Atomic Race is played on a 5x5 board. Each player starts with ten pieces occupying the two rows closest to them. A move consists of taking a single piece or the top piece from an "atom" (stack) and moving it in any combination of forwards and sideways moves until it reaches an empty space or a space with an opponent's piece visible (moving through spaces where the player's own color is visible). The central row of the board (the "plasma zone") cannot contain atoms, so a single piece there controls its space until it moves. The object is to exit one's pieces off the opposing end of the board. Since the game is short, the designer suggests playing a series of games using a scoring system.