Abe's mission is to free his fellow Mudokons from slave labor, who are being used by the Glukkons to dig up bones of their ancestors. The Glukkons use these bones to make Soul Storm Brew. Abe must communicate with the Mudokons using limited vocabulary, directing them to their freedom. As enough slaves are saved in a level, Abe progresses to the next level, repeating the process.
The gameplay is similar to other Oddworld games, requiring strategic command usage to guide the Mudokons. The game features both an easy option and normal mode, with infinite lives allowing players to experiment with different approaches.