Air Bandits! is a shoot ‘em up arcade game in which players take the role of a pilot of a vintage fighter plane. This game is developed for players using Windows operating systems. In this game, players are tasked to defeat enemy forces using their skills in flying and hitting targets. Players must be able to drop bombs on ground targets and shoot at enemy aircraft without being hit in return. The targets are shown as red spots on the mini-map provided by the game. There are different kinds of ground targets to destroy, such as anti-aircraft guns, battle tanks, fuel supply storage areas, and pillboxes.
Beginners start the game with easy levels that also serve as tutorials where they can learn about the basics and objectives of the game. As they progress through the game, players are given new challenges and objectives to meet. As they do their missions, players will be able to discover shortcuts to enemy forts, chase after and fight enemy aircraft, kill hidden targets on the ground, and maneuver their plane through fire, smoke, and debris caused by explosions. The player earns points with every target or enemy plane taken down.
Players can perform rescue tricks to help them survive in the game, such as taking down Zeppelins to increase health and obtain more ammunition. Players can also blast tunnels through rocks to let their planes fly through.