Xeno is a futuristic sport resembling Air Hockey. Each of the two players (the second being either human or computer controlled) controls a ground skimmer, which is aiming to hit a puck so as to knock it into their opponent's goal. This is done in a turn-based manner, in which each player controls a movement line which sets up their intended move before it is enacted.

The arena is surrounded by walls, so rebounds (of both the puck and the skimmers) have to be factored into your shot selection. You are not required to hit the puck with a shot, so some shots can be defensive-minded. You can toggle between 1 and 9 seconds for the shot time, and between 1 and 9 minutes for the length of each of the four quarters.