Something is rotten in the quiet medieval town of Senora. A mysterious Dark Brotherhood seems to have taken control over the town, and it's the player character's job to discover the identity of the villains and liberate the inhabitants.

Arcatera is a role-playing game. Much of the gameplay is dedicated to exploring the town and its surroundings, talking to people and gathering information that will advance the story. The player can choose to start the game as any of the four available characters: a fighter, a thief, a magician, and a monk.