How to play Gnomewatch

Building and upgrading

• Tap a grass plot beside the path, then pick a tower from the tray at the bottom. Tap the tower again (or the plot) to build it. On a computer, press 1 to 6 and click a plot twice.
• You start with a little gold. Every pest you squash pays gold, and every wave cleared pays a bonus.
• Tap a tower to see its range and upgrade it. Each tower has three tiers, then you choose branch A or B, each with two more tiers.
• Change what a tower aims at: the first pest, the last, the strongest or the closest. Selling gives back 70% of what you spent.

The towers

• Garden Gnome (50 gold): quick pebbles at one pest, hits fliers. Branches: Gnome Marksman (long range, huge armour-piercing hits) or Gnome Gang (several targets at once).
• Hosepipe (70): a little damage and a big slow, ground only. Branches: Pressure Washer (hard-hitting, shoves pests back) or Hard Frost (chills everything in range, the top tier freezes them).
• Compost Lobber (90): lobs muck that splashes a group, ground only. Branches: Muck Spreader (enormous splashes that stun) or Rotten Veg (a stinking puddle that hurts and slows).
• Beehive (80): bees home in, fliers first. Branches: Queen Bee (poison stings that stack and ignore armour) or The Swarm (a cloud of bees).
• Burning Glass (110): a sunbeam that heats up the longer it holds a pest, ignores armour, hits fliers. Branches: Sunbeam (one scorching beam) or Prism (several beams).
• Scarecrow (100): slows pests nearby; upgrades boost the damage of towers around it. Branches: Crow Caller (crows peck anything nearby) or Harvest Festival (a big boost, and pests squashed nearby pay extra).

The pests

• Slugs plod along; rabbits are fast; aphids come in swarms of tiny ones that splash damage clears.
• Wood pigeons fly in a straight line from the gate to the marrow, over the paths. The dotted line on the start screen shows their route.
• Snails and stag beetles are armoured: small hits barely scratch them. Use the Burning Glass, poison, puddles or a Gnome Marksman.
• Mother slugs burst into three sluglings. Moles burrow under the soil for a moment now and then, out of reach.
• Bosses: Old Brock the badger (wave 10), the Rook Baron, who flies and calls in pigeons (wave 15), and the Great Slug (wave 20), who bursts into mother slugs.

Waves and fast-forward

Planning between waves is free: the clock only runs while pests are on the plot. The bar at the bottom shows exactly who is in the next wave, with a New badge for pests you have not met yet. Press Send wave when you are ready, and use the speed button for double or triple speed. Once a wave has fully arrived you can call the next one early for bonus gold and 25 points.

Scoring and stars

Every pest pays gold, and that gold also counts as points. Each wave cleared adds 50 and each wave called early 25. Save the marrow for 500 more and 40 for every life left. You have 20 lives; a boss that gets through costs 8 to 12. Stars: save the marrow (one), with 10 or more lives (two), with 18 or more (three).

Tips

• Build where the path bends or doubles back: a tower there covers two stretches of it.
• Put a Scarecrow in the middle of a cluster of towers so they all get its boost.
• Read the next-wave bar. Fliers coming? Get a Beehive or a Gnome near the dotted flight line.
• A Hosepipe in front of a Compost Lobber keeps pests in the splash zone.
• Calling waves early is risky but scores well on the daily leaderboard.

Frequently asked questions

Is it the same plot for everyone?

Yes. Everyone gets the same paths, the same twist and the same waves. Your towers and timing make the difference.

Can I play more than once?

Your first game each day counts. After it you can replay today unranked, play past days from the calendar, or play the six garden maps and endless mode.

What if I get interrupted?

The game pauses when you switch away, and planning between waves never runs the clock. If the page closes, open it again the same day to carry on.

Is Gnomewatch free?

Yes. It is free, runs in your browser and needs no account.