Gnomes Go Boom is an online multiplayer party game in the action, indie, and casual genres, available on PC. It pits two teams against each other in garden settings filled with ceramic statues, where one side hides as living gnomes and the other hunts with water sprayers. Matches support 2 to 10 players and require an internet connection along with at least one other participant, with no single-player mode or bots available. The core loop revolves around short rounds of hiding and hunting that emphasize stealth, timing, and explosive payoffs.
Gameplay
Players divide into gnomes or gardeners before each match. Gnomes move slowly when walking but can run with arms flailing while making noise that carries across the area. The key tactic involves freezing in place to match the exact pose, shadow, and appearance of the surrounding ceramic statues, making it difficult for gardeners to spot the difference. Gnomes can sneak between cover, freeze when a gardener approaches, and then light a fuse to detonate in a blast that eliminates nearby opponents. Multi-kills and close-range explosions award extra points.
Gardeners operate in first-person view amid hundreds of identical statues. They carry a backpack water sprayer that produces steam when it hits a live gnome, requiring sustained fire to eliminate the target. Water is limited, so spraying statues wastes resources and forces a trip to refill at a water butt while gnomes advance. Paths remain clear of statues, serving as safe zones where any standing gnome stands out immediately. The gardener team wins by surviving until the timer ends.
Each round features a fresh layout of 200 to 300 statues scattered in new positions and orientations, preventing reliance on memory. Player-selected hat and coat colors blend into the crowd for added camouflage. Rounds follow a consistent structure of roughly 20 seconds to hide followed by about 3 minutes of hunting, after which a reveal shows which statues were alive.
Game Modes
Classic mode sets gnomes against gardeners in a direct confrontation. Gnomes succeed if they eliminate every gardener through explosions, while gardeners win if at least one survives the full timer. Infection mode adds a twist where eliminated gardeners return as gnomes, shifting the balance until only one gardener remains.
Two maps provide distinct environments. Backyard includes lawns, flower beds, a pond, and a shed with scattered ornaments. Garden Centre features greenhouses, shelves stocked with gnomes for sale, plant tables, and a yard filled with additional stock. Host settings allow adjustments to map choice, mode, hide and hunt durations, number of rounds, tank size, gnome health, giggle interval, statue density, and room privacy.
Additional Features and Setup
Before matches begin, participants gather in a dressing room to select teams by standing on designated rugs, customize hat and coat colors at the wardrobe, and let the host configure rules. A countdown then starts the round. Online play supports hosting rooms, joining via code, browsing public rooms, quick play, or inviting friends. Text chat, a scoreboard, and a spectator camera are included. Voice chat is not built in at launch, so external options like Discord work for coordinated groups. The game uses mouse and keyboard controls exclusively.
Is It Worth Playing?
Gnomes Go Boom suits players who enjoy short, repeatable multiplayer sessions focused on stealth, deception, and sudden reversals in small to medium groups. The two-team structure and infection variant create shifting dynamics that reward quick thinking and nerve during close encounters. With fresh statue placements each round and host-tunable options, matches stay varied without requiring long commitments. Those seeking casual action with friends or online strangers will find the hide-and-explode loop engaging, while players preferring solo experiences or larger-scale battles may want to look elsewhere. The emphasis on precise timing and resource management in the gardener role adds depth to what starts as a simple premise.
