The player takes on the role of the Road Runner - from the much-loved Warner Bros. cartoon series - and must outrun and outsmart the villainous Wile E. Coyote, in this abstract sideways-scrolling racing game from Atari. A variety of traps and pitfalls await the Road runner (such as a cannon, land mines, cliff-top drop etc.) which must be carefully avoided. It is possible, however, to lure Wile E. Coyote into these traps to put some valuable distance between the Road Runner and his pursuer. Road Runner must also eat the piles of seed that appear at various points throughout the stages, as missing five bird seeds will cause Road Runner to faint and result in the player losing a life.

Road Runner's colourful, beautifully-drawn graphics capture the spirit and humour of the legendary cartoons perfectly. The music and sound effects are also faithful to the cartoon series.