In Rescue Animals you take on the role of a conservation specialist who rescues and protects endangered animals from all over the world! Each animal you rescue is worth a number of protection points that you score at the end of the game. By collecting pairs of animals, your conservation efforts will be rewarded with bonus points. The conservation specialist who has collected the most points wins.

Each round, a number of endangered animal cards are placed face up in the center of the table, clearly visible to all players. After all players have had a moment to study the animals, the current Conservation Leader calls out: Ready, set, go! All players now start rolling their dice as quickly as they want. If some of the dice you just rolled match the dice requirements of the endangered animal you are trying to save, you may set them aside while you continue to roll and re-roll the remaining dice. At any point, once you have collected all the dice needed to meet the dice requirements of one of the endangered animals, shout loudly, "Save!" After you collect the animal, the other players continue trying to save one of the remaining endangered animals.

New cards are drawn each round, offering players new challenges and more animals to save. Most cards show a dice requirement consisting of one black die and two or more white dice. However, some endangered animals have special requirements that must be met.