Sunny wants to bring the magic of Maretime Bay Day festival back to Equestria – but some pony is out to spoil her plans! Save the celebration by putting on fashion shows, rescuing cute animals, flying with Pegasi and more, with a helping hoof from your new MY LITTLE PONY friends.
Players take on the role of Sunny Starscout, an Earth Pony, as she works to restore the magic of the Maretime Bay Day festival. The gameplay consists primarily of exploration, quests, and mini-games across the vibrant, colorful world of Maretime Bay and its surrounding areas.
The game allows players to freely explore Maretime Bay, traversing a variety of environments like the town center, the beach, and Sunny's farm. Throughout the world, players will encounter other pony characters who task Sunny with quests and errands, such as helping to prepare for the festival, rescuing lost animals, and solving problems. These quests guide players through the game's story and serve as the main gameplay loop.
Sunny can move around using a combination of walking, running, and her rollerblades, which provide a speed boost. Players must also navigate platforming challenges, such as jumping between platforms and across gaps. The controls are designed to be relatively simple and accessible, with an emphasis on smooth, easy movement.
Interspersed between the main quests are a variety of mini-games, including herding animals like bunnies and crabs, participating in fashion shows, and guiding Pegasi through the sky. These mini-games provide a change of pace from the core exploration and questing, and often require more precise timing and coordination to master.
As players complete quests and collect stars throughout the world, they can unlock new outfits, accessories, and other customization options for Sunny. This allows players to personalize their pony's appearance and style, with some unlocked abilities providing new traversal options, like the ability to use Sunny's rollerblades.
The game also features optional two-player co-op, where a second player can join in on some of the mini-games. This allows friends or family members to play through portions of the experience together.