Each of the first three levels of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom consists of three scenes. In the first scene, Indy must navigate his way through a subterranean mine, avoiding or whipping Thuggee guards and other enemies while watching his footing on the narrow pathways. Slave chidren are held prisoner in cages throughout the mine. Indy can earn bonus points by setting the children free. This scene ends when Indy finds the mine's exit tunnel, where a mine cart awaits.
The second scene is a mad dash down the rails in the rickety mine cart. The Thuggee stand guard on the side of the tracks, and also chase after Indy in other mine carts. Whip them all to stay alive, while also avoiding broken rails and dead ends. A successful ride to the end of the tracks will lead to the Thuggee temple.
The last scene is the temple itself. Indy must grab the Sankara Stone, perched over a bed of molten lava, while the Thuggee and a trap door over the lava make life difficult. When Indy grabs the stone, the temple doors open, allowing Indy to escape.
When Indy has collected all three Sankara stones, he must again make his way through the mine, on foot and by cart. For the final scene, Indy will try to escape from the temple once and for all, across a rope bridge infested with Thuggee. Priest Mola Ram, who in earlier scenes occasionally pops up to throw fireballs at Indy, also appears on the bridge for a final showdown.
If Indy makes it across the bridge, the story is ends happily, but the game goes on. Next it's back to the mines, in a new, more difficult quest to grab the stones and escape the temple!