Choose Guardener
Choose Guardener if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Guardener launched in 2022.
Guardener vs Gnomes
Guardener and Gnomes both land in Strategy, Indie on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam. Guardener (2022) is 3 years older than Gnomes (2025). Gnomes scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Guardener (82.1% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Gnomes
Choose Gnomes if you want a Casual game with Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,327 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Guardener and Gnomes sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Guardener |  Gnomes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.1% positive (56 reviews) | 95.7% positive (1,327 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Sokpop Collective | DYSTOPIAN |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Guardener (2022) is 3 years older than Gnomes (2025).
- Gnomes scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Guardener (82.1% positive).
- Gnomes is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Guardener (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Guardener vs Gnomes — FAQ
- Should I play Guardener or Gnomes first?
- If you want chronology, Guardener (2022) came out before Gnomes (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Guardener and Gnomes similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.