In Popeye for the Atari 2600, the player takes on the role of Popeye, attempting to win Olive Oyl’s affection by collecting tokens of her love as she drops them from the top of the screen. To progress to the next level, the player must collect the required number of tokens while avoiding various obstacles. Brutus, who is wandering around the screen, is constantly trying to catch Popeye. Collecting a can of spinach will temporarily knock Brutus out, but if the player fails to do so, Brutus will knock Popeye out.
Additionally, other objects such as bottles or birds fly around the screen and will cause the player to lose a life if hit. Each level has a different layout of platforms and ladders, and features different items that float towards the bottom of the screen. As the levels progress, they become more challenging.