The general goal throughout the series is to complete the levels by strategically placing bombs in order to kill enemies and destroy obstacles. Exploding bombs can set off other bombs, kill or injure enemies, and destroy obstacles. However, they can also kill or injure the player character, destroy powerups, and sometimes "anger" the exit, causing it to generate more enemies. Most Bomberman games also feature a multiplayer mode, where other Bombermen act as opponents, and the last one standing is the winner. In this mode, powerups are plentiful.
Bomberman appears to be part of an intergalactic police force to help protect the galaxy. This has been elaborated upon in later games, where a friendly figure named Dr. Ein directs Bombermans objectives. There is also Bomber Base on Planet Bomber, where Bomberman trains daily. After the shapeshifter (if fed) Pommy was introduced, Charaboms became a part of the gameplay in some later single player games. A Bomberman model called Max also became a semi-regular member.