficulty levels in all, each with their own varying degree of difficulty. Each stage contains a certain number of enemy ships (usually about a half a dozen to begin with) with the last ship being a flagship, more powerful than the rest.

In Treasure of Cutlass Reef, the player takes control of a pirate ship as they battle through twelve stages and a seemingly unending armada, to reach Cutlass Reef and claim the buried treasure. There are three difficulty levels in all, each with their own varying degree of difficulty. Each stage contains a certain number of enemy ships (usually about a half a dozen to begin with) with the last ship being a flagship, more powerful than the rest.