Pac-Man World Rally features similar gameplay to other kart racing games such as Mario Kart. Up to four players can compete in standard racing across fifteen race tracks. During races, players can use power-ups to attack opponents or gain a boost of speed. By driving over a fruit button, that fruit will appear on the race track; players who collect a fruit will gain access to specific shortcuts on the track, giving them the opportunity to overtake their opponents. Players can also collect pac-dots scattered along the track to fill their Pac-Meter. When it is full, the player can activate a temporary transformation into the Pac-Mobile, a vehicle that gives them a boost of speed and allows them to eat and temporarily incapacitate other racers. The game also features a battle mode with four different arenas for competition. Players can choose from fourteen different playable characters from the Pac-Man franchise and other Bandai Namco titles. The PSP version features two exclusive characters, Mappy and Mr. Driller, along with an additional race track based on Dig Dug.