You are Rocket Roger and on your way home to Earth, your ship has run out of fuel and you are forced to land on a mysterious planet. As you explore the planet you realize that scattered over the planet are fuel crystals and 99 are needed to refuel your ship. Problem is the locals aren't friendly and will try to kill you as you explore the surface and underground caverns. Some can be shot with your laser but others must be avoided and if you touch one then you lose one of five lives. Turrets also need to be avoided as well as their bullets and under the planets surface are electric gates and lasers to avoid touching. As well as your gun you have a jet-pack strapped to your back and this can help you clear gaps and reach higher parts of the planet. As you fly your fuel for the jet-pack will decrease but you can collect extra to keep it topped up.

Rocket Roger is a platform game where a small part of the planet is shown and the screen scrolls in all directions when you move. The keyboard is used to control your hero and as well as the main playing area you can also see your score, jet-pack fuel, best score, crystals collected, lives and which zone you are in.