The gesture in Gnaughty Gnomes (Devlog 5)

[p]Hello all! [/p][p]We’re Sand Castles, the team behind Gnaughty Gnomes. Today we want to tell you the story of how one of our core mechanics started as a silly little joke and ended up becoming a key part of the gameplay: the gesture (or emote, or taunt, you’ll see why).[/p][p][/p][h2]It all started with a laugh[/h2][p]Early in development, we had a funny thought: ''What if the gnomes could taunt each other?''
It seemed like a goofy, charming little detail. Why not throw in a fun animation that lets gnomes mock their opponents? Nothing fancy. Just a laugh, a gesture, a cheeky way to say, “Hey, I’m winning!”[/p][p][/p][h2]From joke to core mechanic[/h2][p]The beauty of game development is how a small idea can suddenly open the door to something much bigger. And that’s exactly what happened with our little taunt.[/p][p]We started asking ourselves: ''What if certain upgrades in the game could modify the effects of your gesture?''[/p][p]That changed everything.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Suddenly, that silly little animation wasn’t just for laughs, it became a strategic tool, a gameplay element, a core mechanic. Depending on the upgrades you unlock, your taunt can do things like:[/p]

• [p]Spawn objects out of nowhere[/p]
• [p]Slow down your enemies[/p]
• [p]Reverse their controls[/p]
• [p]Deal emotional (and physical) damage[/p]
• [p]Even… call a taxi? (Don’t ask why. Or do. Just not yet.)[/p]

[p]And here’s the kicker: if you manage to get a specific gesture upgrade, you can trigger all those effects at once. Yep. Total chaos.[/p][p][/p][h2]From laughs to tactical mayhem[/h2][p]What started out as an internal joke became one of the most important tools in this chaotic party brawler. We love how something as simple as a taunt turned into a source of pure fun, strategy, and absolute nonsense. Then again, that’s kind of how we roll when we make games.[/p][p]Try the game demo and don’t forget to wishlist Gnaughty Gnomes if you liked it!
You can also follow us on social media to stay updated on all things gnome-related.[/p][p]And remember: If a gnome starts taunting you… they just might be about to break the game.[/p][p]See you soon![/p]