Everything is an open-ended simulation in which almost anything you encounter can become the character you control. On PC, start with W, A, S and D to move, press E to transform into an available creature or object, and use the mouse buttons to move between levels of scale. You are not following a mission chain: the main activity is discovering forms, changing scale, listening, singing and observing how the simulated universe connects.
The key list below reflects an independent PC guide published on April 23, 2017. Treat it as a useful starting map, then open the current game’s Options screen to confirm or remap controls for your build.
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What Everything is and what you are trying to do
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. That can mean an animal or tree at ground level, a rock or other everyday object, a group of creatures moving as a flock, or an astronomical body such as a planet, sun or galaxy.
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The developer describes it as a procedural, AI-driven simulation. The developer’s distribution page lists Windows, macOS and Linux versions with keyboard, mouse, Xbox controller and gamepad input. The developer’s itch.io build is dated April 21, 2017. A Steam Community description, accessed in 2026, calls it an experience with thousands of playable characters.
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There is no required mission order or enforced task list. Your practical objective is simply to explore the current environment, notice another form, inhabit it, and move through the connected levels of existence. Creator David O’Reilly told PC Gamer that there is no wrong way to play because the design does not let you make a mistake. That makes the controls less about winning a fight or completing a checklist and more about navigating the simulation without losing your sense of scale.
Default keyboard and mouse controls on PC
These are the documented defaults from the April 2017 PC keyboard-controls guide. Updates, platform builds or personal remapping can change them, so check Options in your copy before treating any key as permanent.
| Action | Default input |
|---|---|
| Move | W, A, S, D |
| Sprint | Left Shift |
| Change view | Mouse wheel or arrow keys |
| Pause | Esc |
| Transform | E |
| Change flock mode | Q |
| Gather flock | G |
| Sing | Space |
| Join or make flock | V |
| Release flock members | C |
| Descend to a lower level | Hold the left mouse button |
| Ascend to a higher level | Hold the right mouse button |
| Open Mind or see thoughts | M |
| Think when the eye is glowing | X |
| Scale down | R |
| Scale up | F |
The table separates movement, view, transformation, flock behavior, communication and scale because they answer different problems. If your character is moving but you cannot change what you inhabit, you need E, not a view command. If you are trying to reach another level of existence, the held mouse buttons and scale keys are the relevant controls.
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1. Start with ordinary movement
Use W, A, S and D to move through the environment. Hold Left Shift when you want to sprint. Movement is the foundation for finding another form: travel until an animal, object or other inhabitant becomes available, rather than expecting a conventional level marker or quest prompt.
2. Adjust your view
Use the mouse wheel or the arrow keys to change the view. A changed view can make a nearby form, group or route easier to notice. If the camera feels wrong, pause with Esc and verify the view assignment in Options before changing other controls.
3. Treat sound and observation as valid play
Press Space to sing. Use M to open Mind and see thoughts, then X to think when the eye is glowing. These are not combat abilities or mission requirements; they are ways to listen to and interpret the simulation while you are exploring.
How transforming into creatures and objects works
Find a form you can inhabit
Move through the current environment until a different inhabitant is available. Everything’s progression is discovery-based: you identify something in the world, then use the transformation control to make it your current character. The available choice depends on where you are and what the simulation has placed around you.
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Press Transform
Press E to transform into the available form. Transformation is not a permanent class selection. It changes what you control so that you can experience the world from another creature’s, object’s or group’s scale and behavior.
Use the new form before changing scale again
After transforming, move around with the same basic navigation controls and observe how the new form fits its surroundings. A small creature, a tree, a rock and a larger body can all expose different routes through the same connected universe. There is no required sequence, so remain at the current level if you want to watch or listen rather than immediately move upward or downward.
Return to forms you have already found
When you inhabit a form, it is added to the game’s growing library. Previously inhabited forms can be selected again later, allowing you to revisit an earlier creature or object without treating the first discovery as a one-time event. The library is therefore a record of what you have experienced, not a conventional inventory of weapons or equipment.
Moving between creatures, objects, planets and galaxies
Think of the world as linked levels of existence rather than one enormous map. Contemporary coverage describes movement through levels that can include bugs and trees, landmasses, planets, suns and galaxies. The game lets you move up and down those levels and inhabit the things that belong to them.
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Descend to a lower level
Hold the left mouse button to descend. In practical terms, this moves you toward a smaller or more local level of existence: from a larger body toward land, vegetation, animals or objects. Keep holding while the transition is taking place, and release when you reach the level you want to explore.
Ascend to a higher level
Hold the right mouse button to ascend. This moves outward toward a broader level, such as a landmass, planet, sun or galaxy. The control is about changing the scale of the world around your current form, not simply rotating the camera.
Use the scale keys for smaller adjustments
Press R to scale down and F to scale up. These controls are useful when the jump between adjacent levels feels too large or when you want to adjust the size of the current form within its context. They complement, rather than replace, the held left- and right-mouse transitions.
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Why a planet may look miniature
A selected form is scaled to the context in which you select it. If you are at street scale and choose a planet, the game can present a miniature planet rather than moving the camera to literal planetary size. That is an intentional way to keep the form playable and connected to the current level; it does not mean the transformation failed.
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A reliable exploration loop
- Move through the current environment. Use
W,A,SandD, with LeftShiftfor sprinting, until you notice another inhabitant or a useful change in the surroundings. - Change your view if you need a better angle. Use the mouse wheel or arrow keys to inspect the area without confusing camera movement with movement through the world.
- Transform. Press
Ewhen a new creature, object or other form is available. - Explore the new form. Walk, observe, sing with
Space, or open Mind withMwhen you want to examine thoughts. - Choose a scale direction. Hold the left mouse button to descend toward a lower level or the right mouse button to ascend toward a higher one. Use
RandFfor scale adjustments. - Record the discovery naturally. Inhabited forms are added to the library and can be selected again later.
- Repeat only when curiosity leads you. Nothing requires you to climb from a creature to a planet or continue all the way to a galaxy in one uninterrupted sequence.
Flocks and group behavior
Everything does not limit you to solitary characters. Groups such as flocks can be controlled as part of the simulation. The documented defaults assign Q to changing flock mode, G to gathering the flock, V to joining or making a flock, and C to releasing flock members.
Join or make a flock
Press V when you want to join or make a flock. The exact result depends on the situation and the forms present around you. Think of it as changing from an individual perspective to a group relationship, not as recruiting a permanent party for combat.
Change flock mode and gather members
Use Q to change flock mode and G to gather the flock. These controls help you manage how the group behaves while you continue moving through the current level.
Release members
Press C to release flock members when you want to return to a less collective arrangement. If a key does not produce the expected result, pause and verify the assignment in Options, since the published list is not an official current manual.
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The non-movement controls give the simulation its reflective character. Space activates singing. M opens Mind or shows thoughts, while X makes you think when the eye is glowing. These actions are best used while stationary or moving slowly so you can notice the response.
They are optional tools for interpretation. Because the game has no enforced missions, you do not need to trigger them in a specific order or at a specific place to progress. Use them when you want to pay attention to the behavior and ideas associated with your current form.
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Keyboard and mouse versus 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 publish an objective performance ranking between input methods.
| Consideration | Keyboard and mouse | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Movement feel | Digital directional input from the documented WASD keys |
Analog movement when using a compatible stick |
| Long movement sessions | Familiar if you already use a desktop keyboard and mouse; comfort depends on your desk setup | May feel more relaxed for players who prefer holding a gamepad |
| Shortcut access | Direct access to the published keys for transform, flocks, Mind, singing and scale | Requires using the controller’s mapped bindings; verify them in Options |
| Requirement | Works with the PC keyboard and mouse controls | Optional; the developer lists Xbox controller and gamepad support |
| Performance evidence | No measured advantage established | No measured advantage established |
Choose based on comfort and the kind of movement you prefer. Digital keys make the documented shortcuts easy to reach. Analog input can feel natural when you want gradual movement. Whichever device you use, confirm the active bindings in Options rather than assuming the 2017 keyboard guide describes every controller layout.
How to verify or change controls in the current Steam build
- Pause the game. Press
Escusing the documented default, or use your controller’s pause button if it is already recognized. - Open Options. Look for the game’s control or input assignments. The exact wording can vary by build, so use the labels shown on your screen.
- Check the essential actions first. Confirm movement, Transform, the two level-change mouse actions, scale down and scale up, and Pause.
- Check secondary actions. Verify view change, flock commands, Sing, Mind and Think if you intend to use them.
- Remap only what you need. Keep a layout that leaves movement and transformation easy to reach. Avoid changing several related actions at once, because that makes it harder to identify which binding caused a problem.
- Test in a safe area. Move, transform, descend, ascend and scale once each. If an action does not respond, return to Options and inspect that specific assignment.
This verification step matters because the available key list comes from an independent guide dated 2017, not from an official, continuously updated manual. Your version may use different defaults or expose platform-specific options.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common control problems
Pressing E does nothing
- Move closer to a form that can be inhabited; transformation depends on an available form in the current situation.
- Pause and confirm that Transform is still assigned to
Eor identify the remapped key in Options. - Make sure you are not confusing a view change with a transformation. The mouse wheel and arrow keys alter the view; they do not replace Transform.
The camera changes, but you do not change levels
- Use the documented held controls: left mouse button to descend and right mouse button to ascend.
- Hold the button during the transition rather than clicking once.
- Check whether your mouse buttons have been remapped or intercepted by another input setting in Options.
A planet appears too small
The game scales a form to its context. A planet selected while you are at street scale can appear as a miniature playable planet. Continue exploring or use the scale and level controls; the size is contextual rather than proof that the wrong form loaded.
A flock command has no visible effect
- Confirm that you are in a situation where a flock or group is available.
- Verify
Q,G,VandCin Options. - Try gathering or changing the mode after joining or making a flock, rather than expecting a solitary form to respond like a group.
The controller is detected but the layout feels unfamiliar
Controller support is listed by the developer, but the published source does not provide a universal button-by-button mapping. Open Options, identify the active gamepad bindings and test movement, transform, pause and level changes before relying on the controller for a long session.
You cannot tell whether an action is required
Most actions are exploratory rather than mandatory. There is no enforced mission order. If singing, Mind, flock behavior or a particular scale change is not interesting in the moment, continue moving and discovering forms instead.
What counts as progression in Everything
Progression is the widening of your understanding and library, not a conventional sequence of unlocked stages. You can move from a small creature or object to a larger environmental body, then toward planets, suns or galaxies, and you can also descend again to inspect local life and objects. The order is yours.
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Every transformation changes the viewpoint and the set of relationships you can observe. A tree can connect a ground-level exploration to the larger landscape around it. A planet can be an astronomical body when approached from space or a miniature playable form when selected from a much smaller context. The same idea applies across the simulation: scale determines how a form is presented and how you interact with it.
Because previously inhabited forms remain in the library, experimentation has a low cost. You can try a creature, move upward, descend again and return to an earlier form later. The game’s open-ended structure supports stopping to listen just as much as moving toward a larger body.
Quick reference for a first session
- Move:
WASD. - Sprint: Left
Shift. - Look around: Mouse wheel or arrow keys.
- Transform:
E. - Go smaller: Hold the left mouse button to descend; use
Rto scale down. - Go larger: Hold the right mouse button to ascend; use
Fto scale up. - Pause and verify:
Esc, then Options. - Explore ideas:
Spaceto sing,Mfor Mind, andXto think when the eye is glowing. - Manage groups:
Vto join or make a flock,Qto change flock mode,Gto gather andCto release members.
Once these controls are confirmed in your build, the simplest approach is to move, transform, adjust scale and observe. Everything is designed so that discovery—not a prescribed route from creature to planet—is the way you play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Everything on Steam playable with a controller?
Yes. The developer lists Xbox controller and gamepad input alongside keyboard and mouse support for the PC versions. Controller layouts can vary, so confirm the active bindings in the game’s Options screen.
How do you change from an animal to an object or planet?
Move until the desired form is available, then press Transform, documented as E in the 2017 PC guide. Use the held left or right mouse buttons and the R/F scale keys to move between levels and adjust context.
Does Everything have missions or a required order?
No. It is open-ended: you can explore, transform, sing, inspect thoughts and move between scales without following an enforced mission sequence.
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