Gnomes Garden 3: The Thief of Castles (Xbox One, 2018)

Gnomes Garden 3: The Thief of Castles
Original Game by Creobit
Xbox One Port by SPL
Published by 8Floor Games
Released for Xbox One (7/4/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch

The first thing that struck me about Gnomes Garden 3 was the fresh title music. After using that same played-out tune in the first games, this is definitely a step in the right direction. There's also some animation on the title screen, with lightning flashes reflecting off the surroundings and an animated fire flickering from the troll queen's hand. The second entry was very similar to the first game, so seeing even this small improvement makes a good first impression and gives hope that the developers stepped it up this time. Let's take a look at Gnomes Garden 3 and see how it fares.

The story involves the princess returning back to her homeland only to discover that the castle has vanished out of thin air. The warlock from the Great Grey Wastelands possesses an "all-powerful magic" that can shrink anything down to the size of a child's toy. So off you embark on your journey to figure out where the warlock is, which of course involves completing 49 stages filled with various tasks. It's a bit odd how they always act like the princess is such a big part of the action in the story bits, but during the game she's never anywhere to be seen, but I suppose we should just be content they've given us any kind of story at all. Perhaps the player is supposed to be the princess, issuing the commands out to her gnome troops.

The core gameplay is exactly as you remembered it in the previous entries. You collect the same resources: wood, stone, food and crystals. Each building that produces these resources can be upgraded up to 3 times and when upgraded will produce more of whatever resource that building handles. Some stages take away the ability to upgrade your buildings, but we'll come back to that in the next paragraph. Each stage has a time goal in which to be completed and finishing the fastest will get you 3 stars. Overall the difficulty felt much more lax on the time requirements and there weren't any stages that gave me trouble, where the previous games had at least a few stages I had try repeatedly before nailing that 3-star rating. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a heads up that this game is a bit easier than the previous entries.

They've changed a few things up for the third entry of Gnomes Garden. There is a new building on certain stages called the Merrymaker's House. On stages that have the Merrymaker's House, you lose the ability to upgrade your buildings, but now gain the option to send a merrymaker over to one of your production buildings. Once clicked, the merrymaker will enter the building and play music for 20 seconds, increasing the output of whatever resource that building pumps out. You can continue to use this guy as much you'd like. There's also the ability to upgrade the Merrymaker's House, up to 3 levels, to allow multiple merrymakers to occupy several buildings at once. It's a cool feature and part of the reason this game is easier than previous entries.

Another change to the gameplay involves the trolls that occasionally show up to pester you. In previous games, these guys would show up and would temporary stall your workers until you send them away, which required a firefighter. Instead of pestering your workers, in this game the trolls will show up and steal a bundle of resources that you haven't sent a worker to collect. The trolls are still taken care of in the same fashion, which requires having a firefighter available and clicking on the troll to send them over.

Gnomes Garden 3 is another very similar yet enjoyable entry into the franchise. While it is mostly more of the same, it's still a fun little time-killer that doesn't demand a whole lot from the player. There's still the issue of accidentally clicking buildings and upgrading them when you mean to collect the resources, you've just got to be careful where you're clicking sometimes. These games are a bit of a guilty pleasure, they're kind of dumb and super simple but for whatever reason they can be fun in little bursts here and there. They're definitely not something I'll come back to once I beat them, but not something I regret having spent the time playing either. Give it a shot if a simple resource collector and builder sounds like fun.

Final Verdict: Gnomes Garden 3 contains more of the same resource gathering and building that the earlier games had, but it changes a few things and still proves to be an enjoyable little time-killer.

Related Links:
Buy Gnomes Garden 3 - Microsoft Store
Buy Gnomes Garden 3 in 1 Bundle - Microsoft Store
Buy 8Floor Strategic Collection - Microsoft Store
SPL - Developer Official Site
8Floor Games - Twitter
Gnomes Garden 3 - Metacritic
Gnomes Garden 3 - GameFAQs
Gnomes Garden 3 - True Achievements
Gnomes Garden 3 - Xbox Achievements

Gnomes Garden 2 (Xbox One, 2018)

Gnomes Garden 2
Developed by Jerzie/SPL
Published by 8Floor
Released for Xbox One (10/30/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch
File Size: 466.45 MB

Gnomes Garden 2 was originally released for PC back in December 2015, just four months after the first game came out. The versions released for the Xbox One would come out in even quicker succession, with the sequel releasing less than a month after the first game hit the digital storefront.

Gnomes Garden 2 will be instantly familiar to anybody who played the first title, as the gameplay really hasn't changed much this time around. There are a total of 49 levels to play through, with each level taking around 5-10 minutes to complete. Each stage will provide a list of tasks that must be completed and the same 3-star timed rating for each stage has returned from the previous game, adding a little replay value for completionists.

The story involves the gnomes trying to restore their kingdom and thwart the trolls. Trolls will occasionally appear on-screen to slow your workers down, but can be sent packing if you have a fireman handy. If you want a more complete overview of the gameplay, check out the review for the first game here, as the gameplay in the sequel is the same as the first title and I honestly don't feel like repeating all of that again.

The interface is mostly the same as the previous effort, with options that allow you to adjust the volume of the music and sound effects as well as pointer sensitivity. There's really not a whole lot more to say about Gnomes Garden 2. If you enjoyed the first game and simply want more of the same, then by all means check this one out. If you were looking for the franchise to evolve in any way then you will likely be disappointed by the sequel as it is literally just more of the same.

Final Verdict: Gnomes Garden 2 isn't bad, but it does nothing that wasn't done in the first title. If you liked the original game and want more of the same, check this one out.

Related Links:
Buy Gnomes Garden 2 - Microsoft Store
Gnomes Garden - Xbox Overview
8Floor - Twitter
Gnomes Garden 2 - GameFAQs 
Gnomes Garden 2 - True Achievements
Gnomes Garden 2 - Xbox Achievements

Gnomes Garden (Xbox One, 2018)

Gnomes Garden
Developed by SPL/Workroom7
Published by 8Floor
Released for Xbox One (10/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch

Gnomes Garden shares much in common with real-time strategy games, featuring a similar 3/4 overhead perspective view with gameplay primarily consisting of gathering resources and using them to build/upgrade various structures. Unlike most real-time strategy games that feature vast, sprawling maps to explore, each of the scenarios in Gnomes Garden are limited to a single screen. A dry summer has withered up the king's beloved garden and all the other gardens in kingdom. Due to this the king has become ill and the land is in danger, so it's up to the gnome princess and her crew to help save the gardens and make the king better. It's a silly story and is only revealed through occasional text boxes, but it does enough to set up why you're gathering resources and restoring trees.

When you begin a stage in Gnomes Garden, you'll have command over a single worker gnome. You're unable to control the gnomes directly, though you can command them to perform specific actions by clicking on the appropriate spots on the screen. Clicking on a resource or building will send a gnome over to collect or construct what you've commanded them to. Buildings can be upgraded to level 3, which will boost the production of that building. Upgrading a worker house will give you additional worker gnomes (up to 3), allowing you to gather resources faster. Building a mage home will give you access to the sorceresses, who have the ability to deter large gnomes (who block pathways). Sorceresses can also sprout trees on designated dirt plots, though you'll need a fireman to get the tree to bloom (more on this in a bit).

There are four different resources to gather: food, stone, wood and crystals. Food, stone and wood serve as the basic building blocks for most structures and the crystals aid your sorceresses in performing special feats, such as removing a large troll from blocking your path. Certain levels also features trolls that walk around the pathways, slowing down your workers. The trolls will stay on the screen disrupting your workers until you've constructed a firehouse. The firehouse allows you to command the fireman to dismiss these annoying trolls. The firemen will also be used to water the trees that the sorceress can sprout, which means growing the trees are a 2-part process requiring both classes.

Gnomes Garden features 49 levels that cover four different terrains. On each stage you can earn up to a 3-star rating, which is rewarded for completing that stage within a certain time. Gameplay remains the same as you progress, though the game does mix it up occasionally by throwing in new structures to build like teleporters and signal fires. You'll have to use your worker, fireman and sorceress gnomes frequently, especially in later levels. Objectives are typically varied enough that no 2 levels feel exactly the same, though they are all undeniably a bit similar.

As you progress through the game, you will start to unlock special abilities. There are 3 of these in total, which can be used as often as you like, though their use is limited due to a cooldown between usage. The first ability you'll gain will speed up your workers, allowing them to zip around and gather resources faster for a limited time. The second ability allows you to speed up the building process, shaving valuable seconds off the time it takes to construct a new building. The third and final ability allows you to stop the clock for a brief period, making it a bit easier to finish certain stages in time to get a 3-star rating.

Gnomes Garden is a bit limited in the music department, as there's only one song that plays throughout the entirety of the game. While the song isn't terrible, you'll certainly grow tired of hearing it play endlessly and will want to put on your own soundtrack if you play through the whole game. There's not much as far as sound design is concerned, just the basic sounds you'd expect for stuff like chopping wood. There are helpful sound cues that indicate your special ability is charged or that a troll has wandered on-screen, so muting the game to listen to something else comes with a bit of a cost. There's an options menu that allows you to adjust the sound/music volumes and pointer sensitivity. While everything in Gnomes Garden is a bit small, the graphics are detailed enough that it's never difficult to tell what you're looking at. Presentation-wise, the game leaves a bit to be desired in the music/sound department but does okay when it comes to the graphics and menus.

Gnomes Garden isn't bad for what it is, which is a very linear resource management and building game. It's definitely something that wouldn't feel out of place on your cellphone, so if you'd like something you can pick up and play in short bursts you might like this one. There's something relaxing about the game and I enjoyed playing through it, but it's not something I'd ever come back to. There's also a little bit of challenge and replay incentive with the 3-star rating, plus the game sells for the meager price of $4.99.

Final Verdict: Gnomes Garden is a short and simple game where you gather resources, construct buildings and restore trees. While a bit basic, the game is fun for what it is.

Related Links:
Buy Gnomes Garden - Microsoft Store
Gnomes Garden - GameFAQs
Gnomes Garden - True Achievements
Gnomes Garden Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements