In Ant Nation, the player assumes charge of an ant colony and works to ensure the colony’s survival by fostering its growth. There is no overarching narrative, but it is strongly suggested that the player assumes the role of a scientist researching the hive. All interactions with the ants are accomplished through various tools, such as a pipette to quickly move them from one location to another, a magnifying glass to investigate the surrounding environment, or a pointer to select a specific ant.
The game’s objective is for the ants to amass food and transport it back to the colony to increase their number of members and overall power. The food can be purchased (and then dumped in the playing field) using gold, acquired by completing missions (performing tasks, typically by killing invaders) within a given time, and earned rewards. A magnifying glass can be used to examine the environment for gold outside of the finite tasks, and invaders must be killed to obtain food. Gold can be obtained by scanning the background with a magnifying glass. While the sheer quantity of ants plays a significant part, the individual statistics of each also play a role in determining the outcome. These can be made better by squeezing them to the point where they are significantly injured but not to where they pass away. As the player progresses through the game, additional instruments of torture, such as a Bunsen burner, become available.
In addition to the primary gameplay mode, there is a bonus game comprising twenty different stages. In this mode, the player must utilize various weapons, such as a hammer or rocket launcher, to eliminate as many ants as possible within a given time.
