Yes, it's a game. You don't have to play the game to enter this contest. Just write a story featuring the character. Any type of story. But to play the game, you have to buy a starter pack of Steem Monster cards. After that, you'll want a few booster packs to beef up your team some, then you fight a few battles. That doesn't require much. Each battle has specific sets of rules and you put together a team based on those rules. Then Steem Monsters pits your team against your opponent's team while you watch the action take place in front of you with really cool graphics. If you win, you increase in ranking and win more cards.