The Rise of the Tomb Raider is an action-adventure survival game, where the player controls a character called Lara Croft, who is searching for the tomb of a famous adventurer called Zaru, in Siberia. The game starts in the year 2033, one year after the events of Tomb Raider. The story takes place in the city of Kitezh, which is a large and ancient city. It is the final resting place of the explorer Zaru, and the legend behind the city tells of a promise of immortality. In order to find the tomb, Lara must go through the city and its surrounding area, where she will encounter various puzzles, traps, and enemies. The most dangerous of these is a group of enemy called Trinity, who want to find the tomb and steal the treasures that are buried in it.

Besides the main storyline, the game includes several side-quests, in which the player can find more information about the city of Kitezh, its history, and the legend behind the city. These side-quests are optional, and can be played in any order.

The gameplay of the game is divided into three main sections:

Story: This section follows the main storyline of the game, which takes place in the city of Kitezh.