A being called the Nomad has escaped their destroyed homeworld to a place called The Rift, a hodgepodge dimension made out of bits and pieces of other universe. There they meet Genie, a talking gun who offers their combat services to the Nomad in exchange for an irreversible partnership. The Rift is sick, Genie says, and it is up to the pair to heal it by killing large numbers of its residents.
Middens is a surreal horror RPG that explores the morality of violence and its effects on a culture. The majority of the gameplay is spent approaching enemies on the overworld and engaging them in battle. The Nomad can use Genie to execute basic attacks, but they may also use Nerve, this game’s form of mana, to summon up to three additional party members named Om, Yam, and Lam, each of whom have their own special skills and battle styles. As a violent game with a strong anti-violence stance, Middens seeks to disturb the player through its gameplay; it is common for enemies to beg for mercy instead of attacking, or for the game to graphically describe the wounds the opponent has suffered.
All killing in the game gives the player bad karma, or Nothings. The ending the player receives is based on how many Nothings they have collected by the time they reach the final boss.