NEO Scavenger tells about the fate of the main character, who was in a frozen state for a long time. Waking up in a special capsule number 5, the protagonist does not remember anything. He needs to understand the details and remember moments of the past in order to stay alive. Wandering around the cryogenic center of Michigan, you will find objects that will restore vitality. The latter includes the following elements: hunger, thirst, endurance, body temperature, health and more. You will need to behave carefully, because the world is full of dangers and enemies. In total, the gamer has 1 life. If the player dies, then everything starts again. There are weather conditions and a variety of biomes. The map itself is generated randomly.

Gameplay in NEO Scavenger allows you to explore locations. The character's movement speed depends on the number of items. This adds realism. You will have to travel through the city ruins, visit the sea, walk in the forest area and walk through the hills. All creatures leave their traces, which makes it possible to navigate the area. You can use weapons to hunt for meat and fur, and there are also many gadgets in the game that you can hack and get the necessary information. Changing weather conditions affect performance. You will have to look for shelter, craft, bargain, kill opponents and solve problems.

There are a choice of skills that can be acquired for points:

• Setting traps – allows you to make traps for animals. You can create a fire without a fire source. When another carcass is gutted, the player receives more food.
• The medic-protagonist understands medications and assesses situations in case of blood loss. This reduces the chance of getting infections. Wounds heal faster and illnesses disappear. Gives an additional scale showing the survivor's immunity.
• Eagle eye – navigates throughout the entire territory. The ability helps you find valuable things.
• Tracking – allows us to understand who is watching us.
• Electrician – helps to understand technology and also create a rifle.