Default key bindings, controller layout, grappling hook physics, momentum rules, health management, and how to approach each game mode. Everything you need from your first run to First Kiln.
Controls are rebindable in the settings menu as of v1.15. These are the defaults.
| Action | Default Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Look / Aim | Mouse | Controls both camera and hook aim direction |
| Fire grappling hook | LMB | Launches hook toward your crosshair |
| Release grappling hook | RMB | Detaches hook; transfers momentum |
| Move / Directional influence | W A S D | Subtle influence while swinging; does not override physics |
| Jump | Space | Short hop only — primarily used to clear ledge lips |
| Shorten rope | Shift | Pulls hook anchor closer, tightening swing radius |
| Interact / Checkpoint | E | Activates Ash Urns (checkpoints) |
| Pause | Esc | Opens pause menu / settings |
| Action | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
| Look / Aim | Right Stick | Right Stick |
| Fire grappling hook | RT | R2 |
| Release grappling hook | LT | L2 |
| Directional influence | Left Stick | Left Stick |
| Jump | A | Cross |
| Shorten rope | LB | L1 |
| Interact / Checkpoint | X | Square |
| Pause | Menu | Options |
The grappling hook in Idols of Ash uses real pendulum physics. Understanding this is the difference between struggling on Normal and clearing First Kiln. The hook is not a teleporter or a zipline — it is a physics anchor that your body swings around.
When the hook attaches, you begin swinging in a pendulum arc around the anchor point. Your speed at the bottom of the arc is determined by your entry speed (how fast you were moving when you fired) plus the length of your rope (longer rope = longer arc = more speed at bottom). You are always gaining speed on the downswing and losing it on the upswing — exactly like a real pendulum.
Release the hook when your body is approximately 45 degrees ahead of the anchor point — when you are rising on the forward side of the arc. At this angle, your velocity is directed mostly forward-and-slightly-downward, giving you maximum horizontal distance. Releasing too early (at the bottom) launches you straight ahead but low. Releasing too late (past vertical) causes you to curve backward or upward and stall.
Holding Shift / LB while attached reels the hook anchor closer, shortening the rope. A shorter rope means a tighter arc radius and faster rotation speed (conservation of angular momentum). Use this when you need to make a quick turn around a tight corner, or when swinging in a narrow space where a long arc would slam you into a wall.
You can fire the hook before the previous one detaches — there is no cooldown. The moment you release, you can immediately fire again. Expert movement chains together 3–4 hook swings in rapid succession, using each release point as the launch for the next anchor. This is the foundation of all speedrun routing.
Ceiling anchors give you the most arc range and speed. Wall anchors are used for directional corrections and tight-space navigation. Grappling directly below you does nothing useful — the hook will pull you toward the surface but create no swing momentum. Always aim above your trajectory direction when building speed.
Your velocity when you fire the hook, and when you release it, persists. You are not reset to zero between grapples. A fast release from one hook feeds directly into the speed you carry into your next swing. The entire game is about building, managing, and spending this accumulated speed correctly.
If you are falling too fast and will take heavy damage, fire the hook into any wall at the last second before impact. The hook pull redirects some of your vertical velocity into horizontal velocity — you still hit the ground, but at a shallower angle that significantly reduces damage. At 50%+ health, an intentional fall save is faster than a careful slow descent. Speedrunners use this constantly.
You can ascend by grappling to points above you and using short rapid re-grapples to "walk" up a wall. It is slow compared to descending. It is primarily useful when the Murderpede corners you and you need to reset its path — the AI struggles to follow you directly upward. A short vertical retreat often creates enough distance to reassess your route.
WASD gives subtle influence over your trajectory mid-swing. It does not override the physics — it gently biases your arc direction. Use it to avoid walls you are swinging toward, or to angle a release slightly left or right without changing your hook anchor. At high speed, the influence is minimal; it matters most at low speed when precise placement is needed.
Looking backward (turning the camera 180°) dramatically reduces your effective movement speed because your directional input becomes inverted relative to your momentum. The Murderpede cannot be outrun if you are spending time looking at it. Use audio cues exclusively to track it — save visual attention for navigation. This is the single most common mistake that kills new players.
You have 10 hit points displayed as a row of segments. There is no regeneration — health only recovers from pickups. You cannot die from the Murderpede in a single hit; it deals damage per contact. However, falling from significant height can be lethal in one impact.
Green = comfortable. Amber = at risk. Red = one bad fall or Murderpede contact away from death.
Small glowing green/blue orbs scattered throughout the structure. Each restores 1–2 HP. They are placed at moderate intervals on the main path, with additional shards hidden on ledge undersides and in side passages. In Normal mode they are plentiful. In Nightmare they are fewer and placed in more dangerous locations (often requiring you to slow down to collect, which the Murderpede punishes).
When to collect: At 6 HP or below in Normal. In Nightmare, only collect shards that are directly on your path — detours cost time and Murderpede proximity. Leave shards you do not need; they do not disappear and you will pass through this area again if you die and restart from the nearby checkpoint.
In First Kiln, vitality shards are replaced by embers — larger healing items that restore 2–3 HP each, but are placed less frequently and often require detours. First Kiln has no checkpoints, so every point of health is precious. See the off-path ember locations guide for the non-obvious ember positions.
Fall damage scales with velocity at impact. Approximate thresholds:
| Fall type | HP lost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short controlled drop | 0 | Short hop to platform below |
| Medium fall (1–2 floors) | 1–2 HP | Standard vertical descent without hook |
| Long fall (3–5 floors) | 3–5 HP | Fatal at low health; use fall save |
| Full speed unbraked | Lethal | Terminal velocity impact kills instantly |
| Fall save (hook at impact) | −50% damage | Roughly halves fall damage at any height |
The controls are identical across all modes. What changes is how you should use them.
| Mode | Read lore? | Collect shards? | Touch checkpoints? | Key priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Yes | Yes | Always | Learn the map, understand the story. Speed is not the goal. |
| Nightmare | Skip all | On-path only | Yes | Route memory over reaction speed. One clean line, repeat it. |
| First Kiln | Never | Below 50% only | N/A (none) | Every decision has total-run consequences. Conserve health ruthlessly. |
| Inverted | Skip | On-path only | Mode-dependent | Unlearn your spatial memory. Rebuild route from scratch. |
No. There is no attack button. The Murderpede cannot be killed, stunned, or slowed by any action available to the player. Survival is entirely about movement. See the Murderpede guide for a full breakdown of its AI behavior and evasion tactics.
Yes — Esc / Menu button pauses and opens the settings menu. The Murderpede and all game physics stop while paused. Useful for checking settings during a run without penalty.
No dedicated sprint. Speed comes entirely from grapple physics — better swing chains produce faster movement. There is no sprint key, speed pickup, or boost mechanic separate from grapple execution.
Technically yes — the grapple fires and releases on LMB/RMB and look is mouse movement. But WASD directional influence is useful enough in tight spaces that keyboard is strongly recommended. Pure mouse play is significantly harder in Nightmare and First Kiln.
Contact deals damage — roughly 1–2 HP per hit depending on the impact angle and speed. It does not instantly kill you (unless you are already at critical health). The danger is sustained contact: it pursues relentlessly, and if it catches you, it continues dealing damage until you break away. At 1–2 HP, a single glancing blow ends your run.
Approach an Ash Urn (the glowing green skull-shaped objects) and press E / X / Square to interact. The game autosaves at that checkpoint. In First Kiln there are no checkpoints — the Ash Urns are present but inactive (they give no save functionality).