In Atari 2600 Tanks But No Tanks, you control a lone tank tasked with defending your outpost against waves of phantom tanks that appear and disappear on the screen. Each level consists of twenty phantom tanks, although not all of them are visible simultaneously. Once you destroy all twenty phantom tanks, you advance to the next level.
In the first level, you navigate through a wall maze, which serves to slow down the enemy tanks. In the second level, you have a small island as a shield against the enemy. In the third level, it’s just you, your base, and the enemy tanks, with no obstacles in between. You have a total of five tanks per level, and if all your tanks or your base are destroyed, the game is over. This challenging and engaging game tests your reflexes and strategy as you try to defend your base from the relentless waves of phantom tanks.