The gameplay of Cloning Clyde serves as the foundation for Ancients of Ooga, a puzzle platformer that builds on the same game elements. The game takes place in a fantastical universe and focuses on beings known as Ooganis as its primary characters. They disregarded the counsel of their chiefs and made friends with the monstrous beings known as the Boolis. The Ooganis gorged themselves on a variety of alcoholic slugs as soon as the Boolis were allowed to trust them, and as a result, they gained weight and became less active. They put their chiefs in cages and set fire to their villages, after which the Boolis enslaved the Ooganis and used them as slave labor. The player takes control of the Spirit of Ooga, a ghost who can possess any of the Ooganis, and is called into existence by the few Ooganis still alive and desire to regain their independence. The player must use the included characters throughout the game, but they can select new characters at any point. The spirit must travel to seven different villages, and each of those towns is broken up into multiple levels (about fifty in all), all of which contain objectives that must be accomplished before moving on. In most cases, it is necessary to reawaken the chief before moving on to a different hamlet.
Even though the majority of Ooganis have combat skills, there is a significant focus on puzzle elements, such as eliminating foes by employing alternative methods or possessing different characters to pull levers, turn wheels, or activate pressure plates, or making use of their unique abilities to spit fire, swim more quickly, call floods, walk on lava, or slow down time – having characters work together in the style of the Lost Viking series even though there is no permanent character that needs to be tamed. One can unlock a wide variety of additional skills by picking up objects and temporarily storing them in one’s mouth by chewing on them, much like an inventory system (but for a single item). It is necessary to have this ability to climb a ladder while carrying an object (or another character) in your stomach and then hurling it back up again. However, swallowing an object also has the additional benefit of restoring health or activating skills. Beans can cause them to float in the air, certain fruits will put them to sleep, and red peppers will cause them to emit fire. The vast majority of goods can also be hurled.
Even though the characters are 3D models, the game is played almost entirely as a 2D platformer (with a fixed camera view on the side), with the additional ability to walk to the front and back of an area rather than following a predetermined horizontal path. A map that provides general directions, as well as a summary of the quests, can be opened by players. In spirit mode, the entire area is open for free exploration in all directions. The game allows up to two players to cooperate in cooperative play.
