These not-so-tasty treats have thrown freshly made, palate-friendly meatballs, lettuce heads, rice, mashed potatoes and macaroni all over the diner. You must get these lunch items back on a plate before you fall prey to the Rotten Food gang.
The isometric playfield for Diner (similar to the playfield in Congo Bongo) consists primarily of a series of ladders, ramps and floors (platforms). The fresh foods are in the form of balls. To ward off the constantly pursuing Rotten Food, you can kick food balls at them. You can also temporarily stun your enemies by shaking pepper in their direction. Picking up ice cream sundaes, cans of pop, and hamburger buns will earn you extra pepper.
Your ultimate goal is to roll the balls of food across floors, down ramps, and over ledges until the plate at the bottom of the screen is filled. Each time you fill a plate, you move to a different, more difficult section of the diner. In certain parts of the diner, the floors move, opening up traps that can kill you or send you up or down.
After every four plates, a Blue Plate Special bonus round will appear. Here you must catch as many food balls as you can while avoiding flashing food balls. Diner, an Intellivision exclusive, offers four levels of difficulty.