Swampy, an alligator living in a city sewer system, hates being dirty. Whenever he tries to take a bath, Cranky another alligator living in the sewers, disrupts the water flow to Swampy's home. Located somewhere on the level is a supply of water, either a limited amount pooled at different locations or an unlimited amount flowing from a pipe. Players use the touch screen on their device to dig through the dirt and redirect the water toward an inlet leading to Swampy's bathtub. In many levels, the water must be routed through other pipes or must interact with machines in order to open up a route to the inlet. When the required amount of water reaches the bathtub, the level is completed and the next level is unlocked. Also scattered around the level are three rubber ducks that can be collected when they absorb an amount of water. Select levels also include items hidden in the dirt that will unlock bonus levels when three-item collections are completed.