Movement
ControlsA floating joystick appears wherever you touch the left side of the screen.
- Keyboard: arrow keys
- Mouse: hold the left button and the virus heads for the pointer
- Controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, MFi): left stick or d-pad
Move, dodge, let it fire
Run Controls
Controls
You steer and dodge; your virus aims and fires on its own. Play with touch, keyboard, mouse or a game controller.
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Auto-Attack
Auto-aimYour virus fires on its own at the nearest cell it can see.
- Targets hunting cells within 380 points
- Targets unaware cells only within 210 points
- Never fires through tissue
From the Codex
Your virus fires on its own at the nearest cell it can see.
Fun fact: Positioning is your aim: stand where the cell you want is the nearest one in sight.
Auto-Attack & Shot Types in the Codex
Ambush
StealthHitting a cell before it notices you deals 2.5× damage and shows AMBUSH.
- The hit alerts the cell, and it starts hunting you
From the Codex
Hitting a cell before it has noticed you.
Fun fact: Gear, strains and skill nodes can push ambush damage even higher.
Ambush in the Codex
Dash
DodgeA quick burst of movement you can't be hurt during, with a moment of protection after.
- 0.3 s of invulnerability, recharging in about 1 s
- Carries you over abyss pits
- The DASH button darkens while it recharges and wears a bright ring once it's ready
- Dash-burst traits blast the spot you leave; Transcytosis turns it into a teleport
From the Codex
A quick burst of movement.
Fun fact: Dash through attacks rather than away from them. Watch out for thymocytes, which copy your dash.
Dash in the Codex
Signature Ability
Shift buttonYour class's signature ability charges as you kill; tap it when its button lights up with a glowing ring.
- The button reads SHIFT (Influenza A), LATENT (Retrovirus), BLEED (Filovirus) or VARIANT (Halovirus)
- Using it raises Detection
From the Codex
Your three special buttons on the right.
Fun fact: Save the ultimate for bosses and big waves.
Signature, Ultimate & Skill in the CodexUltimate
ULT buttonYour ultimate charges as you hit and kill cells, and glows when ready.
- Pandemic (Influenza A), Integration Surge (Retrovirus), Viral Hemorrhage (Filovirus), Superspreader Event (Halovirus)
- After using it, it can't charge for 3 s; the button counts down
From the Codex
Your three special buttons on the right.
Fun fact: Save the ultimate for bosses and big waves.
Signature, Ultimate & Skill in the CodexKeyboard & Controller Layout
Mac & iPadKeys are laid out like a controller's face buttons.
- Keyboard: Space dash, D signature, W ultimate, A skill, Esc or P pause; right-click also dashes
- Controller default: A dash, B signature, Y ultimate, X skill, Menu pause (remappable in Settings)
Pause Menu
ControlsThe pause button (top right) freezes the run.
- Lists every trait you hold with its combined total
- Lists the current room's boons and drawbacks
- Keeps the briefings for everything you've met this run
