The man called "Lord British," best known for designing the formative Ultima series of computer role-playing games and creating Origin Systems, lends his expertise to this persistent world RPG set in the distant future. Players will become part of a human renegade force sent to repel the advances of a crustacean-like alien race known as "The Bane." Combat in Tabula Rasa primarily involves firing guns while crouching and using cover in real time. Instead of choosing a specific character class at the onset, players will instead follow branching career paths while earning experience from missions benefiting the resistance movement. All characters begin military life as a lowly recruit, eventually deciding on specialization trees promoting them to soldiers, commandos, sappers, rangers, and more.

Each role offers new weapon, tool, or armor proficiencies, allowing players to expand their offensive and defensive techniques against enemies. Characters can also acquire mystical runes called Logos, which tap into the universe's energy and imbue them with feats of power, similar to magic in fantasy games. The gameplay initially takes place on two alien planets: the forest-covered Foreas and the volcanic Arieki, each home to multiple regions or zones to explore, including instanced areas. Tabula Rasa's development team opted for a simplified user-interface designed to quickly get players involved in the ongoing conflict without having to spend an inordinate amount of time learning how to control their characters. Cooperative play with other characters is encouraged and enhanced with the game's built-in voice chatting functions.