The evil Rowan is trying to break open the Durable But Not Impenetrable Barrier and release the dead! He's placed Paranormal Energy Devices (PEDs) all over the Mercado Building, and it's up to the Ghostbusters to find them and get them out before the fourth Cataclysm begins and the building is completely haunted.

In Ghostbusters: Protect the Barrier Game, you have to keep your eye on the number of ghost figures on the board. If too many ghosts show up, rooms become haunted, and if six rooms become haunted at the same time, you lose the game! However, if all four Ghostbusters escape the building with all eight PEDs before six rooms have been haunted, the players win!

In more detail, players roll dice to determine how many spaces they move this turn and whether a new ghost is added to the board. Players may move up to the number of spaces shown on the die. If they end their movement in a space with a PED, they may pick it up. If they end their movement in a space with a ghost, they fight that ghost by rolling a fight die. If they roll the matching symbol, they remove the ghost from the game board. If the players must add a third ghost to a room, it transforms into a haunting. A haunting requires at least two people in the room to attempt a fight with it.

Ghostbusters: Protect the Barrier Game — a new version of the Kinderspiel des Jahres-winning Geister, Geister, Schatzsuchmeister! — includes four ways to play: Basic Battle, Basic Battle with Rowan, Advanced Adventure, and Advanced Adventure with Rowan. Rowan is a special ghost figure included in this version that cannot be killed. When this ghost's card comes up in the deck, you draw the next card, then move it to that room. If that room becomes a haunting, this ghost automatically moves to the next room.