Desert Falcon is an arcade style shooter where many of the Pharaoh's great treasures are lost throughout the desert. Your goal is to steal as many as you can to earn points. The game features a scrolling, isometric point of view as you control your falcon through various desert landscapes.
The treasures you are after are guarded by desert creatures including vultures, warriors, flying fish, sphinxes and more, which will all attempt to stop you from succeeding in your task. Additionally, at the end of each level, you will need to face a large, howling sphinx before continuing on. Your falcon isn't completely unarmed, and has the ability to fire darts that can be used to destroy enemies and the sphinx.
In the sand, you will occasionally come across some hieroglyphs. Collecting several of these hieroglyphs will give you superpowers, such as becoming invincible, warping to the end of the level, earning free points, or getting an air bomb that destroys all airborne enemies.