Star Wars: The Card Game is a cooperative card game that puts 1-4 players in command of the Rebel strike force and mission team. Players command different Rebel strategies melded together to embark upon a perilous mission while the Imperials scour space to find and destroy the Rebel base.

Each mission is divided into a number of stages, represented by individual cards in a mission deck. Each stage of a mission has a limited window of time during which Rebels can successfully perform the necessary tasks. If they take too long, the Rebels will fail, and the Imperials will win the stage. Each turn, the Imperials move closer to finding the Rebel's hidden base, making it more difficult for the Rebels to successfully win the final stage, complete the mission, and achieve victory.

During their turns, players pay for starships, characters, and attachments, assigning them to one of four zones. Starships all enter play in the space zone where they form the last line of defense between the Rebel base and the massing Imperial fleet. Characters commit to one of three different zones.

• Characters in the Attack Zone exchange fire with Imperial troops, defending other members of the Rebel Alliance and weakening the Imperial mission defense.
• Characters in the Reserve Zone provide logistical support away from the front lines; they can take actions unavailable to Rebels on the front lines, including repairing damage to ships, resting, and sorting through new intelligence.
• Characters in the Mission Zone try to overcome Imperial defenses and bring the Rebels closer to their objective.

Players are opposed by an Imperial encounter deck, unique to each mission, which follows a plan dictated by a handful of strategy cards. The strategy deck determines the actions that the Imperial forces will take against the players each round, providing the game with a built-in AI to run the powerful Imperial military. Each strategy card dictates which Imperial forces strike in the round and which targets they attack. As Rebel and Imperial forces close in for their final conflicts, the tension builds, with each change of Imperial strategy bringing a thrilling new turn of events. By working together, players can fend off Imperial assaults and complete their mission, winning the game!