- Trollheim: Gnomes resource gathering starts with blueberries and twigs near your shelter
- Small-scale loops beat long trips: short repeatable routes keep your early supplies safe
- Divide roles in co-op: assign gatherers, scouts, and builders for up to 8 players
- Store before exploring: return to base regularly so a death never wipes your stockpile
- Verify recipes at release: the game is pre-Early Access, so exact values may change
Resource Gathering Fundamentals in Trollheim: Gnomes
Resource gathering is the backbone of the survival loop in Trollheim: Gnomes. As a tiny Sprýg gnome in a vast Nordic dark forest, you experience the world at a completely different scale than its giant inhabitants — a fallen twig is building material, a patch of blueberries is a day's food supply. The official Steam page confirms players can gather basics like blueberries and twigs and craft items ranging from arrows to musical instruments.
Because you are small, gathering is less about raw speed and more about route planning, threat awareness, and storage discipline. The forest's Väsen — trolls, faeries, sirens and other folklore creatures — share these spaces, so every gathering trip doubles as a scouting mission.
Trollheim: Gnomes is currently listed as "Coming Soon" on Steam with a planned 12–18 month Early Access period. Specific resource quantities, refresh timers, and recipe costs are not yet finalized publicly — treat early-game priorities in this guide as a strategic framework rather than fixed numbers.
Core Resource Types and Early Priorities
Based on what the developers have publicly described, gathering spans several broad categories. Prioritize them in this order during your first few in-game days.
| Priority | Resource Type | Examples | Primary Use | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food | Blueberries, foraged plants | Hunger management, cooking | Low |
| 2 | Wood | Twigs, branches, timber | Tools, shelter, storage | Low |
| 3 | Stone/Mineral | Rocks, cave deposits | Tool upgrades, construction | Medium |
| 4 | Fibers/Plants | Moss, grasses, herbs | Crafting components, cooking | Low |
| 5 | Rare Materials | Cave and deep-forest finds | Advanced crafting, instruments | High |
Why this order works:
- Food first: hunger is the clock that ends every expedition. Blueberries are confirmed, common, and lightweight.
- Wood second: twigs and branches unlock your first tools and a basic shelter, which protects your stockpile.
- Everything else after: stone and rare materials sit farther from safe zones, often near caves where dangerous Väsen roam.
Food Run
- Focus: Blueberries, edible plants
- Duration: Short, near base
- Goal: 2–3 days of food buffer
- Risk: Low, stay on known paths
Materials Run
- Focus: Twigs, branches, fiber
- Duration: Medium loop
- Goal: First tools + shelter frame
- Risk: Low–medium
Deep Forest Run
- Focus: Minerals, rare finds
- Duration: Group expedition
- Goal: Upgrade materials
- Risk: High, bring supplies
The Dark Forest is designed as a living environment, not a loot corridor. Large creatures are treated by the developers as neighbors, not simple enemies — but a giant neighbor can still be dangerous to a gnome. Never push into unfamiliar woodland without a marked return path.
Step-by-Step: Your First Gathering Loop
Follow this repeatable loop for your opening sessions. It works solo and scales directly to 8-player co-op.
Scout the Immediate Area
Walk a short radius around your spawn point. Note blueberry patches, twig-dense ground, and any landmarks you can navigate by. Do not collect yet — just build a mental (or marked) map of what is within a two-minute walk.
Establish a Foothold
Pick a shelter spot close to your richest confirmed resource clusters. It should offer a clear retreat path and room for storage. Craft a basic shelter and storage area before your first real haul.
Run Your First Food-and-Wood Loop
Collect blueberries and twigs along a fixed circuit: out, gather, back, deposit. Deposit every loop. Repeating a short safe circuit beats one long risky trip every time.
Split Building vs. Survival Stock
Keep two storage intentions from day one — construction materials (wood, stone) and survival supplies (food, fibers). Mixing them slows down crafting decisions later.
Expand the Loop Outward
Once the inner circuit feels safe and stocked, extend it slightly toward new biomes. Treat every new stretch as a scouting trip first: observe creature activity, then gather on the next pass.
Every return trip should end at storage. Players who carry everything lose everything when a forest encounter goes wrong. Depositing each loop is the single highest-impact habit in early gathering.
Co-op Gathering Roles for Groups
With support for up to 8 players, gathering efficiency comes from role division rather than everyone doing the same thing. The developers have emphasized cooperation as a core pillar, so structure your team deliberately.
| Role | Players | Dutries | Key Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatherers | 2–3 | Run food and wood loops, deposit constantly | Sustained supplies |
| Scout | 1 | Mark new routes, watch Väsen activity | Safe expansion intel |
| Builder/Crafter | 1–2 | Manage storage, craft tools, upgrade shelter | Base progression |
| Flexible | Rest | Fill gaps, escort deep-forest runs | Adaptive support |
Co-op gathering rules that hold up in any group:
- Agree on the base location and first-priority materials before anyone leaves the starting area.
- Rotate roles across sessions so no one burns out on gathering duty.
- Deep-forest mineral runs should be group expeditions — never solo early on.
- Keep one shared storage zone so the whole team can see actual stock levels.
In group play, the most common failure is duplicated effort: three players chopping wood while nobody collects food. Name your top two needed materials at the start of each session and check in when either is satisfied.
Gathering Safety in the Dark Forest
Gathering and survival are inseparable in Trollheim. The forest's inhabitants — from curious faeries to enormous trolls — react to your presence, and the developers have been clear that not every large creature is an enemy. Plan encounters with observation first.
| Situation | Recommended Response | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Large creature nearby while gathering | Pause, observe movement direction | Territory behavior matters; retreat is often free |
| Unknown clearing with rich resources | Scout first, gather next trip | Confirm safety before committing |
| Low food on a long loop | Turn back immediately | Hunger ends more runs than combat does |
| Fog/low visibility changes | Follow marked paths home | Disorientation is a small gnome's biggest risk |
| Friendly-seeming Väsen encounter | Keep distance, note behavior | Interaction mechanics may reward patience |
You are tiny. Many of the forest's residents are not. Distance, terrain, and a reliable retreat route are your real defenses during early gathering — treat any encounter you can walk away from as a win.
Early Gathering Milestones
First Week Gathering Goals:
- Secure a 2–3 day blueberry food buffer
- Stock enough twigs and wood for first tools
- Establish a shelter with separate storage zones
- Complete a repeatable short gathering circuit
- Scout one new biome edge as a group
- Complete the first deep-forest group material run
Trollheim Studios plans to iterate with players during a 12–18 month Early Access window. Resource distributions, refresh behavior, and crafting costs may shift between updates — follow the official Steam community hub and announcements for the latest patch information.
Resource Gathering FAQ
Q: What are the first resources to gather in Trollheim: Gnomes?
Blueberries and twigs. Both are confirmed on the official Steam page as gatherable basics: blueberries cover early hunger needs, while twigs and wood unlock your first tools, arrows, and shelter components.
Q: Does resource gathering work differently in co-op?
The mechanics stay the same, but efficiency comes from role division. Assign gatherers, a scout, and builders, keep one shared storage zone, and run deep-forest material trips as group expeditions rather than solo runs.
Q: Are gathering spots dangerous in the Dark Forest?
They can be. The forest is inhabited by Väsen such as trolls, faeries, and sirens, and the developers present them as part of the world rather than simple mobs. Observe any large creature before gathering nearby, and always keep a marked retreat path.
Q: Will resource values and refresh rates change after release?
Possibly. Trollheim: Gnomes is still pre-release with a planned Early Access phase of roughly 12–18 months, so quantities, timers, and recipes may be adjusted during development. Check official Steam announcements for current patch details.