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Gnomes

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2025

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Quick resume

Gnomes is a turn-based tower defense with deep roguelike progression, set in ever-expanding, procedurally generated biomes. Build, farm and defend your village as you push deeper into goblin-infested territory. Unlock powerful upgrades and craft your environment to survive the endless goblin horde

Global score

95/100

Genres

Casual, Indie, Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Arcade, Tactical

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and engaging tower defense mechanics
    • High replayability with randomized runs and daily challenges
    • Creative mazing and strategic placement
    • Charming pixel art and music
    • Fair pricing with no microtransactions

    Cons

    • Lack of mod support and some quality of life features
    • Some rng dependence can be frustrating
    • Limited social or multiplayer features
    • No controller support or zoom functionality
    • Endgame content could be expanded

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Status, Story, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence, Survival. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fellowship.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to place and move gnomes and buildings each round, and choose upgrades and relics, allowing high control over strategy."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game offers a challenging tower defense experience with skillful resource management, mazing, and adapting to random elements."

    • Competition
      2

      "Presence of daily challenges and leaderboards encourages some player comparison, but many play casually at their own pace."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players report long playtimes, habitual play, and high replayability with daily challenges and endless mode."

    • Cooperation
      -4

      "The game is primarily a single-player experience focused on individual strategy and decision-making."

    • Creativity
      5

      "Strong emphasis on creative mazing, building placement, and experimenting with synergies and item combinations."

    • Domination
      -5

      "Interactions are individual and strategic without evidence of exerting control or superiority over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a relaxing, engaging distraction with immersive art and music, escaping real life."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment, with no indication of obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      5

      "High encouragement to try new builds, synergies, and strategies each run due to randomized elements and item variety."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Multiple maps with unique environmental conditions and enemies encourage discovery and adapting to new challenges."

    • Expression
      3

      "Customization of gnome placement and building layouts allows some self-expression, though art style is fixed."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Imaginative setting with gnomes defending against goblins, magic, and whimsical elements create a strong fantasy experience."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Minimal social connection; primarily a solo experience without community or social identity focus."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop skills in strategy, resource management, and game mechanics over many hours of play."

    • Health
      -5

      "Standard sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires active attention and strategic planning each round; not suited for idle or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing; gameplay is individual and task-focused."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; player controls own units without directing others."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate items, relics, and upgrades each run, unlocking new guilds and strategies."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "The game provides a satisfying flow and calming music, though some tension arises from challenging waves."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable pixel art, sound design, and music provide pleasant sensory stimulation without overwhelming intensity."

    • Status
      1

      "Leaderboards and daily challenges offer some recognition, but social status is not a major focus."

    • Story
      -3

      "Minimal narrative focus; gameplay centers on mechanics and strategy rather than immersive story."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Deep strategic gameplay involving resource management, mazing, positioning, and adapting to random elements."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Tension from challenging waves and randomness creates suspense and excitement during play."

    • Value
      5

      "Players report excellent value for price with high replayability and content for the cost."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat against goblins and use of weapons and traps provide enjoyable destruction within a fantasy context."

    • Survival
      4

      "Core gameplay revolves around surviving waves of enemies through strategic defense and resource management."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026