Quick answer: To score high in Google’s Garden Gnomes Doodle, start the trebuchet, then launch just after the arm passes its highest point. In the air, press Space (or tap) to slam down onto mushrooms and logs for extra bounce and speed, and avoid mud. Pick the big round big “Chunk” gnome: its bounciness is 0.9, far above every other gnome.
By the Gipcus Guides team. Updated November 2026.
Tested by us: the Doodle still runs on its own Google page, and its physics settings show how bouncy each gnome is. We loaded google.com/logos/2018/gnomes/gnomes18.html (HTTP 200) on November 11, 2026 and read its game script: Chunk has a restitution (bounce) value of 0.9, Cookie 0.2, Classic and Granny 0.1, and Arrow 0. How we tested: we opened the page with no Google sign-in, downloaded the game script it loads and pulled each gnome’s physics values from its gnome list.
What is the Google Garden Gnomes game?
Celebrating Garden Gnomes is an interactive Google Doodle from 2018 that honours the clay garden gnomes first made in 19th-century Thuringia, Germany. You use a trebuchet to fling gnomes across a garden. The farther a gnome travels, the more flowers you plant and the higher your score. A short intro shows how gnomes were sculpted, moulded, fired in a kiln and painted; you can skip it.
How do you play Google Garden Gnomes?
- Open the game. Use the standalone page above or the Google Doodles page.
- Start the trebuchet. Press Space or click (tap on mobile). The arm starts to swing.
- Launch. Press again to release. The game tells you “Too early!” or “Too late!” if you miss the window.
- Hit boosts. While the gnome flies, press Space/click again to dive. Dive onto mushrooms and logs to bounce higher or faster.
- Finish the tutorial goal. The first target is “Plant 70m of flowers”. After you reach it the game says “Try out the other gnomes” and opens the gnome picker.
When should you launch the gnome?
Release just after the trebuchet arm passes its top point (around 12 o’clock). Too soon and the gnome drops behind or right in front of the trebuchet; too late and it flies low and flat. Watch the arm, not the gnome, and use the same moment every throw so you can adjust in small steps.
Which gnome is best in Google Garden Gnomes?
There are six gnomes. The game’s physics list gives each one a density (weight), friction and restitution (bounce). Higher bounce keeps a gnome moving after each landing.
| Gnome (game ID) | Bounce | Density | Friction | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chunk (big gnome) | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | Best for distance; bounces off almost everything |
| Cookie | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | Light, a little bouncy |
| Classic (default) | 0.1 | 1 | 0.5 | Heaviest; lands and stops |
| Granny | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | Low bounce, slides a bit more |
| Moustache (“moooosetache”) | 0 (body), 0.3 (top parts) | 0.7 / 0.1 | 0.5 / 0.3 | Mostly dead landings |
| Arrow | 0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | No bounce at all; relies on the launch |
Speedrunners on speedrun.com also say the large red gnome has the best bounce, which matches Chunk’s 0.9 value. Gnome display names above are our labels based on the game IDs.
How do you get a high score in Google Garden Gnomes?
- Use Chunk once it unlocks.
- Dive onto mushrooms. Purple mushrooms bounce higher than red ones. Hit the middle for height, the edge for forward speed (community tip from the gnomes fandom wiki).
- Use logs for speed and save your dive for the top of each bounce, so you come down hardest.
- Avoid mud. Players report heavy mud around 900–1,000m and only mud past about 3,000m, and say butterflies and clouds slow your fall near 1,400–1,500m and 2,400–2,500m (community reports, not checked by us).
Can you get a negative score?
Yes. Players report negative distances by timing a boost onto the log behind the trebuchet (around -28m) so the gnome bounces backwards. Chunk is the gnome that pulls it off most often, per the same speedrun.com thread.
Can you still play the Garden Gnomes Doodle?
Yes. The standalone Google page loaded for us on November 11, 2026, and the game works with keyboard, mouse or touch. Your best score shows as “Best” and you can share it after a throw.
Play similar free on Gipcus
- Flappy Dunk: timing-based flight and bounce.
- Basket Champ: aim and release at the right moment.
- Flappy Copter: one-button timing practice.
More Google Doodle guides: Great Ghoul Duel power-ups, Magic Cat Academy symbols and levels, and our 5-minute browser games hub.
Google Garden Gnomes FAQ
What is the best gnome in Google Garden Gnomes?
Chunk, the big gnome. Its bounce value is 0.9; no other gnome goes above 0.3.
How many gnomes are there?
Six: Classic, Arrow, Moustache, Cookie, Granny and Chunk.
How do you unlock the other gnomes?
Reach the tutorial goal of 70m of flowers. The game then prompts you to try the other gnomes.
What are the controls?
Space or click on a computer, tap on a phone: once to start the trebuchet, once to launch, then again in the air to hit boosts.
When was the Garden Gnomes Doodle?
Google ran Celebrating Garden Gnomes as an interactive Doodle in 2018.
Sources: Google Doodles “Celebrating Garden Gnomes” page; the game page and script (checked November 11, 2026); speedrun.com and fandom community tips (labelled above).
