Unlike the common "falling block" type of puzzle game, players begin at the top of the game screen, where they begin to drill their way down to the bottom. The main objective in Mr. Driller closely follows Namco's classic Dig Dug and pits the main character in a race against time and the elements in a quest to dig as far as possible. In Mr. Driller the goal is to dig to the bottom of each level as quickly as possible while you collect enough air to stay alive and create a path that keeps blocks from squishing Susumu (the main character). To do this, players have to learn the unique and intuitive ways in which the blocks can link together or disappear, based on the path you drill.