History VideoGame / Middens

* BonusBoss: The Pale Horse, possibly. It's encountered right next to the door that houses the final boss on the normal ending route.

In the case of the latter, most characters have dialogue cobbled together from occult books, celebrity quotes, short stories, the last words of death row inmates, and the occasional shockingly lucid comment, that only enforce the alien atmosphere of the Rift. Most memorable, however, are the discussions held with Genie over the course of the story. As you gain more and more Nothings, the talking gun will hold discussions about philosophy, [[ArmorPiercingQuestion ask you existential questions]], mock you, urge on your bloodlust, try to creep you out, [[AnythingThatMoves hit on you frequently]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking try to speak]] [[GratuitousSpanish Spanish]]

* OffModel: the Nomad sometimes scales to weird sizes, or his sprite center de-aligns. The developer has claimed this was intentional, though it still looks rather glitchy.

* NotUsingTheZWord: This is applied to [[UpToEleven all gaming terminology]], most likely to increase the alien atmosphere the game fosters. If any part of the interface uses an actual gaming term, then it's probably accidental. Even the menu is just symbols (+, 0, and an X) rather than the universally known "New Game", "Continue", and "Quit".

* BadassMoustache: The [[FanNickname "Old Timey"]] world sprite used by certain monsters.

* SquishyWizard: Yam, who also specializes in StandardStatusEffects.

In the case of the combat, most fights are initiated by the player and the enemies’ stats are hidden. You could very well challenge a boss that’s completely beyond your power level and not know it until you are already dead, which makes every fight foreboding. Its karma system is unique in that [[AnAesop ALL killing is wrong]], even in self defense (though self defense is less bad), and its impossible ([[GuideDangIt barring the services of one EXTREMELY hard to find character]]) to get rid of the bad karma (called “Nothings”) once you start to collect them. As you accumulate more Nothings, the denizens of the rift will start to treat you differently or become hostile.

[[caption-width-right:348:[[WideOpenSandbox "The rift is vast,]] [[OurMonstersAreWeird and its denizens horrid"]]-''Genie'']]

[[http://middens.tumblr.com/ Middens]] is an RPG Maker game by indie developer [[http://rpgmaker.net/users/myformerselves/ "myformerselves"]]. Playing as a figure known only as "The Nomad", who flees his home dimension when [[AllThereInTheManual his beloved culture dies via assimilation]], you find yourself in an area called [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds The Rift]]. The Rift is essentially the scrap yard of universes, where all the dimensions or parts of dimensions that were unwanted or broken are sent to rot. A world of anarchy, every being in The Rift is an immigrant who fled their home dimension, taking a chunk of it with them. [[MindScrew These chunks are held together by the silk of worms known as "Virmis"]], and as a result the game world appears as a mishmash collage of clashing art styles and sources that range from classical paintings to hellish pink Atari sprites.

* AdvertisedExtra: The Serial Killer [[AmbiguousGender god/goddess]] Quiddity was the monster used to show off the combat system in promotional materials. People assumed he would play a bigger role, but hes not even a true area boss as his territory consists of his one room house.

* BerserkButton: Ordinarily non-hostile enemies will turn hostile if you perform actions that anger them. This can be something as minor as trying to speak to them. Soul Eater class enemies in general seem to hold a burning hatred of guitar music.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Crossed with {{Player Punch}} in [[spoiler: Genie's pre-final boss speech: "Is that why you play games? Because your bored?...The credits will soon roll, but you wont be around to see them!"]]

->''"[[VoidBetweenTheWorlds The Rift]] does not [[GeniusLoci know what it is]]. It does not even know if others like it exist. [[VillainProtagonist Us]], though, [[BlatantLies it will certainly learn to cherish]]."''
-->--'''[[AxeCrazy Genie]]'''

* YouBastard and PlayerPunch: As mentioned above, the basic premise of the game is that what you have to do in order to progress is horrible, and it makes sure you feel as uncomfortable as possible while doing so.

* AmbiguousSituation: Just like {{Yume Nikki}} in this regard, but unlike [[ReclusiveArtist Kikiyama]] of YN, myformerselves has actually confirmed several theories himself. For example, [[spoiler: Genie's reproductive system is an allegory for how guns end up necessitating the use of more guns in the mind of society by the fear they instill.]]

* SpiritualSuccessor: In terms of tone, theme, and just plain weirdness, it might as well be ''VideoGame/{{Off}} 2''.

Its plot is minimalist: As you enter the rift, a talking gun known as “Genie” offers his assistance. Now bound “like notes to a song” he informs you of your quest. The rift is sick, and the only cure seems to be to purge a chunk of its residents. [[AnyoneCanDie Who you kill]] and [[KarmaMeter how you justify it to yourself]] is entirely [[WideOpenSandbox up to you]].

* AfterTheEnd: Not The Rift itself, [[TimeAbyss as it never had a start]], but many of the denizens of the rift hail from universes where this has happened on scales from cultural (like the Nomad) to cosmic. [[spoiler: Genie himself hails from a society where guns were given their own morality and trusted to execute the wicked. If his siblings are as omnicidal as him, the result of that plan and the condition of that society are very easy to guess.]]

* AmbiguousGender: The Nomad looks undoubtedly male, but his singing voice (the battle victory song) is undoubtedly female.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Genie will ask these of the Nomad to unsettle him, and sometimes gives an answer himself in return if he doesn't like the one you give him. The questions range from how you would spend your last seconds before being swallowed into a black hole, to what group you would sacrifice at regular intervals if it meant averting the end of the world.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:In the Normal Ending, Genie turns out to be an extremely powerful entity that had long since transcended his original species of "talking gun", and was simply using you to reproduce. Healing the Rift was simply a side job he took up to ensure he got a master who would kill for an ideal and therefore kill frequently. He is able to cross dimensions at will by this point, and is able to shoot without a master with his fancy new dragon body.]]

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Many of the Rift's denizens -- such as Soul Eaters, who will enter a room to kill anyone who dares play guitar. [[spoiler: This is also how Genie's mind works. He kills people because in his eyes, not only is everyone guilty enough to deserve death, they are also extremely bored with their lives deep down.]]

* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler: Inverted in the normal ending. Once the final boss-fight against Genie begins you, logically, cannot use him for your moves anymore. This means you rely heavily on Om, Yam, and Lam for most of the fight.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: Genie seems designed with this in mind. He's entertaining in a [[{{VideoGame/Borderlands2}} Handsome Jack]] kind of way.

* ForTheEvulz: [[spoiler: Shockingly averted with Genie. He's an {{Omnicidal Maniac}} simply because he believes everyone deserves it, and the only reason he enjoys killing is because he thinks he is doing the right thing.]]

* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: When asked [[ItMakesSenseInContext whom he would feed to the world]] in a hypothetical situation where only blood can keep it from ending, Genie's lengthily reply can be paraphrased as "everyone". It turns out later that this is because he thinks everyone else is a sinner.]]
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler: In the Normal Ending, Genie grows his own body so he can shoot without a master, and it ends up evolving into a dragon-like form.]]

* TheUnfettered: [[spoiler: Genie turns out to not be {{Axe Crazy}} as much as he is just utterly fatalistic and devoted to a twisted sense of justice. Exemplified by his quote in the ending "...No one is innocent, so Karma doesn't care who it kills. It strikes out randomly, assured it has destroyed a sinner... Karma is my God, and I am its angel."]]

* WhatTheHellPlayer: If you attack someone (rather than being attacked) to initiate combat, some turns are spent with them either begging for their lives in a tragic manner, or describing the wounds you inflict in {{Squick}}-tastic detail. This is not a feelgood game. [[VideoGameCaringPotential You can spare them by fleeing the fight.]] [[spoiler:Though according to Genie's explanation of how he reproduces, they will gain their own talkative revolver who will not be a good influence on their lives.]]

A {{Spiritual Sequel}} that's [[GenreBusting somehow in the Noir genre]], titled [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/4427/ "Moments of Silence"]] has been revealed with a 9/18/2013 release date. The Rift is gone, replaced with a yet unnamed tiered city. It appears to follow a being who accidentally sets free (by Dialing 9) one of the netherworld's "most beloved politicians" named "Mr. Freedom" and the political turmoil and leadership conflict that occurs when the people of the city find out the turtle that holds the city on its back has developed throat cancer. While it appears its plot has far more reoccurring characters, a recognizable conflict, and a more consistent setting, it doesn't look any less weird even if appears the Rift and Genie are no longer involved.

While the above was in development, ''{{VideoGame/Gingiva}}'' was created. Implied to be a prequel to ''Middens'', the game follows a woman with a turnkey for a head rebelling against the governing aristocrats while being guided by a talking set of dentures. The setting is as odd as ''Middens'', though with a more consistent art style for the environments. Originally slated for February 2013, [[ScheduleSlip it didn't release until September]].

While the above was in development, ''{{Gingiva}}'' was created. Implied to be a prequel to ''Middens'', the game follows a woman with a turnkey for a head rebelling against the governing aristocrats while being guided by a talking set of dentures. The setting is as odd as ''Middens'', though with a more consistent art style for the environments. Originally slated for February 2013, [[ScheduleSlip it didn't release until September]].

While the above was in development, ''Gingiva'' was created. Implied to be a prequel to ''Middens'', the game follows a woman with a turnkey for a head rebelling against the governing aristocrats while being guided by a talking set of dentures. The setting is as odd as ''Middens'', though with a more consistent art style for the environments. Originally slated for February 2013, [[ScheduleSlip it didn't release until September]].

What truly sets apart the game from other Yume Nikki fan games (if it can even be called such at this point) are its combat and dialogue systems.

In the case of the former, most fights are initiated by the player and the enemies’ stats are hidden. You could very well challenge a boss that’s completely beyond your power level and not know it until you are already dead, which makes every fight foreboding. Its karma system is unique in that [[AnAesop ALL killing is wrong]], even in self defense (though self defense is less bad), and its impossible ([[GuideDangIt barring the services of one EXTREMELY hard to find character]]) to get rid of the bad karma (called “Nothings”) once you start to collect them. As you accumulate more Nothings, the denizens of the rift will start to treat you differently or become hostile.

[[http://middens.tumblr.com/ Middens]] is an RPG Maker game by indie developer [[http://rpgmaker.net/users/myformerselves/ "myformerselves"]], which originally sprung to life as a {{Yume Nikki}} fan game and quickly evolved into... [[WidgetSeries something else entirely]]. Playing as a figure known only as "The Nomad", who flees his home dimension when [[AllThereInTheManual his beloved culture dies via assimilation]], you find yourself in an area called [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds The Rift]]. The Rift is essentially the scrap yard of universes, where all the dimensions or parts of dimensions that were unwanted or broken are sent to rot. A world of anarchy, every being in The Rift is an immigrant who fled their home dimension, taking a chunk of it with them. [[MindScrew These chunks are held together by the silk of worms known as "Virmis"]], and as a result the game world appears as a mishmash collage of clashing art styles and sources that range from classical paintings to hellish pink Atari sprites.

* ChestMonster: A monster disguises itself as the Love Bus. While the monster looks identical to the Love Bus, it's located where the Bus usually doesn't stop and is facing the wrong way. [[JumpScare It shows its true form and attacks you when you try to enter.]]

* BadassAutomaton: The "Ducky" and other varied bosses. The area boss "Control Core" of the deep factory seems to count.