Nomad Guardians guide

Nomad Guardians is a free puzzle and action game set on the Mongolian steppe. A herder's animals have wandered out, predators are closing in, and you have to draw the path that leads the herd safely home. This guide explains how it works and how to clear the harder levels.

The goal

Each level shows your animals, a fenced corral next to the ger, and whatever stands in between: rocks, wind and hungry predators. Draw a path from your herd to the corral. The animals follow your line and walk home. Save enough of them and the level is complete.

Drawing a good path

• Draw past every animal. Only animals close to your line follow it, so make sure the path passes near each one.
• Mind your ink. Every line uses ink, and ink is limited. Short, smooth lines go a long way.
• Go around rocks. Rocks block the way, and on some levels they move. Soft rings on the ground show obstacles before you draw.
• Draw early on windy levels. Gusts, blizzards and sandstorms push loose animals sideways, but animals already on your path hold their line.
• Collect pickups. Walk your animals over a lightning bolt for a speed boost, or over a shield to block one predator attack.

The predators

The animals that hunt your herd are the real wildlife of Mongolia, and each one behaves differently:

• Wolves are fast and chase the herd. Plan a path that keeps your animals moving.
• Snow leopards stalk quietly, then pounce. Keep the herd moving and away from them.
• Brown bears are slow but charge hard, and they cannot squeeze through narrow gaps. A path through a gap between rocks can keep a bear out.
• Eagles hunt from above. Their shadow marks where they will strike: tap the eagle, or move your animals off the spot.
• Foxes sneak in. Tap a fox to shoo it away. Animals already walking on your path are safe from it.

Boss levels bring an alpha predator that charges in bursts. Dodge its rush and get the herd home.

A journey across Mongolia

The levels travel through the landscapes of Mongolia, and each region has its own mix of predators. The Green Steppe is wolf country, the Altai Foothills bring snow leopards, the Gobi Desert mixes wolves and snow leopards, and the Khangai forests and mountains and the Khuvsgul taiga are home to bears.

Help along the way

• Bankhar, the big Mongolian herding dog, joins you and guards the herd.
• Barn upgrades spend the coins you win on helpers such as more ink per level.
• The daily challenge gives you something new to try every day.
• The lucky toss is a small shagai mini-game: toss the bones and race your horse to 12 steps.

Tips

• Look at the whole level before you draw. Where are the predators, the gaps and the pickups?
• Use gaps that predators cannot fit through, especially against bears.
• On windy levels draw your path right away, before the animals drift.
• If ink runs low, a straighter line with fewer curves usually saves more animals.

Play Nomad Guardians