Keyboard Controls — Alien Invasyndrome Demo

Scope and adult notice

Alien Invasyndrome (Steam 4603980) is an 18+ stealth-action Demo by Mozu Field / 百舌鳥, published by Shady Corner Games. This page covers keyboard play for the alien larva on Atlas. Exact on-screen glyphs can shift between Demo patches — learn the verbs (move, interact, hide, confirm, cancel) and verify them in a safe corridor after each update.

Sibling pages: Stealth Actions, Locale Emulator, Controls Hub. Wishlist the TBA full release on Steam.

Verb map (what you must be able to do)

Before Kitchen or Security Room, you must execute these verbs without hesitation:

1. Move — eight-direction or axis movement through corridors and room edges.
2. Interact / confirm — open captures, nest actions, dialogue advances, menu accepts.
3. Cancel / back — leave menus without walking into a sight cone.
4. Hide / softlock — enter desk or furniture hide on command.
5. Leave hide — exit softlock only when the detection window allows.
6. Open skill / nest UI — spend INT/STR and check colony progress without standing in doorways.

If any verb is unclear because text is missing, fix Locale Emulator first.

Typical keyboard layout habits (Demo)

Many players run a WASD-style move cluster with nearby interact and a dedicated hide key. Treat the following as a checklist to verify in-game, not as a guaranteed forever bind table:

• Movement keys respond in open halls and near furniture.
• Interact does not also toggle hide by accident.
• Hide is reachable without moving your eyes off a patrol.
• Menu confirm/cancel are distinct under pressure.
• You can open the skill tree without crossing the Kitchen center.

Rebind only in a safe room after nest banking. Never rebind mid-Security Routes clear.

Safe practice corridor (5 minutes)

1. Launch Demo; confirm UI readable.
2. Find a low-threat hall with a desk.
3. Walk edge paths only — no center sprints.
4. Interact once, cancel menus while still in cover.
5. Hide under the desk, wait a full ~1 minute with Detection Timer, then leave hide.
6. Open skill/nest UI in cover, close it, repeat once.

When this loop is boring, you are ready for How to Play and How to Nest.

Hide key discipline

The hide verb is the difference between a nest bank and a wipe. Rules:

• Bind hide where your fingers already rest during move.
• Practice entering hide before you need it in Kitchen.
• Do not spam hide while walking through open Cafeteria sight lines hoping the animation saves you.
• After a spotting, stay hidden for about one minute — Stealth and Detection.

Deep verb language: Stealth Actions. Stuck cannot-exit: Softlock Fixes.

Menus, skills, and nest UI

INT/STR spends happen in menus. Dangerous habit: opening the skill tree in a doorway during Security Way A or Way B. Safe habit: retreat to a known desk tile, hide if needed, then allocate points with Skill Planner notes nearby.

Nest UI checks belong after a successful slice, not mid-patrol. See Nest Checklist and How to Nest.

Controller note

This page prioritizes keyboard because Desktop Demo reports and Locale Emulator workflows are Windows-keyboard heavy. If you use a pad, map the same verbs: move, interact, hide, confirm, cancel. The stealth rules do not change.

Room-specific keyboard tips

• Kitchen — hide must be instant; see Kitchen Route.
• Clinic / Laboratory / Cafeteria — expect longer sight lines; pre-place fingers on hide.
• Security Room — no rebinding; Way A/B timing is already enough load — Security Routes.
• Boss — confirm interact and hide still feel distinct — How to Beat the Boss.

Map names: Key Rooms, Atlas Overview.

Patch drift and verification

When a Demo patch lands:

1. Re-run the 5-minute practice corridor.
2. Check Changelog and Steam Status.
3. Revisit this page’s verb list, not an outdated screenshot of keys.
4. Resume the Demo Walkthrough only after hide → wait → exit works.

Common keyboard mistakes

• Using interact when you meant hide (and the reverse).
• Holding move keys while trying to confirm a menu under aggro.
• Alt-tabbing during detection hide and losing the minute count.
• Changing binds after a wipe out of tilt.
• Ignoring Japanese UI failures and guessing every prompt.

Related reading

• Controls Hub
• Stealth Actions
• Locale Emulator
• Guides Hub
• Walkthrough Hub

Keyboard mastery is not speedrunning Atlas. It is making softlock and interact boring so Kitchen and Security become readable timing puzzles.