Operation Rolling Thunder is a simulation game that recreates the historical bombing campaign conducted by the US Air Force and the US Navy over North Vietnam during the period spanning from 1965 to 1968. The game accommodates both solitaire or cooperative play, in which one player assumes command of the US Air Force, while the other oversees operations of the Navy (with an option to play in semi-competitive mode).

The core objective for the player(s) is to inflict enough infrastructural damage to compel North Vietnam to engage in peace negotiations while disrupting the flow of troops and resources that sustain the insurgency in South Vietnam via the logistics network known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The overarching campaign is divided into seasonal phases, wherein the player or players determine which objectives have been identified as potential targets for the current phase. They then calibrate the scope and composition of air raids, aligning missions with their chosen strategic imperatives. Decisions entails prioritizing missions, including tasks like safeguarding raids against enemy fighter interception through combat air patrols, neutralizing enemy ground-based air defenses, deploying strike capabilities to maximize damage on specified targets, and the hunting down of opportunity targets. Through the use of cards, players resort to a repertoire of historical tactics, specialized missions, selective target assignments, and technological assets to optimize raid efficiency and protection. The augmentation of US forces occurs incrementally, encompassing both numerical reinforcements and advancements in equipment. This includes the introduction of advanced-technology missiles, reflecting an evolving military landscape. Additionally, pilots progressively gain experience, achieving exceptional proficiency in specific mission types.
Targets of interest encompass oil and supply depots, military installations, industrial facilities, the railroad network, crucial bridges, and pivotal airfields, whose destruction bears varying consequences for North Vietnam's ability to generate supplies, mobilize forces, transport equipment, and defend its airspace. Consequently, players may experiment with different approaches, all the while remaining mindful of the alignment of their decisions with the underlying strategy implied by the Joint Chiefs of Staff target list. Higher-priority targets are invariably more robustly defended, necessitating a close monitoring of incurred losses; unacceptable levels can severely compromise or even prematurely shut down the campaign.

After implementing on the game map the damage inflicted by US air raids on North Vietnam's war-making capacity, the player or players retain the option to dispatch armed reconnaissance missions, scouting for opportunity targets en route to the South, and may call upon the formidable B-52s from the Strategic Air Command to administer targeted strikes on the mountain passes leading to the Ho Chi Minh Trail and on the trail itself.

In tandem with the military dimension, the game incorporates a 'political layer.' Herein, players contend with the constraints imposed by fluctuating directives emanating from the White House, driven by apprehensions of potential escalation involving China and the Soviet Union. These directives can manifest as stricter rules of engagement, prohibited targets, or specific mandates. In response, players challenge the political echelons for operational freedom, judiciously selecting the campaign aspects where enhanced flexibility is warranted.

The player or players face a difficult challenge reminiscent of the historical endeavor, which fell short of achieving its primary objectives. Despite the severe humanitarian toll inflicted by the campaign, it failed to fracture the resolve of the North Vietnamese people and its leadership, who exhibited exceptional resilience in the face of sustained aerial bombardment. The Vietnam War persisted for several more years, culminating in the well-documented denouement.