Unlike other games in the series, this game is significantly simplified for the limitations of mobile devices: during the race, you control the direction of throwing props by going forward and backward, and the direction of turning the truck by going left and right, without having to make any forward or backward movements. The number of laps per race has also been reduced from three or more to two (except for "3DS Rainbow Road") and the number of players is fixed at eight. Each Cup race consists of three different tracks and a technical level (e.g. time trial). The chances of trucks leaving the main track are significantly reduced, except for the hidden routes to specific tracks. There is no cooldown time for prop boxes in this game and all players are bound to get props when they pass a specific location.

The game follows the same race combination selection model used in Mario Kart 7, but the "Frame" and "Tyre" sections will be combined into a "Truck" category, while the The "Character" and "Glider" sections remain largely unchanged. Rather than focusing on player skill, the game will attract players to use the virtual lottery mechanism. Special skills will be added to some characters and gliders and better combinations will be suggested before the start of the race. All characters, trucks and gliders have a score and ability level mechanism, and must be upgraded with experience based on rankings or "tickets" obtained from treasure chests. Some characters can get two or three items at the same time on a given track, and drawing three of the same item at the same time will trigger the "Frenzy" status, allowing the player to use the item continuously for a short period of time.

The player's choice of character, truck and glider will give them basic points, while starting with a storage rocket, going to a specific place to perform a move, tilting mini-acceleration and influencing an opponent with a prop will all translate into track points. After completing each race, players receive "Gold Coins" (main use: to buy characters, trucks or gliders in the daily shop), "Sublime Stars" (main use: to unlock future cups and treasure chests) and experience points (main use: to level up the player). The game's virtual raffle mechanic.

The game's virtual lottery mechanism works by converting real world currency into virtual currency (rubies). A small number of rubies can be obtained by completing certain objectives, reaching levels and opening treasure chests.

The game operates on a season system, with each series of touring cups and track combinations, and their corresponding special prizes, only available for a limited period of time. The game also has a monthly season pass system, the Gold Pass, which allows paying players to receive more rewards than regular players. In addition, only Gold Pass holders can participate in the highest level 200cc races, while regular players can only participate in 50cc, 100cc or 150cc races.

In this game, the opponents of each race are not real players but randomly arranged by the system and controlled by the computer. Players can compete with their in-game friends, nearby players or even players from around the world. The maximum number of players per "Multiplayer Match" is eight. All players can use the World Matchmaking feature in the above mode, while only Gold Pass holders can use the Gold Matchmaking feature. One of the two features is the speed option: World Match only offers 100cc, while Gold Match offers 150cc and 200cc. "For example, all characters can only get two items from each item box. The speed options and race rules are updated daily. Each player has a 'multiplayer level', with a minimum level of F and a maximum level of A. There is no limit for Gold Pass players (A → S → S+1 → S+2 and so on). When a player wins a Multiplayer match, the percentage of his Multiplayer Level increases, otherwise it goes down or remains the same.