Box Ranger is a horizontally scrolling shoot-em-up and a parody of Soft Action's own Fox Ranger. The player controls a little pink box with wings, flying through stages infested by hostile insects and photos of game developers. Mid- and end-level bosses further impede the unlikely hero's progress.

The default weapon shoots short bursts in a straight line, and upgrades include wingmen above and below the box, a shield that protects from attacks until broken, and additional weapons (which can also be acquired between stages by playing a rock-scissors-paper game). A special weapon is activated by pressing a separate key and has limited charges. The box has a set amount of hit points and respawns at the same location when losing a life, until it runs out of them and the player has to restart. Three difficulty levels are available.t to retail.