Route 16 is an action-adventure game where you drive a car, collecting valuable items while avoiding other cars. The game features 16 different routes on a map, each with its own set of collectible items. These include money bags worth 200 or 800 points, oil spills that slow you down, checkered flags that turn opponents into collectible items, and bombs that will explode your car.
Gameplay involves navigating through the routes to collect all the items, then moving on to single-screen mazes with their own set of challenges. The player must avoid obstacles and other cars while trying to reach the end of each maze. You can speed up your car, but this will decrease fuel levels faster. If fuel runs out, you lose a life, and the remaining fuel is added to your score when the stage is completed.