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Gnomes guide: how the Steam tower defense roguelike works

By the GnomeGames.Net editors. Updated .

Gnomes is a turn-based tower defense game with roguelike runs, made by the small studio DYSTOPIAN. You guard a gnome village garden from goblins, one day and one night at a time. This guide explains how a run works, what guilds, relics and crops do, and some strategy ideas for your first runs.

Developer
DYSTOPIAN, a two-person team from Australia
Publisher
DYSTOPIAN and Gamersky Games
Released
April 4, 2025
Platforms
Windows 10 and 11 on Steam
Price
$9.99, often on sale, plus a free demo
Players
Single-player, with Steam leaderboards
Reviews
Very Positive, 94% of about 1,800 Steam reviews

On this page

  1. What kind of game is Gnomes?
  2. How a run works
  3. Guilds
  4. Relics, crops, tools and buildings
  5. Biomes and the expanding map
  6. Endless mode
  7. Strategy tips for your first runs
  8. Mac, Linux and Steam Deck
  9. Games like Gnomes
  10. FAQ

What kind of game is Gnomes?

Gnomes mixes three genres. From tower defense it takes waves of enemies marching toward something you have to protect. From roguelikes it takes runs that start fresh each time, with random upgrades and maps, so no two runs play the same. It also has a light farming and village layer, because the crops you grow pay for everything else.

What makes it different from most tower defense games is that it’s turn-based. Nothing happens until you’re ready. During your turn you can move your gnomes around as often as you like, so you’re always solving a small puzzle: where does each gnome need to stand tonight? The developers built it with no budget, and it became a surprise hit. PC Gamer reported more than 10,000 sales within weeks of launch.

How a run works

Each run follows the same rhythm:

  1. Day. You deploy and move your gnomes, plant and tend crops, and get your defenses ready. You can reposition as much as you want before you end the turn.
  2. Night. Goblins attack. Your gnomes fight from where you placed them, and plant abilities and relics trigger.
  3. Rewards. If you survive, you earn gold and get a chance to buy upgrades. The upgrades on offer are dealt at random.
  4. The map grows. Every day the map pushes further into goblin territory, revealing new resources and new threats.
  5. The goblin king. Survive long enough and you face the goblin king. Beat him and the run is a win.

One reviewer at Rogueliker described runs as short and snappy, at 16 rounds. The game’s itch.io page puts a typical session at about half an hour. That length makes it easy to play “just one more run.”

Guilds

Before a run you pick a guild. Each guild gives you a different type of gnome, its own starting economy and a relic that changes how the game plays. Some guilds handle certain maps easily and struggle on others. That’s on purpose: switching guilds is the main way to change your strategy between runs. You unlock more maps and guilds as you play.

Relics, crops, tools and buildings

Your power in a run comes from four kinds of upgrades that work together:

  • Crops and plants are your economy. Some plants also have abilities that help in a fight.
  • Relics are passive effects, and some change the map itself. PC Gamer’s writer found one that turned every spot where a gnome had stood into fertile soil by the next round, ready for new crops.
  • Tools and buildings add more ways to defend and to boost your gnomes.

The fun is in the combinations. One upgrade on its own may look weak, but next to the right relic or crop it can carry a whole run.

Biomes and the expanding map

Maps are generated fresh for each run and split into biomes. Each biome has its own environment, its own enemies, hazards and resources. Because the map gets bigger every day, a layout that held on day two may leave gaps on day six. Gnome placement also shapes the paths goblins take, so where you stand matters for blocking as well as for damage.

Endless mode

Once you’ve beaten the goblin king, you can keep a run going in endless mode. The nightly waves keep getting harder until your defense breaks. It’s the best place to test how far a strong build can go, and it’s what the Steam leaderboards are for.

Strategy tips for your first runs

These are general ideas from how the game’s systems fit together, not exact numbers. Use them as a starting point and adjust for your guild.

  • Build your economy early. Crops pay for everything else, so a small investment in the first days is usually worth more than a quick upgrade you can only use once.
  • Use your free movement. You can move gnomes as often as you like on your turn. Before you end every day, look at where tonight’s goblins will come from and reposition.
  • Pick a plan once you see your first offers. Upgrades are random, so you can’t force one exact build. After a couple of shops, choose the direction your relics point to and stop buying things that don’t fit.
  • Think a few days ahead. The map grows every day. Save some gold or flexibility for the new edge, rather than spending everything to make today’s defense perfect.
  • Treat placement as terrain. Your gnomes change the routes goblins take. A well-placed gnome can protect a whole row of crops by sending enemies the long way around.
  • Switch guilds after a loss. If one guild keeps stalling on a map, another guild’s starting relic may handle it easily.

Mac, Linux and Steam Deck

Officially, Gnomes is a Windows game, and Steam lists only Windows 10 and 11 requirements. There’s no native Mac or Linux version. GamingOnLinux tested it through Proton on Linux soon after launch and said it worked perfectly. They also listed it as Playable on Steam Deck at that time. Check the Steam page for the current Deck rating before you buy.

Games like Gnomes

If you finish a few runs and want more, try these:

  • (the) Gnorp Apologue, an incremental strategy game that Steam sells in a bundle with Gnomes.
  • Burglin’ Gnomes, if you’d rather play gnomes with friends. Steam bundles it with Gnomes too.
  • Tiny Rogues, another small roguelike in a Steam bundle with Gnomes.

For more, see our full list of the best gnome games.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gnomes multiplayer?

No. Gnomes is a single-player game. It has Steam leaderboards, so you can compare scores with other players.

Is there a Gnomes demo?

Yes. A free Gnomes demo is available on its Steam page, so you can try a run before you buy.

How long is a run in Gnomes?

A typical session is about half an hour, according to the developer’s itch.io page. A run is a set number of day and night rounds that ends with the goblin king, and endless mode lets you keep going after that.

How much does Gnomes cost?

The regular US price on Steam is $9.99. It’s often on sale, and Steam also sells it in bundles with Burglin’ Gnomes, (the) Gnorp Apologue and Tiny Rogues.

Who made Gnomes?

Gnomes was made by DYSTOPIAN, a two-person team of Australian developers. It’s published by DYSTOPIAN with Gamersky Games.

Sources