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Proximity Voice Chat

Proximity voice chat is a core mechanic in Burglin' Gnomes. Your microphone is always active by default, and the game uses spatial audio to determine which other players can hear you.

Sound and Distance​

The volume of your voice dictates how far the sound travels in the game world to other gnomes. If you whisper, only players standing immediately next to you will hear it. If you shout, players on the other side of the house will hear you clearly.

Despite popular community myths, there is no empirical evidence that the NPC AI uses microphone input routing to detect player location. The Old Man's detection is tied to in-game actions, not your real-world microphone volume. Proximity chat is strictly for coordinating with your team.

Strategic Communication​

Use proximity chat for tactical coordination, but keep it brief.

  • Callouts: Whisper short, direct callouts. "Owner in kitchen" or "TV secured" is sufficient. Do not engage in lengthy discussions while inside the target location.
  • Coordination: Since you must coordinate High-Gnome tasks, clearly communicate who is focusing on quota completion and who is handling loot staging.

Hardware and Input Routing​

The game's audio input routing is notoriously unstable with specific high-end audio interfaces. Players using Focusrite interfaces coupled with Rode NT1 microphones frequently report total voice broadcast failure. The default Push-to-Talk key ("V") also frequently fails to initialize the broadcast.

If you experience these issues, there is no definitive software patch to universally fix specific interface compatibilities. The primary workarounds are routing your audio through virtual cables or relying on external VoIP programs like Discord as a backup for team communication.