Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is a single-player science fiction themed obstacle race where you control Buck Rogers' space ship as it navigates through multiple pairs of pylons. You can move the ship left or right, stop, speed up, and slow down, as well as fire its weapon to blast energy bolts.
The game starts in sector 1.0, with your goal being to complete a certain number of pylons by moving between them without hitting any. The first requirement is 9 pylons, but this will increase with each new sector you progress through. As you move to the next sectors, you'll encounter flying saucers that fly in patterns and robots that try to crash into your ship. You'll need to dodge these enemies or shoot them down to survive.
The game ends when you lose all three lives by crashing into pylons or enemy spaceships. You can also run out of time, which will end the game. However, if you avoid hitting any pylons, there's no penalty for it. The game rewards speed and skill, as increasing your speed makes maneuverability more challenging. Your score increases with distance traveled, pylons completed, and enemies destroyed.