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Everything is an exploration simulation in which an animal, tree, object, planet, sun or galaxy can become the character you control. On the PC version, start with WASD to move, use the mouse or arrow keys to look around, and press E to transform when another form is available. Hold the left mouse button to descend to a smaller level of existence and the right mouse button to ascend. There is no required mission sequence: your progress comes from discovering forms, changing scale and adding inhabitants to your library.
The key list below reflects a PC keyboard-controls guide published on April 23, 2017, rather than a current official manual. Open Options in your installed version before relying on any shortcut, because updates, platform differences or remapping can change a binding.
What you are playing
Everything is an interactive simulation created by David O’Reilly and Double Fine. Its central idea is that every object in the universe can be a playable character. The game can move from ordinary creatures and objects to landmasses, planets, suns and galaxies, then back down through smaller forms. The developer describes the project as a procedural, AI-driven simulation for Windows, macOS and Linux with keyboard, mouse, Xbox-controller and gamepad input.
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Default PC controls
These are the documented keyboard and mouse defaults. Verify each one in the in-game Options screen, especially if you are using a non-US keyboard layout or a build that has been updated since the 2017 guide.
| Action | Default input | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Move | W, A, S, D | Move through the current environment. |
| Sprint | Left Shift | Travel faster while moving. |
| Change view | Mouse wheel or arrow keys | Adjust the viewing direction and inspect the surroundings. |
| Pause | Esc | Pause and access menus such as Options. |
| Transform | E | Change into an available creature, object or other form. |
| Change flock mode | Q | Switch the way a flock behaves or is controlled. |
| Gather flock | G | Call nearby flock members together. |
| Sing | Space | Make the current character sing. |
| Join or make flock | V | Join other compatible forms or create a flock. |
| Release flock members | C | Release members from the current flock. |
| Descend to a lower level | Hold the left mouse button | Move toward a smaller or less complex scale of existence. |
| Ascend to a higher level | Hold the right mouse button | Move toward a larger or more complex scale. |
| Open Mind / see thoughts | M | Open the Mind view and inspect thoughts. |
| Think when the eye is glowing | X | Trigger thinking when the character’s eye indicates it is available. |
| Scale down / up | R / F | Adjust the current form’s scale within its context. |
“Change view” is separate from changing your form. The mouse wheel or arrow keys alter what you see; E, the mouse-button level controls and R/F affect what you inhabit or how it is scaled.
How movement works
Start at the level you are given
Use W, A, S and D to move around the current scene. Hold Left Shift when you want to cover ground more quickly. Use the mouse wheel or arrow keys to look around and identify nearby forms. Movement is intentionally exploratory: there is no route marker telling you which animal, object or astronomical body to find.
Move between levels of existence
Everything treats the world as connected levels of complexity. A small creature can be part of a scene containing trees or land; those larger forms can lead toward planets, suns and galaxies. Holding the left mouse button descends to a lower level, while holding the right mouse button ascends to a higher one according to the documented PC layout. The exact transition depends on the forms available around you, so the control is better understood as changing level than as merely zooming a camera.
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Adjust scale without changing the world level
R scales down and F scales up. Scale is contextual: choosing a planet while you are at street scale can produce a miniature planet in that setting instead of moving the camera until the planet is literally the size of a real planet. This lets you examine a form while keeping the current environment legible.
Changing into another creature or object
Transformation is the main way to make progress. A practical first attempt follows this sequence:
- Explore the current area. Move with WASD and turn the view until you encounter an animal, plant, object or other form that can be inhabited.
- Press E. This is the documented Transform command. If nothing changes, reposition yourself, look for another nearby form or check the current binding in Options.
- Continue moving in the new form. The same movement principles apply, although the setting and available interactions can look very different for a different kind of character.
- Try a level change. Hold the left mouse button to descend or the right mouse button to ascend. Use R or F if you need the current form to be smaller or larger in its surroundings.
- Record the discovery. When a form is inhabited, it is added to the game’s growing library. Previously inhabited forms can be selected again later, so an unusual discovery does not have to be found a second time by chance.
There is no universal “best” transformation. A creature may offer a close view of a landscape; an object may reveal a different part of the same environment; a planet or galaxy changes the scale at which the entire scene is understood. Experimenting is the intended method.
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Getting from a creature to a planet
You do not need to complete a fixed chain of missions to reach a planet. Instead, use the scale controls and available transformations to move upward through the connected levels.
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- Move through the creature’s current environment until you have room to see the surrounding scene.
- Hold the right mouse button to ascend to a higher level. Release it when the view reaches the larger context you want to inspect.
- Look for a larger form that can be inhabited, such as a landmass or planet, and press E when transformation is available.
- Use F to scale up or R to scale down if the new form appears too large or too small for the current context.
- To return toward animals or objects, hold the left mouse button to descend and transform again when a lower-level form is available.
The result may not resemble a literal astronomical camera flight. A planet selected from a much smaller context can appear as a miniature planet, because the game scales forms to the level in which you are playing. That behavior is normal and is part of how Everything keeps multiple scales playable.
Using flocks and social controls
Flocks are groups you can create, join and manage rather than a separate mission system. Press V to join or make a flock, G to gather its members, and C to release members. Q changes flock mode. The controls are useful when you want to observe a group movement pattern instead of steering one isolated form.
Because flock behavior is part of the simulation, give the group time to assemble after pressing Gather. If a command appears to do nothing, check that you are in a form or situation in which a flock can exist, and confirm the key assignment in Options.
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Sing, think and inspect the Mind
Space activates Sing. Singing is an optional way to interact with the simulation and listen to how a scene responds; it is not a required objective. Press M to open Mind and see thoughts. When the eye is glowing, X triggers thinking. These actions are easy to overlook because they do not function like conventional combat or quest buttons, but they support the game’s observational style.
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Keyboard and mouse or a controller?
The developer’s distribution information lists keyboard, mouse, Xbox controller and generic gamepad input for the PC versions. A controller is therefore optional, not a requirement for Steam play. The available evidence establishes compatibility, but does not establish an objective performance winner between input methods.
| Consideration | Keyboard and mouse | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Long movement sessions | WASD and the documented shortcuts are immediately accessible, but some players may prefer a different hand position for extended roaming. | Analog sticks can feel comfortable for continuous movement; comfort depends on the controller and your personal grip. |
| Movement precision | WASD provides digital directional input, while the mouse or arrow keys handle looking around. | Analog movement allows a range of stick positions rather than only an on/off direction. |
| Special actions | E, Q, G, V, C, Space, M, X and R/F are documented directly and easy to test. | Buttons depend on the active controller mapping and the game’s recognized layout, so check Options before assuming a shortcut. |
| What is established | Supported on the listed PC builds. | Xbox controller and gamepad support are listed by the developer; no source establishes a measurable speed or accuracy advantage. |
If you prefer analog movement, connect an Xbox-compatible wireless controller or another supported gamepad before launching or while the game is running, then inspect the game’s input settings. If the game continues to show keyboard prompts, that does not by itself prove the controller is unsupported; verify that the operating system recognizes it and that a controller binding appears in Options.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to verify or change a binding
The published key list is a starting map, not a guarantee for every current installation. Use this procedure whenever a key does not produce the expected result:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Press Esc to pause.
- Open Options from the pause menu.
- Find the keyboard, mouse or controller input section.
- Locate the action by its name, such as Transform, Descend, Ascend, Scale down or Sing.
- Read the displayed binding rather than relying on the 2017 defaults.
- If remapping is offered, assign a key or button that you can press without leaving movement controls, then return to the game and test it in a safe area.
Write down any changed bindings before experimenting with several actions. Transform, level changes and scale controls have different effects, so swapping them accidentally can make the game appear unresponsive when the command is working as assigned.
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Troubleshooting common problems
Pressing E does not transform me
- Check the Options screen for the current Transform binding; the documented default is E, but it may have been remapped.
- Move closer to another form and change your viewing direction. Transformation requires an available form in the current context.
- Try ascending or descending first. A form at another level may not be available until you change scale or viewpoint.
The world only seems to zoom
- Mouse-wheel or arrow-key input changes the view; it is not the same as inhabiting a new form.
- Hold the left mouse button to descend or the right mouse button to ascend, then press E when a new inhabitant is available.
- Use R and F for contextual scale adjustments rather than expecting them to select a different character.
The planet is tiny
This can be expected. A form is scaled to its context, so a planet chosen while you are operating at a much smaller level can appear as a miniature planet. Try F to scale up, or ascend to a larger level before transforming.
A flock command has no visible result
- Confirm that you are in a form and situation that supports a flock.
- Use V to join or make a flock before pressing G to gather members.
- Check Q for flock mode and C for release; a mode change or an empty group can make Gather appear ineffective.
The controller is not responding
- Confirm that the operating system detects the gamepad before opening the game.
- Open Options and look for a controller or gamepad binding.
- Test the keyboard controls to distinguish an input-device problem from a game-state problem.
- If the game displays no controller mapping, use the documented keyboard and mouse controls; controller support is listed, but individual hardware and mappings can differ.
A useful first-hour routine
- Open Options and verify every binding against the table.
- Move through the starting environment with WASD, using the mouse or arrow keys to inspect nearby forms.
- Press E whenever a clearly available form appears, and notice how the new viewpoint changes your understanding of the scene.
- Test both mouse-button level controls: left to descend and right to ascend.
- Use R and F to see how contextual scaling changes the presentation without assuming you have changed worlds.
- Create or join a flock with V, gather it with G, and release members with C.
- Try Space, M and X when you want to listen to or inspect the simulation rather than travel.
- Revisit the library of inhabited forms and select an earlier discovery instead of retracing the entire path.
What counts as progress
Everything’s progression is a record of exploration rather than a score-driven sequence. Inhabited forms are added to a growing library and can be revisited. Moving upward and downward through levels lets you compare the same universe from radically different perspectives, while singing, thinking and flock behavior provide ways to observe rather than simply travel.
That structure also explains why there is no single correct route from an animal to a planet. The simulation is designed so that discovery, transformation and observation are all valid activities. As David O’Reilly put it in coverage reported by PC Gamer, “there’s no wrong way to play it — it’s all designed so you can’t make a mistake.”
Quick Recap
Controls at a glance
- WASD: move.
- Left Shift: sprint.
- Mouse wheel or arrow keys: change view.
- E: transform into an available form.
- Hold left mouse: descend.
- Hold right mouse: ascend.
- R/F: scale down/up.
- Q, G, V, C: change flock mode, gather, join or make a flock, and release members.
- Space, M, X: sing, open Mind, and think when the eye is glowing.
- Esc: pause and reach Options.
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