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Gnomes

Gnomes

DYSTOPIAN · released Apr 4, 2025

CasualIndieStrategy

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

88
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Patch 2.1: Technical and Balance Improvements” (4mo ago)

92%
At launch
95%
Steam all-time
n/a
Press
94%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)0
All-time Steam reviews95%90906
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)94%88166
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.6, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 1,811 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Apr 10, 2026) · 166 reviews sampled · 163 total reviews in window · weighted 104.1 up / 6.8 down · computed 5h ago · full methodology →

Patch history

  1. Patch 2.1: Technical and Balance Improvements
    Apr 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Patch 1.3.2: QoL and Bugfixes
    Nov 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  3. Patch 1.3.1: QoL, Performance and Bugfixes
    Aug 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  4. Patch 1.11: Technical Update
    Jul 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  5. Patch 1.1: Hotfix
    Jun 11, 2025
  6. Patch 1.1: QoL and UI Overhaul
    Jun 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  7. Patch 1.03: Hot Fix
    Apr 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  8. 1.0 Patch Notes
    Apr 4, 2025
  9. V0.31: Pre-release content and QoL update
    Mar 31, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  10. NEXTFEST + Update to V0.22
    Feb 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  11. New Content + Relic System Overhaul (Version 0.19)
    Jan 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  12. DEMO: Content Update + Bugfixes (Version 0.17)
    Dec 4, 2024significant · resets scoring window