The player controls a submarine in hostile waters and must rescue the survivors in a mission that ends in disaster. Enemy submarines surround and will fire on the player's ship if they enter the sonar range. Each enemy submarine can fire up to five torpedoes; however, if it is destroyed before all of its torpedoes have been used, the remainder will be added to the player's arsenal. Other obstacles to avoid are mines, ice blocks and turbulent underwater eddies. Once the survivors are found, their pod must be docked, which the player must approach carefully and accurately. The new mission will start with a successful rescue.
Polar Rescue was released only under the GCE brand and not in countries where the Milton Bradley or Bandai brands were used.