Controls & Keybindings — Reap and Rush

Reap and Rush uses the familiar top-down action roguelike control scheme: WASD to move, mouse to aim, and left-click (by default) to activate your primary Yin Spell. The game reads intent from cursor position, so keep the mouse on enemies during dense Yaoguai swarms — body blocking matters less than angle. This guide covers default bindings, recommended remaps, controller notes, and accessibility options available at the July 2026 Early Access launch.

Default keyboard and mouse

Action	Default binding
Move	W A S D
Aim	Mouse cursor
Primary attack / Yin Spell	Left mouse button
Secondary ability	Right mouse button
Dodge / dash	Space
Interact (duties, NPCs, doors)	E
Pause / menu	Escape

Hold Shift while moving to walk slowly for precise duty interactions — useful when escorting misplaced gods through narrow halls. Soul pickups magnetize at close range; you rarely need a dedicated loot key early on.

Spell hotkeys and Paper Crafts

Secondary Yin Spells map to Q and R once unlocked mid-run. Paper Crafts sit on number keys 1–4 when collected; they do not share spell cooldowns but do have their own use animations. Cancel a craft wind-up with Escape if you mis-click during a boss phase — a small but lifesaving habit. The Combat Basics Guide explains when to weave crafts between spell cycles versus burning them during invulnerability windows.

Rebinding and Steam Input

Open Settings → Controls from the title screen or pause menu. Rebind dodge first — most deaths in first runs come from Space fatigue on long sessions. Players with MOBA muscle memory often move dodge to mouse side button and interact to F. Steam Input profiles sync across PCs; export yours if you play on desktop and Steam Deck. There is no cloud save for keybinds separate from Steam — back up unusual layouts with screenshots.

Controller support (Early Access)

Gamepad aim uses right stick with optional aim assist sliders. Yin Spells map to face buttons; Paper Crafts to d-pad. Radial menus for element-infused upgrades appear on LB/RB hold. Controller is viable for story duty runs; mouse still wins on highest density biomes where pixel aim matters. Toggle controller glyphs in accessibility settings if tutorials show keyboard prompts.

Menu navigation and underworld ledger

The underworld ledger (meta progression hub) uses standard UI navigation: click or arrow keys + Enter. Envoy selection before a run supports search by element tag — type Fire to filter pyromancer-style starters. After runs, compare stats on the results screen before spending Soul currency; the ledger button is bottom-right. Pair this with the Getting Started Guide for first-run workflow.

Accessibility options

Adjust screen shake, flashing effects, and damage number scale independently. Color-blind presets remap element hues for Fate Stone borders — critical because Metal/Wood/Water/Fire/Earth synergies rely on color coding. Increase text size for duty dialogue; fox spirit cultivation issues pack long tooltips. None of these change combat difficulty — they reduce misread telegraphs.

Practice drill (five minutes)

Load any run, ignore score, and repeat: dodge through a pack, 180° aim, primary spell full clip, craft on cooldown, pick up Souls in a figure-eight. Add duty escort in run two per the Underworld Duties Guide. When muscle memory feels automatic, read How to Beat Bosses for phase-specific movement locks.

Steam Deck and handheld notes

On Steam Deck, enable gyro assist for fine aim during dense Yaoguai packs. Battery saver mode slightly dims screen shake — re-enable shake cues once you learn dodge timing so telegraphs stay readable on a smaller display.