Tembo the Badass Elephant is a 2.5D side-scrolling platform game where the player controls an elephant. The fictitious Shell City is under attack by a military force called the Phantom and the commander recalls how he used to fight on top of the elephant Tembo. He calls Tembo who uses a flock of birds to fly to the city and help against the attack. To defeat the invasion three phantom domes, large tanks, need to be destroyed. Along the way civilians can be rescued as well and they travel on his back during the level. The game consists of seventeen levels with sub and main bosses.