The Sheltered is a top-down adventure game centered around exploration and impactful decision-making. Players step into the shoes of a survivor navigating a world devastated by a viral outbreak, where the government's drastic response is to use nuclear weapons against the infected. Fortunately, players discover a fallout shelter in their yard, stocked with enough provisions for survival. However, as other survivors seek refuge, the player must make challenging choices about who to admit into the shelter.

The journey begins when the player gathers sufficient supplies for basic survival. When faced with the arrival of various survivors—including children and experienced adults—the player must decide who to save and who to leave behind, as these choices will affect the game's multiple endings. Each new member requires additional supplies, prompting the player to explore the desolate landscape in search of resources.

The Sheltered combines retro graphics and straightforward gameplay with deep narrative elements and moral dilemmas. Players are often forced to balance their character's safety with ethical decisions in a haunting, apocalyptic world filled with secrets, challenging puzzles, and lurking threats.