Road 96 is a single-player, procedurally-generated adventure game played from a first-person perspective.[b] The player controls a series of nameless teenagers who attempt to flee their corrupt home country of Petria by traveling to its border and illegally crossing.[7]
Each journey begins hundreds of miles from the border, with the player aiming to reach a mountain checkpoint near it.[5] Journeys are composed of various segments that take place in different locations.[5][7] The segments see the player interact with one of the game's eight core non-playable characters and often incorporate strategy video game elements and minigames.[5][8] The player must manage their energy throughout the game, which can be replenished by buying food or resting. Energy functions as health; if it reaches zero, the player will pass out on the side of the road and be arrested.[7] Once a segment is completed, the player travels to their next location, which they can do by catching a bus, hitchhiking, ordering a taxi, stealing a car, or walking.[5] Travelling by bus or taxi allows the player to rest and recover lost health but costs money. Walking or hitchhiking are free travel options, though walking gradually depletes the player's health and hitchhiking is unpredictable, as it can lead to hostile encounters or violent situations. Depending on the player's actions or dialogue decisions, their journey can culminate in arrest, death, or successfully crossing the border.[8]
No matter the outcome of the journey, once completed, the player begins again as another anonymous teenager.[5][8] Before their new run, the player is given a choice of three teens to play as, each having a different starting attributes such as cash, energy, and distance from the border.[7][9] Non-playable characters you interact with remember and may mention events from earlier playthroughs.[10] Each journey reveals more about the main characters through the player's new interactions with them.[8] As the player repeatedly encounters recurring characters, a completion meter for each fills until their individual storylines are resolved.[11] As the player completes recursive journeys, the Petrian presidential election gradually gets closer.[5][8] Propaganda posters for the political candidates can be vandalized.[12]
The game features a collectible system where the player can uncover and listen to different cassette tapes. They can acquire the cassettes by finding them, purchasing them, and stealing them.[13] The game's wider narrative develops with each choice made by the player.[4] Throughout the game, the player gains skills such as intelligence, hacking, lock-picking, and improved luck.[8][11] After the player's final teenager reaches the border and election day arrives, the outcome of the election is based on their previous in-game choices.[11]