Here are the default keyboard and mouse controls listed for Half Sword, plus what each input does. The mouse directs your weapon arm, so attacks depend on how you move it—not just which button you press. Because the game is in Early Access and some published mappings conflict, check Options → Controls → Key Binds in your build if an input behaves differently.
Default Half Sword keyboard and mouse controls
| Input | Listed action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| W / A / S / D | Move | Move forward, left, backward, or right. A player guide also describes moving with Shift as a way to strafe or dodge, but that is player advice rather than an official control description. |
| Left Shift | Run | Run. The same player guide says combining Shift with WASD can strafe or dodge and drains stamina. |
| Left Ctrl | Crouch | Crouch; the player guide describes this as useful for kneeling or reaching low. |
| LMB | Right Hand Swing | Control a swing with the right arm. Dragging the mouse while holding the button is how the player guide describes directing it. |
| RMB | Left Hand Swing | Control a swing with the left arm. Double-click RMB is also listed as a thrust input. |
| E | Right Hand Grab | Grab with the right hand. Holding E is listed as Sheathe Right. |
| Q | Left Hand Grab | Grab with the left hand. Holding Q is listed as Sheathe Left. |
| RMB double-click | Thrust | Perform the listed thrust input. The player guide describes a double-click-and-hold gesture with either mouse button as another way to enter thrust mode; treat that detail as player guidance. |
| Left Alt | Thrust Mode | Enter thrust mode. The player guide says holding Alt straightens the weapon and sliding a mouse button extends it. |
| X | Swap Hands | Change which hand holds the weapon, according to the player guide. |
| R | Inventory | Open the inventory or weapon wheel, as described by the player guide. An extracted configuration-file mapping instead assigns R to Restart, so verify the in-game binding. |
| F | Arrow Time | Toggle slowed time, according to the player guide, which also says it drains stamina. |
| Z | Lock on Target | Focus on the closest enemy, according to the player guide. |
| V | Switch View | Switch perspective; the player guide says this changes to first-person view. |
| G | Give Up | The control reference shows the HUD prompt “Hold G to give up”; the player guide says holding it for several seconds surrenders. |
| C | Photo Mode | Open photo mode in the visible controls list. The extracted configuration-file mapping instead lists P, and the reference says both may work. |
The controls reference lists LMB as the right-hand swing and RMB as the left-hand swing: the two buttons control different arms. E and Q likewise map to right- and left-hand grabs, with holding those keys assigned to sheathing the corresponding side.
How mouse-driven combat works
Half Sword Games describes the game as physics-driven combat: bodies, limbs, and weapons are simulated, so momentum, weight, and balance matter. The mouse drives the blade directly; moving it shapes the weapon’s path rather than triggering only a canned attack animation. As the developer puts it, “Every swing is yours to control.”
Extra controls reported from configuration data
The unofficial controls reference combines 18 bindings shown in the game’s keybind screen with 11 additional entries extracted from configuration data. Those additional entries are not equivalent to confirmed, screen-visible defaults:
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| Input | Configuration-data action | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Jump | Configuration-file entry; not established here as a visible default. |
| Esc | Pause | Configuration-file entry. |
| P | Photo mode | Conflicts with C, which appears as Photo Mode in the visible controls list. |
| R | Restart | Conflicts with R for Inventory in the visible list. |
| Mouse X / Y | Turn / look | Configuration-file entries. |
| Gamepad left stick | Movement | Configuration-file entry; a current in-game controller mapping is not established by the visible keyboard-and-mouse list. |
| Gamepad right stick | Turn / look | Configuration-file entry. |
| Gamepad left / right bumpers | Left / right grabs | Configuration-file entries. |
| Gamepad left / right triggers | Left / right arm control | Configuration-file entries. |
| Gamepad X | Swap hands | Configuration-file entry. |
| Gamepad A | Jump | Configuration-file entry. |
| Gamepad stick clicks | Crouch / thrust mode | Configuration-file entries. |
The reference also reports a configuration-file Gallery action for G, while the visible control list assigns G to Give Up. The listed keyboard-and-mouse defaults are cross-checked by Destructoid’s January 30, 2026 guide; the extra mappings and conflicts should be treated as configuration-data findings, not guaranteed controls for every build.
Change or verify a key binding
- Open Options.
- Select Controls, then Key Binds.
- Select the action you want to change and press the replacement key or button.
- Save the change. Destructoid’s guide also mentions a shortcut for inverting mouse input.
Why older control guides may differ
The developer’s Steam FAQ says Half Sword entered Early Access on January 30, 2026 and notes that earlier builds tested different mechanics. Half Sword Games describes the game as experimental and says player feedback informs ongoing development. Older demo instructions and configuration extracts therefore may not match the bindings currently shown in your build.
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