Steeplechase is a challenging horse racing game where you play as one of four jockeys, each with their own unique name: Lucky Devil, Absent Mind, Just Missed, and Little Dictator. Your goal is to reach the right side of the screen first by jumping over hurdles that appear from the right. The height of the jump is set using a paddle on the left, while you press a button to execute the jump.
The gameplay involves timing your jumps perfectly to clear the hurdles and maintain a steady pace. As you progress through the game, the computer-controlled horse's racing ability becomes faster, making it more challenging for you to reach the finish line first. You have three minutes to win the race; if no one has reached the end, the game ends, and the leader is declared the winner.
The game features six different variations, each with unique hurdle spacing and computer-controlled horse abilities. In some games, the hurdles are spaced uniformly, while in others, they are randomly placed, requiring you to adapt your jumping strategy on the fly.