Burglin’ Gnomes looks loose and chaotic at first: you are tiny, the house is huge, and the task list changes from run to run. The trick is that a good run is not about stealing everything you see. It is about reading the High-Gnome’s demands, finishing safe tasks before the house becomes noisy, staging heavy items near exits, and leaving before one risky rescue turns into a full wipe.
This guide is written as a practical tasks, materials, stealth, and survival guide rather than a strict linear walkthrough. Burglin’ Gnomes gives each run a random mix of objectives, so a fixed route would break as soon as your list changes. Use the priority system below to decide what to do first, which tasks to combine, which ones to save for cleanup, and when to stop chasing extra loot.
Quick Run Plan
If you only need the short version, run the house in phases. The exact room order changes, but the decision order should stay consistent.
| Phase | What To Do | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Lobby | Read the whole task list, assign roles, and agree on a retreat call. | A random task list punishes teams that improvise six different plans at once. |
| Entry | Open a reusable window or door route before carrying anything heavy. | An exit route turns steals, materials, and rescues into short jobs instead of panicked tours of the house. |
| Fast checks | Complete nearby low-risk tasks: open, break, flush, steal from a nearby room, or climb if the route is safe. | Early checkmarks give progress before the homeowner, enemies, or tornado timing take control. |
| Carry route | Stage pots, frying pans, metal cans, teacups, and material objects near the exit before hauling them outside. | Staging prevents one player from crossing the whole house slowly while the rest of the team loses track of danger. |
| High-risk route | Attempt only one enemy, shed, gun, Jonathan, firework, or uncertain material task at a time. | These tasks need tools, time, or outdoor movement. Stacking them is how clean runs collapse. |
| Extraction | When the tornado warning appears, stop starting new tasks and cash in what is already complete or staged. | A late rescue or far item can turn one missed reward into a full-team loss. |
How Tasks Work
Burglin’ Gnomes assigns a random set of objectives at the start of a run. Some are simple interaction checks, some require specific rooms, and some require a tool or a risky enemy route. The game also rewards better performance, so returning cleanly with your team alive is usually stronger than finishing one more objective while someone is trapped behind the homeowner.
The most useful habit is to sort the list before entering deeply. Do not treat the first task on the screen as the first task you should do. Treat the list as a route-planning puzzle.
Task Priority Tiers
| Tier | Examples | Best Timing | Do Not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low risk | Open a window, open a drawer, break a small object, flush a small item, steal something beside your exit. | Do these first, especially if they also create an entry or extraction route. | Keep breaking random objects after the checkmark appears. |
| Medium risk | Kitchenware steals, bedroom steals, teacups, canned food, pots, frying pans, metal cans, Clonk, Fraggles, Scrags. | Do these after you have a window, door, or teammate route ready. | Carry heavy items across the house without staging them. |
| High risk | Shed key, fireworks, gun shots, explosions, rats, roaches, Jonathan, bees, uncertain material tests. | Do one at a time, after the team has progress and an exit. | Combine two high-risk tasks in the same minute unless the route is already controlled. |
A task can move tiers depending on your spawn and route. A bedroom steal is easy if you entered through a nearby window. The same task becomes much worse if it sends a slow carrier through the kitchen while the homeowner is already active.
All Common Tasks And How To Complete Them
The table below focuses on the tasks that are consistently described across the task references. The exact spawn can vary, so use the task wording and the in-game checkmark as the final judge.
| Task | How To Complete It | Route Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Break a television | Find the TV in the living room and damage it by jumping on it, throwing objects into it, or using an explosive. | Break it only when the living room route is clear. Noise can pull danger into the room. |
| Break any item | Use a destructible household object such as glassware, a blender, or another fragile item. | Pick something near your exit. Do not smash five extra objects after the task is done. |
| Break a window | Hit a window with a heavy object or use an explosion if the run already supports that risk. | This can double as an entry and loot route, so it is often worth doing early. |
| Open a window fully | Grab the window from the bottom and lift until it is completely open. | Open it before you carry an item. A half-open route wastes time during extraction. |
| Open a drawer or cabinet | Interact with any drawer or cabinet in rooms such as the kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom. | This is a low-risk checkmark if the room is safe. It also helps search for keys, tools, and small loot. |
| Climb on top of the kitchen counter | Use drawers, cabinet doors, and nearby furniture as steps until you reach the counter. | Scout first. The kitchen is useful, but it is also a bad place to panic with sharp objects and the homeowner nearby. |
| Flush an item down the toilet | Bring a small item to the bathroom, put it in the toilet, and use the flush handle. | Use a small object. Dragging a heavy item into the bathroom makes a simple task slow. |
| Put something in the blender | Find the blender in the kitchen, open it, and place an item inside. | Stage the item first, then do the blender interaction quickly. Do not stay in the kitchen to sort inventory. |
| Steal any kitchenware | Take a kitchen item such as a knife, fork, teacup, teapot, cookware, or utensil and get it outside. | Throw it through a window or drop it on the front route so it can be collected. |
| Steal a teacup | Find a teacup in the kitchen, on the stove, or inside cabinets, then move it outside. | Teacups are also useful for fragile-item routes, so avoid breaking the only one before checking tasks. |
| Steal canned food | Search kitchen cabinets and nearby pet-bowl areas, then move the can outside. | Cans can overlap with metal routes, so stage them near your Clonk exit if both tasks appear. |
| Steal cigarettes | Look in kitchen cabinets for a cigarette pack, then steal it or use it if the objective requires that interaction. | Do not split the team outdoors just because the item is small. Finish the nearby route first. |
| Steal any item from the bedroom | Search bedroom drawers, dressers, cabinets, and surfaces for belongings such as perfume, slippers, or small objects. | The bedroom can be very efficient if you entered through a window. If not, send a scout before the carrier. |
| Gather Clonk | Move metal objects outside so they count as gathered material. | Kitchen cans, cookware, metal tools, kettles, toasters, and similar objects are the first places to check. |
| Gather Fraggles | Use fragile household objects such as teacups, plates, teapots, blenders, or other breakable items. | If the task wants gathered material, getting the object outside matters more than admiring it indoors. |
| Gather Scrags | Test scavenged small items such as balls, toy cars, and loose household objects, then move confirmed items outside. | If the checkmark does not update, stop forcing that item and switch to a clearer candidate. |
| Find a way inside the shed | Find the shed key, commonly reported in bedroom furniture, then bring it outside and unlock the shed. | This is high risk because it adds an indoor search plus an outdoor detour. Do easy indoor tasks first. |
| Get Jonathan out of his hut | Find Jonathan’s small hut outside and knock until he comes out. | Send one scout to confirm the outdoor route. Bees, traps, or tornado timing can turn this into a wipe. |
| Get Jonathan to drop his music box | Bring Jonathan out, then create a distraction or wait for a safe opportunity to make him drop it. | Do not have every player chase Jonathan. Keep one player watching the exit. |
| Stab Jonathan with a knife | Bring Jonathan out, find a kitchen knife, and use it on him. | Carry the knife for this one job only. Knives become dangerous during climbing, rescue, and chaotic extraction. |
| Get stung by a bee | Find a beehive, often near outdoor routes, and deliberately get close enough to be stung. | Do this only when the team is ready to leave or regroup. Bees can ruin a carry route. |
| Stab a rat | Find a rat near rat holes or risky routes, then stab it with a knife or similar sharp tool. | Clear space first. Fighting while holding loot is usually worse than delaying the task. |
| Stab a roach with a fork | Bring a fork from a kitchen, dining, or nearby table route, then hit a roach with that specific tool. | Because the required tool is specific, find the fork before chasing the roach. |
| Shoot something | Find the gun, usually by checking drawers or cabinets, then fire it safely. | A gun route can attract trouble. Use it for the task, then decide whether keeping it is worth the risk. |
| Cause an explosion | Use a grenade or another confirmed explosive source when the task calls for an explosion. | Explosions can solve several objectives, but they also create chaos. Do not use one beside teammates or staged loot. |
| Kiss Garden Gnomes | When the task appears, garden gnomes spawn around the property. Grab their cheeks and move your face into position. | Mark these as an outdoor route. Do not mix them with bees, shed key, and late extraction unless the path is clear. |
Best Room Routes
Rooms matter because each one creates a different failure pattern. Treat the house like a set of short routes instead of one big loot box.
| Room Or Area | Useful For | Main Risk | Clean Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Kitchenware, teacups, canned food, forks, knives, blender, Clonk, roach tasks. | Sharp items, heavy carry tasks, small enemies, and homeowner routes can overlap. | Open the nearest exit first, send one carrier, and keep one player on doors or windows. |
| Bathroom | Flush task, small objects, possible plastic-looking objects, drawers, cabinets. | It can become a dead-end rescue room if the homeowner enters. | Use a tiny item for the toilet task, finish the checkmark, and leave. |
| Bedroom | Bedroom steals, possible shed key, small valuables, plastic-looking items. | Players over-search drawers while the route behind them changes. | Enter through or near a window, search high-value spots, then throw items outside. |
| Living room | TV, fragile items, break tasks, quick staging. | The TV task creates noise, and open floor space can expose gnomes. | Break only what the task needs, then move to cover or the exit. |
| Outside | Shed, Jonathan, garden gnomes, bees, staged loot, extraction. | Outdoor tasks split the team and can collide with tornado timing. | Send a scout first, then bring only the players needed for the task. |
Materials And Upgrade Priorities
Materials are easy to waste because the names are playful and the mappings are not always obvious in a live run. The safest rule is simple: check the crafting or Stockpile requirement before entering the house, then farm the material your next useful upgrade actually needs.
| Material | Best Early Clue | Where To Start | Caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clonk | Metal objects. | Kitchen cans, cookware, toaster, kettle, cat bowl, tools, metal-looking household items. | Getting the object outside is the part that usually matters. Holding it indoors may not count. |
| Fraggles | Fragile or breakable objects. | Teacups, plates, teapots, glass containers, blenders, delicate kitchen items. | Do not break the only clear fragile candidate before confirming whether the task wants a steal, gather, or break. |
| Scrags | Scavenged loose objects. | Toys, balls, toy cars, and small household items that look like general salvage. | Object mapping can be run-sensitive. Trust the task update over memory. |
| Plasto | Plastic-looking objects. | Bathroom items, kids’ room toys, bedroom vanity objects, tubs, bottles, covers, containers. | Use obvious plastic first. If the checkmark does not move, stop and test a clearer object. |
| Grabble | Confirmed by crafting references, but exact object routes need in-run verification. | Check the required cost first, then test likely objects near your safe route. | Do not spend the final minute guessing Grabble if a confirmed task is available. |
| Scrapling and Marble | Material names appear in community planning references. | Use the Stockpile or crafting UI to confirm what the current build wants. | Treat these as cautious until your own run confirms the source object. |
For upgrades, spend according to the problem that actually ended your last run. New players often buy carry capacity too early because carrying more feels like progress, but a bigger bag does nothing if the team dies before extraction.
| Failure Point | Upgrade Priority | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You reach tasks but cannot escape. | Movement, route, stamina, or escape tools. | Survival and extraction come before economy. |
| The homeowner detects you too early. | Stealth, noise control, safer route tools. | Less detection means more time for task completion. |
| Teammates keep getting tied, downed, or trapped. | Rescue tools and team support. | A rescue upgrade pays off only if someone can actually reach the victim safely. |
| You survive but leave materials behind. | Carry capacity and hauling support. | This becomes strong once the team already extracts consistently. |
| You need a specific route solved. | Special gear such as mobility or utility equipment. | Buy special tools for a known route problem, not because they look funny. |
How To Use The Slingshot
The Slingshot is a team mobility item from the Well of Creation. The referenced guide lists its cost as two Grabble. After purchase, the player who bought it can equip it on their back. Another player stands behind the Slingshot holder, grabs both sides, pulls back, and launches the gnome who is using it.
The important downside is that the launched player temporarily loses their arms. They grow back after a short time, but that delay matters. Do not launch someone directly into a task that requires grabbing, rescuing, holding a tool, or carrying an object unless the team has planned for the recovery window.
| Good Slingshot Use | Bad Slingshot Use |
|---|---|
| Reaching a high route after the team has already identified the landing spot. | Launching blindly into a room with the homeowner nearby. |
| Moving a scout to open a route from the other side. | Sending the only rescuer away while someone is tied up. |
| Solving a mobility problem when the cost fits your current material plan. | Buying it before movement, stealth, or rescue problems are under control. |
Stealth And Survival Rules
Official descriptions frame Burglin’ Gnomes as co-op chaos built around danger, household items, tasks, crafting, and getting caught. In practice, stealth is less about perfect invisibility and more about not adding new problems while the route is already unstable.
Move Like A Task Team, Not Loot Tourists
- Walk while scouting. Sprint only when escaping or when the route is already clear.
- Carry one heavy item at a time unless the team is staging a relay.
- Leave doors, windows, and drawers in positions that help the next player, not just the current player.
- Use short callouts: room, danger, item, exit. Long arguments cost more than a missed spoon.
- Regroup before high-risk tasks. A solo rat fight, gun route, or shed route can become a rescue emergency.
Handle The Homeowner First
The homeowner is the central pressure source because he can interrupt routes, catch players, and turn an ordinary carry task into a rescue problem. If he gets a gun, treat the run as unstable until the team has a stun, distraction, or safe route to recover control. Do not rush directly at him while carrying loot.
Do Not Trigger Bigger Chaos Casually
Some community survival notes warn that killing or heavily disrupting the old man can create worse pressure, including evil gnome chaos. Because that route depends on build behavior and team readiness, treat it as an advanced choice. Finish safe tasks, close unnecessary routes, and prepare extraction before deliberately escalating the house.
Rescue With Empty Hands
A tied or downed teammate is not a signal for everyone to run into the same room. The clean rescue plan is one rescuer with empty hands, one lookout watching the homeowner route, and the victim leaving immediately after being freed. If the tornado warning is active and the victim is far behind the team, make the hard call early. Late heroic rescues often lose the whole payout.
Respect Small Threats
Rats, roaches, bees, Roomba paths, sharp tools, slippery objects, and fall damage are run-killers because they hit when players are distracted by a larger objective. Fight rats or roaches only when the task requires it or they block the route. For bees, slow down and call the hive before the whole team runs through the outdoor path. For sharp kitchen tools, stop carrying them once the stabbing or tool task is complete.
Co-op Role Plan
Burglin’ Gnomes supports online co-op, and the official site says content creation is permitted while the Steam page describes invading houses with up to five friends. More players means more hands, but also more noise and more wrong-way movement. Give each player a job.
| Role | Job | Best For | Failure To Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | Open routes, check rooms, call danger, and confirm key or tool locations. | Bedroom searches, shed key checks, route planning. | Picking up heavy loot before the route is known. |
| Carrier | Move task items and materials to the exit in stages. | Pots, frying pans, cans, teacups, Clonk, Fraggles, Scrags. | Dragging a heavy item through a danger route alone. |
| Tool player | Handle forks, knives, gun, grenades, firework, or other task tools. | Rat, roach, Jonathan, shoot, explosion, and locked-area jobs. | Keeping a dangerous tool during climbing or rescue. |
| Rescuer | Stay light, watch caught teammates, and free them only when the path is safe. | Fridge, tied player, downed teammate, bad-room recovery. | Starting a rescue without a lookout. |
| Exit caller | Decide when the tornado, homeowner route, or task state means the team should leave. | Greedy groups that always want one more item. | Waiting until the warning is already a disaster. |
Solo players can use the same structure as a checklist: scout first, carry second, tool route third, rescue is replaced by avoiding catch states, and extraction beats greed.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It Hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Doing tasks in screen order. | The random list may put a risky task above several easy checkmarks. | Sort tasks into low, medium, and high risk before moving deeply. |
| Opening a route after grabbing the item. | The carrier becomes slow and vulnerable while trying to solve the exit. | Open the window or door first, then move the item. |
| Testing material guesses for too long. | Uncertain material mapping can consume the whole run. | Use the Stockpile or crafting UI, then test likely items only near a safe route. |
| Turning every tool into a weapon. | Knives, explosives, and guns create friendly-fire, fall, rescue, and noise problems. | Use the tool for the exact task, then return to movement and extraction. |
| Rescuing with the whole team. | One caught player becomes three caught players. | Send one rescuer and one lookout. Everyone else holds the exit or continues safe staging. |
| Ignoring the tornado warning. | The warning is the cutoff point, not a suggestion to start a new locked-area route. | Leave with what is done or staged unless the final task is directly beside the exit. |
Pre-Extraction Checklist
Before leaving, ask these questions quickly:
- Are all low-risk tasks finished?
- Is any staged item one short carry away from the exit?
- Is the next task tool-ready, or would we need to search a new room?
- Is anyone tied, downed, or missing from the route?
- Has the homeowner changed position since the last callout?
- Is the tornado warning active or close enough that a new route is greed?
If the answer makes the next task sound like a new plan instead of a finish, extract. Burglin’ Gnomes rewards funny chaos, but your best runs will come from disciplined chaos: steal what the list asks for, solve the current route, stop adding problems, and get the team home.
Sources & Credits
Official information and screenshots are from the Burglin’ Gnomes Steam page and the official Burglin’ Gnomes site. Task wording, material routing, slingshot notes, and survival cautions were cross-checked against readable community task guides and walkthrough references.