Tsugunai: Atonement tells the story of a mercenary named Leise. By removing a treasure orb from its sacred pedestal, he angers the God of Light. Now, his body is separated from his soul, and he must atone for his sin by helping the people of Waldonia. Leise's soul can possess bodies of different people, each one of which has different strengths and weaknesses in combat.
The combat in Tsugunai: Atonement is precision-oriented. There are four main defensive moves: block, strafe counter, back step, and counter attack. You must press a button at a certain time during the corresponding animation. You will also obtain runes of various shapes during the game, which will enable offensive and healing magic. Those runes can be places in amulets, and once an amulet is filled with runes, a summon spell becomes available.