Turbo Trucks is a single-player, keyboard-controlled racing game that can also be played with a joystick.
The game has three race modes: Tournament, Quick Race, and Time Trial. Players compete around two courses: Redwood Valley and Razor Canyon. The Quick Race and Time Trial modes feature stages within these courses, starting with the first stage of Redwood Valley. As players progress through the tournament mode, additional stages become available.
The tournament mode begins with amateur races, which, if won, allow players to advance to semi-pro and then pro leagues. Each tournament consists of four races held on sections from either course.