Excitebots is controlled with the Wii Remote horizontally or optionally with the Wii Wheel. Most of the games are played on courses large in size with many opportunities to take meandering paths. The 25 different courses offered are modeled after real locations on Earth. Because of the size of each course, most races are two laps long and offer opportunities to gain massive altitude, perform various maneuvers, and obtain various items.

Each race is scored on a grading system from "S" to "D", with "D" being the lowest score. In order to obtain a higher score, players must perform various tricks, stunts, complete minigames, and finish the race before the other bots. Each of these tricks yield stars, which are used to determine how well the player did during the race. The more stars the player has when crossing the finish line, the better score they will receive. Examples of some of the methods to obtain stars are: gaining extreme altitude from jumping off inclined terrain, smashing into other bots during high speed, altering the terrain ahead and sending leading bots skyward, ramming into bowling pins, getting various offensive items and using them strategically i.e. bombs, hammers, and swinging on bars including a mandatory "red bar" in each course.

Excitebots features six-player online multiplayer via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection as well as local, split-screen 2-player racing. Online gameplay modes include six-player "Excite" races as well as "Poker" races which can be played anonymously or with friends using Nintendo's Friend Code system.^[6]​ During online play, players are able to place bets on themselves with in-game tokens which can be exchanged for unlockable items.^[7]​ Unlike its predecessor, Excitebots does not support the ability to play custom music from an SD card.^[8]​

Excitebots features many game modes that can be played:

• Excite Race: The game's main mode of gameplay. In this mode, players race on the many tracks available for racing and attempt to get the highest score possible.
• Super Excite: A more difficult version of "Excite Race" which have a higher star requirement to pass each track. The CPU bots are more difficult and more intelligent during races. Super Excite also features a hidden course not featured in Excite Race.
• Mirror Excite: Tracks this time are mirrored and the CPU robots are even tougher than before. This mode is unlocked after gaining a perfect score on Super Excite.
• Poker Race: Players collect poker cards placed on the track which are set up at certain points, and try to make the best hand before exchanging the cards for another hand all the while racing with the other bots.
• Minigames: Excitebots has 10 minigames in which players will compete several challenges, such as dart throwing, bowling, or gliding while trying to gain as much stars to achieve a higher score. This mode can be played as local multiplayer as well.

You can also play up to five other people online with the Nintendo WFC. Options exist after each race to save replays and ghosts and send them to other Wii consoles including their own and attach awards to the ghost challenges.

Excitebots features a variety of robust racing environments, including some redesigned tracks from Excite Truck.

The tracks themselves also have unique features. For example, in Kilimanjaro, there are dinosaur fossils that come to life, Guatemala, the Moai statue heads can breathe fire at times, and in Tasmania, several rock monsters will alter tracks or attack players. Other locations featured include: Fiji, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, Scotland, and Mexico. The only environment that is not based on a real location is "Crystal Nebula", a fictional planet made entirely out of various crystals and is regarded as the hardest track.

Excitebots has received favorable reviews from a variety of publications. IGN proclaimed the game as pure fun, and awarded it a score of 8.4 out of 10.^[13]​ Nintendo World Report had similar things to say about the game, calling it a "fantastic game". Nintendo Power awarded the game a score of 8/10. While this score was slightly lower than that previously awarded to Excitetruck(8.5/10), they considered the game an improvement over the latter, the reason for the lower score being that they had to account for Mario Kart Wii and other racing games made since Excitetruck.^{[cita requerida]}

StageSelect.com awarded Excitebots a 7 out of 10 and said that 'twitchy controls don't harm the fun.'^[14]​

• Official website