Stonewards Keyboard and Mouse Controls

Keyboard and mouse is the default PC input method for Stonewards on Steam. Banana Tiger Studio built a first-person loop that alternates between aiming down sights on walls, breaking ore nodes at close range, and clicking through forge stations under time pressure. Comfortable bindings reduce the seconds lost between those modes—seconds that matter when horns announce the next wave.

Exact default keys can change between demo patches. Open Settings → Controls after every update and confirm bindings before a serious run. This page describes the standard layout players use in community playtests ahead of Early Access on August 11, 2026.

Core Movement and Camera

Stonewards follows familiar PC first-person conventions:

Action	Typical binding
Move forward / back / strafe	W A S D
Look	Mouse
Jump	Space
Sprint	Left Shift (hold)
Crouch	Left Ctrl or C (if enabled)

Jump upgrades from the forge—super jump stacks—amplify vertical movement. Test jump height after taking mobility upgrades so you do not overshoot wall walkways during Bastion Fallback.

Combat and Interaction

Action	Typical binding
Primary attack / fire	Left mouse button
Aim down sights	Right mouse button (hold or toggle per settings)
Reload	R
Interact / use station	E or F
Weapon swap	1–3 or Mouse wheel
Throwable / ability	Q or G (varies by patch)

Reload discipline separates smooth Wave Defense runs from mid-horn panics. Bind reload somewhere you will not fat-finger while spamming interact at crafting camps.

Mining and Tools

Mining uses the same primary action as melee swings in many sessions—left click on ore nodes while positioned correctly. Some tools or pickaxes may use hold-to-mine; watch the on-screen prompt the first time you break a node in a new patch.

Practical mining tips tied to controls:

• Look down slightly at node hitboxes to avoid mis-clicks on walls in tight tunnels.
• Sprint-cancel toward exit paths once your haul meets thresholds from Ores and Materials.
• Interact with deposit points immediately at the bastion—inventory clutter slows forge phase.

How to Mine Fast covers routing; this page covers input friction.

Forge, Crafting, and UI

Between waves you interact with multiple stations—crafting camp, wall repair, blacksmith forge, recycling camp, chest opener. Most use the same Interact key with contextual prompts.

Action	Typical binding
Interact	E or F
Inventory	Tab or I
Map / objective overlay	M (if enabled)
Ping / mark (co-op)	Middle mouse or Z (varies)

Co-op teams benefit from agreeing on a ping key if available—marking mine exits prevents lost teammates in procedural caves described in Map pages.

Mouse Sensitivity and DPI

Stonewards mixes close-quarters mining with mid-range wall defense. Many players use:

• Moderate sensitivity for consistent tracking along wall walkways.
• Lower ADS multiplier if separate sliders exist—precision matters on primary lanes toward the King.
• Raw input enabled when the option appears, reducing acceleration surprises during horn spikes.

There is no universal perfect cm/360. Adjust until you can reliably head-level track without overshooting gate choke points.

Keybind Recommendations for New Players

If remapping is available, consider:

1. Interact on E — Keeps F free for alternative binds some players prefer for repair tools.
2. Sprint on Shift — Standard muscle memory from other FPS titles.
3. Weapon slots on number keys — Faster than wheel-only swap when switching between mining tool and ranged weapon.
4. Push-to-talk on a side mouse button — If using external voice for How to Co-op in Stonewards.

Avoid binding interact and jump to adjacent keys you mash under stress.

Quality-of-Life Settings

Check these alongside bindings in Settings:

• Invert look — Personal preference; consistency matters more than debate.
• Field of view — Higher FOV helps peripheral awareness on walls; may reduce distant target clarity.
• Head bob / motion blur — Reducing motion sickness keeps focus during long mining segments.
• Subtitles — Useful for horn audio cues if you play without headphones.

Confirm performance meets System Requirements—frame drops feel like input lag.

Solo vs Co-op Input Habits

Solo: Minimize binds that require two hands off movement during horns. You reload, repair, and mine alone—streamlined keys win.

Co-op: Keep interact fast for ore deposit while teammates craft at Ammo and Crafting stations. Call out horn timing even when bindings are perfect.

Controller Alternative

Steam lists full controller support if you prefer gamepads. See Controller for parity notes. Some players mine on keyboard and swap devices between sessions—pick one scheme per run to preserve muscle memory.

Related Pages

• Controls hub — Overview and index.
• Getting Started — First-run setup.
• Builds — Forge stations you will interact with constantly.

Staying Current

Demo updates 0.1.x have adjusted UI prompts and localization. Revisit Settings after patches listed on the Steam community hub. When official bind documentation ships for Early Access, this page will align to it while keeping recommendation notes.