Controls
These are the default controls. Open Settings, then Controls, to see your current bindings.
Move and act
| Action | Default input |
|---|---|
| Move left | A or Left arrow |
| Move right | D or Right arrow |
| Jump | Space |
| Climb up a ladder | W or Up arrow |
| Climb down a ladder | S or Down arrow |
| Aim | Move the pointer |
| Use the selected tool or mounted weapon | Left mouse button |
| Quick build as an Engineer | Right mouse button |
| Use the highlighted nearby interaction | E |
| Hold a shield as a Vanguard | Shift |
| Repair as an Engineer or chant the basic spell as a Channeler | Hold F |
| Quick attack | J |
| Clear debris as an Engineer | R |
Use a nearby object
Look for the highlighted target and its action hint. Interact uses E by default and can be rebound in Controls. It can loot a bag or body, harvest ripe food, collect from a friendly miner, open a friendly station, operate a door, or enter a friendly vehicle. While mounted, it exits the vehicle.
The target must be visible, unobstructed, and within 2 tiles. Vehicle distance is measured to the hull. The nearest eligible target supplies the hint, so move toward the object you want when several are close together.
Press once to use the displayed action, then release before using it again. Opening a station does not buy anything. If the displayed target disappears, that press does not switch to another object. Any class can operate a reachable door. Vertical Door cells operate as pairs counted from the bottom of the column; both leaves must be reachable and clear when closing. See airlocks and sealing.
Use the hotbar
Press 1 through 8, or select a slot, to use the item assigned to it. The hotbar shows your current bindings. Its highlighted border marks the selected item.
The Engineer starts with these items:
| Slot | Default item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dig |
| 2 | Wood |
| 3 | Stone wall |
| 4 | Door |
| 5 | Repair |
| 6–8 | Empty, ready to assign |
Selecting a building material also selects Build. It keeps your current build layer. The small number on a material slot shows how many placements your carried resources can pay for. The placement must still be clear, supported, and within reach.
The Vanguard has Attack and Breach Charge. The Channeler has Cast, Firebolt, and Mend. Equipment and spell requirements still apply. Looting uses the nearby interaction hint.
Arrange an Engineer hotbar
- Press I, or select Edit beside the hotbar.
- Drag a tool or building material from the inventory palette onto a slot.
- Drag one slot onto another to swap them.
- Right-click a slot and select Clear slot to empty it.
- Select Done when you finish.
You can select a palette item, then select a slot, instead of dragging. Drop outside the bar or press Escape to cancel a drag. Your arrangement is saved on this computer. Rearranging items does not spend or create resources.
Use Foreground or Backwall in the Engineer inventory to change layers. B also switches layers. Wood and stone wall support both layers. Doors, beams, and industrial ladders need the foreground layer.
Hold the middle mouse button to open the tool wheel. Point at a tool. Release the button to select it. Release at the centre to keep your current tool. The Engineer wheel has Dig, Build, Miner, Repair, and Clear debris. You can also assign these tools and building materials from Inventory.
Use the left mouse button at the target after you select an item. Tool selection stops held actions; release the controls before you continue. Chat and open menus do not use hotbar shortcuts.
On orbital habitat development maps, O₂ generator appears in the Engineer inventory palette. Assign it to a slot and use the left mouse button on the target cell. It is optional; the five default Engineer items and eight-slot capacity stay the same. There is no extra automatic hotbar item or separate airlock key. Habitat testing limits still apply.
Existing custom bindings are kept. Check the displayed slot labels if your number keys do something different.
Open panels and communicate
| Action | Default input |
|---|---|
| Open inventory | I |
| Open text chat or send the message | Enter |
| Hold to talk | V |
| Open the match menu | Escape |
| Close the chat composer | Escape |
| Show or hide the minimap | M |
Voice must be enabled before you talk. Choose the correct audience.
Change the view
Use the mouse wheel for wide, normal, or close zoom. Hold Control while you scroll for smaller steps. Press Home to restore normal zoom.
Wide view follows your player. Normal and close views also look toward the pointer. Enable Fixed camera in Display settings to follow your player without pointer look-ahead. Near map edges, the camera keeps your whole character clear of the screen edge and interface.
The minimap shows a local region. The rail below it shows that region within the full map. Unknown terrain stays hidden.
Change a binding
- Open Settings, then Controls.
- Find the action by group or use the search field.
- Select a binding and press the new key or mouse button.
- If the input is already used, choose Reassign or Cancel.
Each action can have up to three bindings. You can clear a binding or reset all controls. Escape cancels input capture and remains available for the match menu.
Release held controls before you return from a menu or another app. Focus loss releases movement, tool, and voice input.