Trouble in Paradise plays much like the original Viva Piñata, with the player taking care of various Piñata species in a garden. However, the game has many new additions. First off, there are 32 new Piñata types available. Second, two new areas: the Piñarctic and the Dessert Desert have been added. These new areas allow the player to set traps in order to catch Piñata types which are exclusive to those climates; for example, Pengums in the Piñarctic and Camellos in the Desert.



Also added are toys, such as trains, for the Piñatas, and the Trick Stick, which allows the player to teach their Piñata various tricks. The player can also use an in-game "camera" to take snapshots of their garden and Piñatas and upload them to the official Viva Piñata website. Taking certain kinds of pictures will also earn the player bonuses, such as conceptual artwork from the game's development.