Controls

Slugcat's controls feature a variety of advanced movements, and many of them are not explained in-game. This page exists to detail the variety of moves slugcat can perform, and how to do them.

Buttons and basics

 * Up: Grabs onto poles, and climbs up them. Also causes slugcat to climb up small ledges and reorient in midair. Also causes slugcat to rise up onto two feet when crawling.
 * Down: Causes slugcat to duck down and crawl on all fours. When on a vertical pole, causes slugcat to crawl down it. When on a horizontal pole or the bottom of a vertical pole, causes slugcat to drop off of it. Also causes slugcat to drop off of corners.
 * Left/Right: The basic horizontal movement of the game. Also used to cause slugcat to grab onto a wall and slide down it.
 * Grab: Picks up an object or grabs certain creatures. If slugcat's left hand is free, they will always grab objects with that hand first.
 * Throw: Throws held objects, often with considerable force. If slugcat is holding two objects, the object in their left hand will be thrown first. Some objects will have an effect when thrown, and others are thrown a much shorter distance.
 * Map: When tapped, briefly pulls up the HUD showing slugcat's karma level and hunger. When held slightly longer, brings up a timer depicting how soon the next rain will come. When held down for about a second, brings up a map from slugcat's memory. Slugcat cannot move while remembering the map, and this will not pause the game.
 * Pause: Opens up the pause menu.

Movement and Object Management

 * Longjump: If slugcat is crouching and holds jump for a short time without moving, their back will visibly arc slightly. Releasing jump will then cause slugcat to leap a considerably longer distance than a jump alone would do. Note that slugcat will not jump as high, however.
 * Dash reversal: When slugcat is running in one direction, quickly turning around will cause slugcat to dash the other way, going slightly faster than usual for a short time.
 * Backflip: If slugcat is running one direction, then turns around and jumps, they will backflip in that direction. The jump will reach slightly higher than a usual jump, but slugcat will be upside down at the apex, making it difficult to grab anything higher than usual.
 * Drop: Pressing down and grab at the same time will cause slugcat to drop an item rather than throw it. Like throwing, slugcat will drop the item in their left hand first.
 * Swap: Double-tapping grab will cause slugcat to swap the items held in their left and right hands, letting them throw or drop a different item first.

Advanced Movement

 * Bellyslide An advanced move performed by pressing down and jump while running, this causes slugcat to shoot forward along the ground for a short time.