The game has 10 preconfigured maps, but the player can make their own island by choosing "Random Island". Upon choosing random island, a player may customize the size of the island, vegetation, mineral deposits, and elevation, as well as other game parameters.

There are various expansion packs which will also give access to more islands.

After choosing the island, the player may choose an avatar, or they can make their own avatar. In customize characters, players may choose: gender, costumes, skin tone, hat, hairstyle, accessories, mustache, beard, earrings, traits, quality, and rise to power. After completing one mission, the character's current traits will level up.

The following elements are visible in the main view: minimap, population, happiness, current date, speed controls, menu button, HUD buttons, overlays, edicts, Select Avatar, almanac, task. Tropico 4 uses a standard point-and-click interface.

The game's campaign consists of 20 missions spread over 10 different maps. They start out with the player character, "El Presidente," having seized control of the island of Tropico. Imports can be monitored as well as exports (whereas the previous games in the series only allowed for coverage on exports). Tropico 4 includes more superpowers.^[3] A council of ministers exists with which the player can consult on a range of different issues. The player will have to deal with natural disasters and the demands of different political factions each with its own ideological outlook. An Xbox 360 and Steam version will be made which includes another island for sandbox mode and another suit of clothes for the custom El Presidente. It is set to come out for purchase 1 day after the release date.^[4] In the new game, there will be 20 new buildings including a shopping mall.

The game has a variety of humorous elements including running satirical commentary by fictional radio station Tropico News Today, and subtle touches such as liaisons between priests and cabaret girls. The "loading" and "saving" screens have quotes from various dictators, leaders, politicians, and revolutionaries such as Che Guevara, Fidel Castro,Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Augusto Pinochet, Nikita Khrushchev, Leon Trotsky, Mobutu Sese Seko, Todor Zhivkov, Vladimir Putin, Josip Broz Tito, Muammar Gaddafi, Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It, like its predecessors, features a Latin soundtrack, this time drawn mainly from the albums Elementos and Oñejo by Alex Torres and His Orchestra.