The object of the game involves the servant bot going through 126 levels, turning red squares to blue to destroy Big Brother's shield and eye.

I, Robot was the first commercially produced arcade video game rendered entirely with real-time, flat-shaded, 3D polygon graphics.

Previous real-time 3D graphics were vector lines instead of rasterized polygons, one example being Atari's Tempest (1981) a "tube shooter" which Dave Theurer had also designed and programmed.

[3][4][11] However, the remaining arcade cabinets have become rare collectibles and the game has received later praise for its innovative 3D graphics.

Shortly afterward, the company was split up, with the home console and personal computer divisions sold to Jack Tramiel and renamed Atari Corporation.

The player can adjust the camera angle during gameplay, moving closer to the robot or flying up for an overhead view of the level.

The player can remain in this mode for up to three minutes per credit, and can switch back to the main game at any time.

[18] Dave Sherman developed the custom bit-slice ('pepperoni') 3D co-processor that allowed for a throughput of approximately 2,000 polygons per second.

[11] The arcade cabinets have since become rare collectibles with Dave Theurer's involvement being a selling point among collectors.

Gene Lewin rated the dedicated arcade cabinet 2 out of 10, but raised it to 7 if released as a conversion kit.

The review praised the "unusual" colorful graphics and originality, but said "it lacks the excitement necessary to make it a top earning game" and that an "average player will not be very interested in I, Robot."

Roger C. Sharpe rated it three hashes, with praise for the "new 3-D raster video animation system" and execution, stating it "won't be a sure-fire sensation, but it does exhibit "sleeper" qualities.

[24] In 2001, author John Sellers described I, Robot as a "near miss" because of its strong release that didn't gain enough popularity.

[26] In 2008, Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed it as the number ninety arcade game in technical, creative and cultural impact, citing its innovative 3D graphics.