Monster in My Pocket is a six stage game, where the objective is to travel to the end of a given stage, before fighting the boss.
The stage layout is linear, and follows a ratchet-scroll system where you cannot easily backtrack.
Lives[edit]
Players start with 3 lives, being awarded with an extra life at 500 points, and every 2000 points thereafter.
Being struck by an enemy causes the health bar to deplete by one unit. When all five units are depleted, a life is lost. These health bars are replenished by picking up a Heart-in-a-jar.
When you run out of lives (i.e. die when P=1), the game is over. In a two-player game, a player can receive extra lives from the partner by pressing 
if there is any to spare. Otherwise, you will have to use one of the finite continues.