Monster Maker 3: Japanese Monsters is a card game for players to compete at defeating the mythological beasts of Japan. Players start the game with cards in hand. They can each play up to three Character cards in front of them, forming their party of mythological heroes. As they play their cards on their turns, they draw from a common deck to replenish their hands. Players can play Monster cards on their parties, challenging the monsters with their heroes, or pit the creature against one of another player's heroes. Dice are rolled and Assistance cards played to help either heroes or monsters. The side with the higher resultant value wins the battle, eliminating the opposing cards from play. Each monster is worth a score to its vanquisher, and each defeated hero penalizes its player. When a player has accumulated a predetermined score (which depends on the number of players), he or she wins the game.