Santa Run is an endless dash-style racing game with a Christmas theme. The player directs a chibi version of Santa Claus away from traffic, obstacles and threats while he runs down a snow-covered street and train tracks to collect candy canes and other items. Santa must also chase after a raccoon thief who stole a lot of gold in transit that was set aside to celebrate the holiday season. The player's goal is to pick up useful items to unlock new areas of the game and keep Santa running for as long as possible.
As with other dash-style racing games, the run starts the moment the player interacts with the screen. They must direct Santa away from giant snowballs and over or under black-and-yellow construction barriers. The game also features parked and moving trains that the player must direct Santa to run around or across to prevent harm and retrieve items. If Santa comes into contact with any dangerous object, the player can continue by watching an ad or starting over.
Santa Run offers a tournament aspect as well. The player can track the highest scores by selecting a button marked with a trophy on the home screen.
