Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice is the third installment in the Disgaea series. It takes place in the same world as previous games, but in a different Netherworld. It tells the story of Mao, one of the top student of Evil Academy. In this school, being a rude, lazy student who doesn't attend classes is rewarded, while being helpful and kind is considered the traits of a delinquent. Self-proclaimed evil genius Mao is obsessed with the heroes of legends and wants to get his hand on their mysterious power: the power of love.

The gameplay is mostly the same as in previous games, an series of isometric maps on which the player's units (main characters, custom characters and monsters) move and fight to reach the next level. However, the characters now have specific weapon proficiencies, and monsters have the ability to turn into a weapon for their partners (magichange). Geo Blocks found on the map can now be stacked and stepped-on. Like before, these Geo Blocks affect the panel they stand on and the panels of the same color.

New maps and characters become available after the end of the game.