In Manhole, four manhole lids are on screen: once a character walks over them, they fall down, and the player character must be moved around to hold the lid back up, ensuring the other characters can safely walk across. As the game progresses, the characters walk faster, requiring the player to react faster. If the player is playing GAME B, then characters appear more frequently, making the game pace more frantic. A point is awarded for each character kept safe. If a character is neglected and falls into the water, the player loses a life. The game ends once three lives are lost.