Controls & Key Bindings

Movement and Camera

God Save Birmingham uses a third-person camera with direct character movement familiar from action and survival games. WASD moves your survivor through the streets and interiors of medieval Birmingham, while mouse movement controls the camera. Sprint and crouch (or equivalent stamina-aware movement modes) help you escape hordes or slip through barricaded alleys, though exact bindings can be remapped in the options menu when available.

Because the game is physics-driven, movement interacts with objects in the world. You can bump into furniture, knock items off tables, and stumble if you charge into low obstacles. Zombies similarly react to terrain—tripping on fences or low walls—so positioning matters as much as raw speed. See Combat Tips for using environment and physics during fights.

Interaction and Physics Manipulation

Almost every object in God Save Birmingham can be picked up, dragged, stacked, or thrown. Interaction typically uses a primary use / grab key (commonly E or mouse button depending on build) to take hold of items, then additional inputs to rotate, place, or release them. This is central to barricading doors, crafting stations, and improvised weapons.

Placing objects for base defense is covered in depth on our Barricades and Base Building pages. During combat, the same grab mechanics let you swing furniture, hurl wagon wheels, or topple zombies with well-timed throws—mechanics repeatedly shown in alpha and beta gameplay footage.

Tab Inventory

Press Tab to open your inventory grid. Inventory management is tactile: items occupy space, stack where rules allow, and must be physically placed into containers or your character’s carry layout depending on the build. The inventory screen is where you equip weapons, consume food and water, apply bandages, and organize scavenged materials before returning to the streets.

Inventory pressure is a deliberate survival tension. Carrying too much slows you down and makes noise; dropping weight before a long loot run is often wise. Link inventory habits with Survival Needs so you always reserve slots for water, bandages, and a backup melee tool.

J Diary and Journal

Press J to open your diary and journal interface. This ties into the Guide System, which onboarding players through objectives, tutorials, and tracked goals. The journal expanded significantly after alpha feedback, giving clearer direction for newcomers who previously struggled to prioritize hunger, warmth, and infection status.

Use the diary to review active guide steps, revisit completed tutorials, and check narrative or survival notes the game records as you progress. It is the best in-game complement to wiki guides such as the Beginner Survival Guide.

Melee Combat Controls

Melee combat uses mouse buttons for light and heavy attacks, blocks, and weapon-specific actions. After the June 2026 beta tuning, attack animations are faster and more responsive than early alpha builds, but enemies also absorb more damage—timing and stamina matter.

Weapons include blunt tools, scythes, spears, one-handed swords, and halberds, each with different reach and swing arcs detailed on our Weapons page. Some builds support aiming at specific body regions for crippling strikes; see Melee Combat for targeting guidance.

• Primary attack — quick swing or thrust depending on weapon
• Secondary attack / heavy — slower, higher damage or stagger
• Block or parry — weapon-dependent; critical against multiple ghouls
• Shove or kick — create space when cornered indoors

Shout Lure

A dedicated shout input lets you call out to nearby zombies, drawing their attention toward your position. Added ahead of the June 2026 beta, shout lure opens tactical options: pull stragglers away from a loot room, separate a cluster before a hallway fight, or bait enemies into a barricade kill zone.

Shouting is not silent—use it deliberately. Combine shout lure with door latches and physics barricades from our Door Security guide to control engagement pace rather than fighting every ghoul at once.

Remapping and Playtest Caveats

Key bindings may change between playtest builds as UI and quality-of-life features evolve. Always open Settings at the start of a new test to confirm defaults. If you are preparing for a Steam playtest window, read Playtest & Release for access steps and expect occasional control adjustments in patch notes.

God Save Birmingham is PC-only on Steam for the foreseeable future. Controller support, if added later, will be documented here when officially confirmed.