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Looking for feedback on Gnomads - a mario kart survivor-like

A topic by Dirk Mystery created Mar 02, 2026 Views: 272 Replies: 6
Viewing posts 1 to 3

Hi folks,

I've been working on a demo of my game Gnomads for awhile and i'm looking for some feedback!
It's a roguelite game where you play a colony of gnomes trying to take back your world that is overrun with monsters. You drive a kart, and shoot guns megabonk / vampire survivors style. There's even a boss that I will keep a secret. I don't know if it's even possible to beat him... but you can try!
 https://papacheech.itch.io/gnomads



Wow looks really great ! 
Sadly no Linux version so i can't try but for what i see well done !

I am launching a steam page soon and it runs natively on linux (since steam deck is supported). I'll send it to you when it's up and you can try it out then!

Linux native would be a linux specific build. So it seems it's more Steam's proton compatibility layer. But sure would try it on steam :)

Really cool concept — combining kart driving with Vampire Survivors-style auto-shooting is something I haven't seen before. The premise of gnomes reclaiming a monster-overrun world from underground gives it a fun, scrappy underdog vibe.


A few thoughts from reading through the page:


The upgrade variety sounds great (guns, rockets, bulldozer builds). One thing that could make or break the roguelite loop is whether each run feels genuinely different. Do the upgrade paths branch enough that you'd build totally different karts between runs? If every run converges to "stack as many guns as possible," that might get stale — but if there are viable melee/ramming builds vs. ranged builds vs. mobility/flight builds, that's a really strong hook.


The terrain hazards (cliffs, bridges) with monsters chasing you is a really nice tension mechanic. Driving games already have spatial challenge, so adding enemy pressure on top should create some chaotic moments. Does the terrain change between runs, or is it a fixed map?


The co-op on one kart (driver + gunner) is a brilliant design choice. That's the kind of feature that makes people share your game with friends. I'd lean into that in your marketing — "play with a friend on one kart" is immediately understandable and appealing.


One suggestion: if you're not already, consider adding a browser-playable demo. A lot of feedback requests on itch.io go untested because people don't want to download. A web build (even stripped-down) would massively increase your play rate.


Looks like you've got a solid foundation. Good luck with the boss — sounds terrifying!

(+1)

Thanks for checking it out!

The hordes get pretty massive - and the game doesn't feel right when there aren't big waves of enemies. But i am working to get a steam page up to run a playtest there - and it runs great on steam deck!

That makes total sense — the horde density IS the core fantasy. Lean into it! Steam Deck support is a great move too, couch co-op on that thing would be perfect for this kind of game. Will definitely wishlist when the Steam page goes up. Good luck with the launch!