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Stealth and Crouching

Surviving in Burglin' Gnomes requires understanding visibility and sound. You are a small target, but the environment works against you. The homeowner AI is highly reactive to disturbances, making proper movement essential.

Posture and Movement Mechanics​

Burglin' Gnomes features a complex physics-based movement system. Your movement options include:

  • Standing and Crouching: Standing is your default state. Crouching is mandatory for stealth, drastically reducing footstep noise and allowing you to break line of sight behind low furniture.
  • Sprinting: Generates maximum noise. Reserve sprinting for absolute emergencies, specifically when you are already spotted and need to reach an exit.
  • Climbing: Use vines, counters, and furniture. In the 1.0 release, reliable climbing often requires crafting Glue Gloves.
  • Gliding: Navigate vertical hazards using the craftable glider.
  • Ragdolling: Triggered by environmental hazards or heavy winds. Ragdolling is dangerous and often strips you of your equipped gear.

Using the Environment​

The houses in Burglin' Gnomes are filled with clutter. Use this clutter to your advantage.

  • Shadows: Stick to unlit areas. If a room has a light switch, leave the lights off unless absolutely necessary. You are much harder to spot in the dark.
  • Furniture: Couches are excellent hiding spots. You can crawl underneath many beds and sofas to completely evade the homeowner's line of sight.
  • Distractions: You can throw small objects like cups or books. Throwing an object across the room generates a noise that draws the homeowner's attention away from your actual location. Use this to create an opening when your path to the exit is blocked.

Line of Sight and Detection​

The homeowner, often referred to as Bob or The Old Man, utilizes direct line-of-sight tracking and auditory triggers based on noise budgets.

There is no artificial UI detection meter that slowly fills. Detection is organic and immediate upon sight. Always assume the homeowner can see you if there is no physical object between you and them. Do not rely on distance alone to keep you safe.

The Appliance Threat​

Bob possesses a highly disruptive behavior loop: he will pick up a downed gnome and physically place them inside environmental hazards, specifically microwaves, ovens, and refrigerators. You cannot easily escape from the inside due to the physics engine. Surviving this trap requires a coordinated teammate to open the appliance door from the outside.

The Dead State Interaction Loophole​

When you initiate a complex puzzle interaction, such as turning a rigid valve, the game engine flags your player state as "dead" or "inactive" for the duration of the animation. If you initiate this interaction just before a pursuing enemy is within strike range, the enemy AI fails to register you as a valid target and drops aggro entirely. Exploit this loophole to survive high-pressure extractions.