The Severed Gods Keyboard & Mouse Controls

PC players using keyboard and mouse get the fastest limb targeting in The Severed Gods, which matters when Sever windows on boss fights close in one turn. This page documents default Early Access bindings, rebinding workflow, and practical layouts for the five demo and EA heroes. Pair with Combat: Break & Defend so you know what each input actually triggers.

Default combat bindings

Action	Default key	Notes
Select limb / confirm	Left mouse	Hover highlights Break armor segments
Skill slot 1–4	1, 2, 3, 4	Maps to equipped skills left-to-right
Defend stance	Q	Opens limb guard assignment overlay
End turn	Space	Confirms action queue
Cancel / back	Esc or Right mouse	Clears pending targets
Cycle enemy	Tab	Switches focus in multi-enemy nodes
Intent panel	I	Holds while hovering telegraphs

Exact labels may vary slightly by patch — confirm in Settings after Updates Hub entries.

Defend assignment workflow

Press Q to enter Defend mode. Mouse over your hero’s limbs — head, torso, arms, legs — to allocate guard points matching enemy telegraphs. Right-click clears assignment on a limb. Confirm with Space when allocations match predicted damage.

Multi-hit telegraphs require splitting guard across two limbs; use Tab to preview intent icons documented in Getting Started. Scholar players often Defend last after applying debuffs — reorder skill hotkeys accordingly.

Break and sever targeting

Left-click enemy limbs to queue Break skills on that node. Sever prompts appear when Break thresholds hit zero — a highlighted sever icon replaces the limb bar. Click sever confirm before ending turn or the action is lost.

Boss fights with four sever nodes benefit from mouse precision; compare controller alternatives in Gamepad UI Tips if you miss clicks under pressure.

Camp and map shortcuts

Action	Default key
Open map	M
Camp compare panes	C
Relic details	Shift + click
Reroll draft (if unlocked)	R
Realm of Spirits (menu)	Accessible from main menu only

Meta progression shortcuts are limited in-run — visit Reincarnation & Meta for between-run flow.

Rebinding in Settings

Navigate Settings > Controls > Keyboard. Categories split Combat, UI, and System. Rebind one skill at a time to avoid duplicate conflicts — the game warns on overlaps.

Recommended custom layouts:

• Defensive Swordsman — move Defend to E for pinky access; keep 1–4 skills unchanged.
• Thief burst — map high-cost sever skill to 5 or mouse side button.
• Scholar control — bind debuff preview toggle to middle mouse.

Export Steam cloud handles profile sync between demo (4396000) and EA (3755930) on the same account.

Mouse sensitivity and UI scale

Increase UI scale at 1440p or 4K so limb hitboxes remain generous. Cursor speed is fixed — precision comes from zoom-stable camera on bosses. Enable color-blind telegraph mode if red/green intent colors blur together.

Common input mistakes

• Ending turn before sever confirm registers.
• Defending torso when telegraph icons highlight legs.
• Using Esc which cancels entire action queue mid-combo.
• Forgetting to Tab cycle when two elites taunt different limbs.

Practice fixes in Low zones per Demo Walkthrough routing.

Hardware notes

Any standard two-button mouse works. Extra side buttons help Axeman sever chains but are optional. Mechanical keyboards with N-key rollover prevent missed skill presses when spamming Break combos — not required but comfortable for long EA sessions.

Report binding bugs on Discord with screenshot of Settings screen and build version from Early Access Launch notes.