Controls and interface
Use this page as a quick reference while building. The keys below are the defaults; your bindings in Settings may differ. For a first tower, follow Getting started or the Tutorial.
Default keyboard controls
| Action | Default key | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Move the camera | Arrow keys or W/A/S/D | Look around the tower. |
| Pause or resume | Space | Stop time while inspecting or planning. |
| Normal speed | 1 | Run at 1× speed. |
| Fast speed | 2 | Run at 5× speed. |
| Fastest speed | 3 | Run at 10× speed. |
| Query tool | Q | Inspect a room or transport and open its details. |
| Demolish tool | X or Delete | Select demolition; inspect the highlighted target before confirming. |
| Cursor tool | E | Return to ordinary selection. |
| Floor tool | F | Select floor construction. |
| Picker tool | C | Pick the room under the pointer to build more of its type. |
| Summary window | Backtick (`) | Open or close the tower summary. |
| Show/hide interface | F1 | Toggle the game interface. |
| Cancel | Escape | Cancel an active build/demolition interaction or dismiss a supported dialog. |
Tool and time shortcuts are ignored while typing into a text or number field. Click back into the tower before trying them again.
Mouse and trackpad
- Left click: use the selected tool. Drag when the tool supports a range or repeated placements.
- Right-button drag: pan the camera.
- Mouse wheel: zoom in or out.
- Trackpad: supported two-finger pan and pinch gestures move and zoom the view. Adjust their sensitivity in Settings if movement feels too fast.
- Shift while placing rooms: add missing supporting floors automatically. Keep Shift held through release when dragging rooms across multiple floors. The preview includes the added floor costs; see Construction and demolition.
Reading the interface
Use the build palette to choose rooms and transport. The highlighted placement and tool message show whether the current location is usable and how much the action costs. Room query windows expose the room's state, occupants and available controls; the exact controls depend on the room.
The summary window brings together tower-wide information such as Finances, Star rating, market demand and Projects. Use room details and Room evaluation to investigate an individual complaint, then check the matching summary for a tower-wide problem.
Change bindings and settings
Open Settings from the title screen or game menu. The keybinding controls allow up to two bindings per action. Apply your changes; use the reset control to restore defaults. Language, currency, interface scale and trackpad sensitivities are also available there.
If a tool will not work, read its placement message first. Troubleshooting covers missing access, power and service problems.