Players take on the roll of the mane six ponies from the animated series and work together to prepare for a confrontation with one of the series villains. If the ponies have made enough progress, they can thwart the villain. Each turn the players move their ponies around the game board, which is a map of Ponyville and Equestria. They then attempt to deal with plot issue cards by rolling dice; other ponies can help them by rolling additional dice. Successfully dealing with the issue cards allows them to advance on their Element track. When they advance far enough, they will gain their Element of Harmony. Meanwhile, the villain is plotting. The villain has a progress track which advances each turn and when new issue cards come into play. Villain event cards will come into play as the track advances and which will cause problems for the ponies. Once the villain track reached the final space, the confrontation begins. Ponies then attempt to defeat the villain with a series of dice rolls. Their success will depend largely on how many Elements of Harmony they have obtained during the game. Each of the mane six ponies has her own special ability: Twilight Sparkle can advance Element tracks by doing research, Rarity can collect gems to help her resolve issues, Fluttershy is good with animals, Rainbow Dash's movement is faster than the others, Applejack is good at helping other ponies resolve their issues, and Pinkie Pie can help other ponies avoid setbacks. Players can play stand-alone games or a campaign game made up of a series of games, with a different villain in each game. The ponies can gain new abilities and even become alicorns as the campaign continues.