Hotkeys are grouped by context, and the game switches context on its own: walking, driving and working inside a screen each listen to a different set. Everything below is the default binding. All of them can be reassigned in the settings, and a binding accepts a key combination, not only a single key.
Movement
| Key |
Action |
Notes
|
| W A S D |
Move |
—
|
| Mouse |
Look |
—
|
| Space |
Jump |
Also ascends while flying.
|
| C |
Crouch |
Descends while flying. Crouching also prevents falling off the edge of a block.
|
| Left Shift |
Sprint |
On a boat the same key is the throttle boost.
|
| F |
Change movement mode |
Toggles flight, or uses the steampack or jetpack.
|
| Shift + F |
Switch Creative mode |
Only in a world created in Creative mode.
|
Building and the world
| Key |
Action |
Notes
|
| Left Mouse Button |
Use the item in hand |
Hold to mine with the Multitool. Press to place a block, hold to lay a run of them.
|
| Right Mouse Button |
Open the block |
Opens the interface of the machine or block under the crosshair.
|
| Shift + Right Mouse Button |
Secondary action of the held item |
The Multitool opens its settings this way.
|
| Ctrl + Left Mouse Button |
Take from the block's outputs |
Pulls a machine's finished output straight into your inventory. Cmd on macOS. Works on chests, conveyors and robot arms as well, and takes from outputs only.
|
| Middle Mouse Button |
Recipes of the item under the crosshair |
Opens the recipes that make it and the recipes that use it.
|
| R |
Rotate |
Turns the placement preview. Hold Shift or Alt while rotating to work in another plane.
|
| T |
Use the block in place |
Presses the block's own control without opening it. With no block under the crosshair, gets you into a vehicle you are standing next to.
|
| Q |
Pick block |
Takes the block under the crosshair into your hand: in Creative mode always, otherwise only if you have one in the inventory.
|
| Alt + Q |
Empty hand |
Puts down whatever the cursor is carrying.
|
| G |
Throw item |
—
|
| Y |
Toggle replace mode |
Replaces a block with the one in hand, of the same tier or another, and hides the block face outlines.
|
| Up / Down Arrow |
Raise / lower the build layer |
—
|
| Mouse Wheel |
Vertical offset of the preview |
—
|
| Ctrl + Z |
Undo |
Cmd + Z on macOS. A dragged run of blocks undoes in one press.
|
| Ctrl + Y |
Redo |
Cmd + Y on macOS.
|
| Ctrl + C |
Copy block settings |
Writes the settings of the block under the crosshair to the clipboard.
|
| Ctrl + V |
Paste block settings |
Applies the copied settings to the block under the crosshair.
|
| L |
Toggle flashlight |
Needs a flashlight in the lighting slot.
|
These select a tool directly, without taking a hotbar slot for it. Pressing the same combination again puts the tool away.
| Key |
Tool
|
| Alt + Z |
Multitool
|
| Alt + X |
Screwdriver
|
| Alt + V |
Ground Leveling Tool
|
Hotbar
| Key |
Action |
Notes
|
| 1 – 9, 0 |
Select a hotbar slot |
Selecting the slot you are already holding frees your hands.
|
Interface
| Key |
Opens |
Notes
|
| E |
Inventory |
—
|
| M |
Map |
—
|
| J |
Research |
—
|
| B |
Quest book |
—
|
| X |
Machine input and output icons |
Shows which face of every machine takes a resource and which gives one.
|
| . |
Hide the interface |
For screenshots.
|
| Enter |
Chat |
—
|
| / |
Command console |
The same field as the chat, opened in command mode. See Cheats.
|
| Esc |
Menu, or close the open screen |
—
|
| Backspace |
Back, in the recipe browser |
—
|
| Alt + Backspace |
Forward, in the recipe browser |
—
|
Vehicles
While you are driving, these replace the movement keys.
| Key |
Action
|
| W / S |
Throttle forward / back
|
| A / D |
Steer
|
| Mouse |
Look
|
| Left Shift |
Boost (boat)
|
| Space |
Handbrake
|
| T |
Leave the vehicle
|