Dreams of the Elements is a retro-styled JRPG set in a world where four elemental fairies keep the natural order in balance — Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth — until that balance is threatened by forces working against it. Four heroes, each aligned with one of the four elements — Aria, Lyle, Gray, and Kaze — set out to stop them. The combat system is turn-based with the full party active, and characters level up through play and learn new spells along the way. Fairies hidden in caves and lakes across the overworld offer each character a choice of one of two special abilities — a permanent decision that shapes how that character plays for the rest of the run. Optional dungeons and bosses scattered throughout reward thorough exploration with better equipment, and the hardest optional content exceeds the difficulty of the main story's finale. Six different endings are reachable depending on the choices made.