REPO Game Gnome Guide: How to Handle the Gnome Enemy
The Gnome is the most common enemy in R.E.P.O. — a knee-high mob that spawns in swarms and exists to smash your loot. Here is exactly how Gnomes behave, how to kill them, and when you should just run.
Quick Answer
Gnomes in REPO are small enemies with about 20 HP that spawn in groups of 3-5. They need zero strength to pick up, so the fastest kill is to grab one and throw it hard at the floor, a wall, or another Gnome — they shatter on impact. Their own attacks deal very low damage, but they prioritise destroying your valuables and respawn indefinitely on levels that have them. If you are swarmed, jump repeatedly or hide somewhere high and let them lose you rather than fighting forever.
Gnome at a Glance
The numbers and behaviours players ask about most, in one quick reference card.
How to Handle Gnomes in REPO
Five practical methods, from the fastest kill to pure avoidance. Pick the one that fits the swarm size and your lobby.
Grab and throw — the one-hit kill
Gnomes need no strength to pick up. Left-click to grab one, then throw it hard at the floor or a wall — it shatters on impact. This is the cleanest, ammo-free way to clear them and works for every player regardless of upgrades.
Drop one from a height
Pick a Gnome up, raise your view to look straight up, and drop it from as high as you can. The fall kills it instantly. Useful when you do not have room to wind up a proper throw in a tight corridor.
Use a Gnome as a weapon
Hold one Gnome and smash or drop it onto another Gnome — both die on impact. In a pack, one grabbed Gnome can take out several of its friends, which is far faster than chasing each one individually.
Jump when swarmed
If a group has surrounded you, repeatedly jumping makes it much harder for them to land their pickaxe swings. Buy yourself time to grab a Gnome, reach a teammate, or back toward an exit while they whiff their attacks.
Hide or run instead of fighting
On levels with Gnomes, they respawn indefinitely after a short delay — you cannot clear them permanently. Climbing somewhere high, ducking into a cabinet or closable hiding spot, or simply breaking line of sight and leaving is often smarter than an endless brawl.
Why Gnomes Are More Annoying Than Dangerous
Individually a Gnome barely scratches you — its pickaxe swing deals very low damage and a single throw ends it. The real cost is your haul. Gnomes prioritise valuables over players, so an ignored pack will spend the round smashing the loot you came to extract, quietly draining thousands from your payout while you deal with bigger threats.
The second danger is noise and numbers. Because Gnomes respawn endlessly and travel in groups, a drawn-out fight generates a lot of commotion — and some larger monsters in R.E.P.O. react to sound. Getting tunnel-visioned on Gnomes near a sleeping bigger enemy is how a minor nuisance turns into a wipe.
Tip: When a Gnome pack appears near loose valuables, clear the Gnomes fast or move the loot into the cart — every second they survive is money off your extraction total.
Related R.E.P.O. Guides
All Monsters
Full encyclopedia of every R.E.P.O. monster, with the Gnome shown in context against bigger threats.
Baby (Rugrat)
Another loot-wrecking enemy — the Rugrat steals valuables and throws them at you for huge damage.
Valuables & Haul
The items Gnomes love to smash — and how to protect your haul value through a run.
Gnome FAQ
What is the Gnome in REPO game?
The Gnome is the most common enemy in R.E.P.O. — a small, devilish creature in a red cap and blue tunic that spawns in packs of 3-5. It has roughly 20 HP and runs around the map swinging a pickaxe at your valuables and, when it spots you, at you. Its individual damage is low, but its job is to be a persistent swarm that wrecks the loot you are trying to extract.
How do you kill Gnomes in REPO?
The fastest method needs no weapons or strength: pick a Gnome up with left-click and throw it hard at the floor, a wall, or another Gnome — it shatters on impact. You can also raise your view and drop one from a height for an instant kill, or hold one and smash it into the rest of the pack to take out several at once. They die from a single good toss.
Do Gnomes respawn in REPO?
Yes. On any level that has Gnomes, they respawn indefinitely after a short delay, so you cannot permanently clear them. Their numbers can also swell in later levels and during extraction. Because of this, it is usually smarter to kill only the Gnomes threatening your immediate loot and then move on, rather than trying to wipe the whole pack.
How much damage do Gnomes do?
Very little per hit. A single Gnome's pickaxe swing deals low damage, and even when thrown at enemies they only do minor damage. The threat comes from numbers and from what they target: Gnomes go for your valuables first, so a swarm left alone destroys loot value far faster than it hurts your health bar.
What do I do when swarmed by Gnomes?
If a pack surrounds you, jump repeatedly — it makes their swings much harder to land and buys time. From there, either grab one Gnome and use it to smash the others, or break away to somewhere high, a chest, a cabinet, or any closable hiding spot. Since they respawn, escaping and continuing the run usually beats fighting the swarm to the last Gnome.
Why do Gnomes destroy my valuables?
It is their designed behaviour — Gnomes prioritise valuables over players. When a Gnome detects a valid valuable or a nearby player it alerts other Gnomes and swings its pickaxe at the target. Left unchecked, a pack will spend the whole round chipping away at your haul, which is why clearing them near loot or moving valuables into the cart matters so much.
Can I just avoid Gnomes instead of killing them?
Often, yes. Gnomes are slow to corner you if you keep moving and break line of sight. Hiding higher up or inside a closable spot makes them lose track of you, and since they swarm rather than hunt cleverly, simply leaving the area works. Avoidance is frequently the right call given they respawn forever — only fight the ones actively wrecking your loot or blocking your path.