Meis Triumph is the last representative of generations of spirit blacksmiths. One day a group of robbers attacks his hometown, and he is forced to leave to Boyzby, the capital city of the country. There he meets a lovely girl named Sodina, who introduces him to her brother, who also happens to be a spirit blacksmith. Soon the heroes discover that the attack on Meis' hometown was part of a much larger plan, and find themselves fighting for their lives.
Thousand Arms is an anime-style role-playing game with turn-based combat, featuring 2D character sprites on polygonal background. Only one character can directly attack enemies during battles; the rest of the party play a support role with spells and items. Being a blacksmith, Meis can forge weapons for all the characters in the party by himself. To do so, he must seek out hidden spirits scattered through the game world, and secure the help of a female companion, who can imbue weapons with various spells and skills.
The latter requirement is fulfilled by dating the ladies that accompany Meis on his journey. The player can choose to date any of these young women by visiting statues of the Goddess of Love available in each town. During the date, the player must participate in a conversation with the girl, selecting responses. Depending on the player's choice, the girl's intimacy level will increase or decrease. Intimacy level can also be raised by offering gifts to a girl or participating in various mini-games.
The game features anime-style movies and voice-overs for important dialogues.