White Hat pits up to 6 players against each other, as they try to prove their worth as a hacker, picking holes in the Worlds toughest security measures, to ensure the protection of sensitive data. At its heart, the game uses a trick-taking mechanic that incorporates many additional elements not found in regular trick-taking games, thus creating numerous twists and turns every round. White Hat includes separate, dedicated solo and 2-player modes.

As the players try to prove their worth, they will attempt to win tricks by playing cards from their hand. If they win a trick they can then move one of their hats on the board through the maze of FBI servers, internet cafes, and digital tracers in order to get to the Critical Asset and end the game. However, players should not always rush to the end as points are scored at the end of every round depending on what spaces their hats are on, and the lowest score is the winner.