Dirt Racer is a racing game set on five off-road courses. The player chooses from three vehicles: truck, buggy, and stock car. They can either compete in a league or a tournament. In the league, there are three divisions with eight drivers each. In the tournament, there are eight participants, competing one-on-one until only one remains.
The game features two different acceleration speeds and three different braking strengths for the controls. If the player drives into water or hits an obstacle, they lose time and their car is sent back to the start – but only a limited number of times before losing the race. Up to eight players can participate in events, but racing takes place one-on-one.