How do I change the key bindings?

I would really like "up" to be jump for this game, especially since it doesn't seem to serve any other purpose, but there doesn't seem to be an option to bind keys in this game.

Is there any way to bind keys for Starbound, or otherwise change the input options for the game?

Update: Upbeat Giraffe

The Upbeat Giraffe update has added keybindings to the game. Please update your answers accordingly, and thank you for your answers from when this game did not have such a feature.


Upbeat Giraffe added keybindings menu in Options > Controls. Simply click on the button you want to rebind and click the key you want to use. You can bind 2 keys for each action. To remove the other key, bind the only one you want twice:

Move Up W. W,S. S. S,W. W

Binding move up to S twice, then W twice.

Alternatively you can click the trash bin icon to unbind the key, then bind it to the key you want. Remember to accept your changes before returning back to the options menu!


Those using an older version of the game can through the config files.

First, go to your game executable directory. You can get here by opening steam -> right-clicking Starbound in your library -> Properties -> Local Files Tab -> Browse Local Files

If you've been playing this game at all, there should be a file called starbound.config.

(Emphasis mine)

Open the file in your favorite text editor and it should look something like this:

  "keyBindings" : {
  "A" : [ "PlayerLeft", "CockpitLeft" ],
  "Backquote" : [ "InterfaceBarNPos" ],
  "C" : [ "InterfaceCrafting" ],
  "D" : [ "PlayerRight", "CockpitRight" ],
  "Down" : [ "EmoteSad", "CockpitDown", "ChatPreviousLine" ],
  "E" : [ "PlayerInteract", "GuiClose" ],
  "Eight" : [ "InterfaceBar8" ],
  "Escape" : [ "TitleBack", "CinematicSkip", "InterfaceEscapeMenu", "GuiClose", "ChatStop" ],
  "F" : [ "PlayerTechAction1" ],
  "F1" : [ "InterfaceHideHud" ],
  "F11" : [ "InterfaceToggleFullscreen" ],
  "F6" : [ "InterfaceStreaming" ],
  "Five" : [ "InterfaceBar5" ],
  "Four" : [ "InterfaceBar4" ],
  "G" : [ "PlayerTechAction2" ],
  "H" : [ "PlayerTechAction3" ],
  "I" : [ "InterfaceInventory" ],
  "J" : [ "InterfaceQuest" ],
  "L" : [ "InterfaceCodex" ],
  "LAlt" : [ "ShowLabels" ],
  "LCtrl" : [ "CameraShift" ],
  "LShift" : [ "PlayerShifting", "GuiShifting" ],
  "Left" : [ "EmoteNeutral", "CockpitLeft" ],
  "Minus" : [ "InterfaceBarNPos" ],
  "N" : [ "InterfaceInspectCursor" ],
  "Nine" : [ "InterfaceBar9" ],
  "One" : [ "InterfaceBar1" ],
  "PageDown" : [ "ChatPageDown" ],
  "PageUp" : [ "ChatPageUp" ],
  "Q" : [ "PlayerDropItem" ],
  "RAlt" : [ "ShowLabels" ],
  "RCtrl" : [ "CameraShift" ],
  "RShift" : [ "PlayerShifting", "GuiShifting" ],
  "Return" : [ "CinematicNext", "ChatSendLine", "ChatBegin" ],
  "Right" : [ "EmoteAnnoyed", "CockpitRight", "CinematicNext" ],
  "S" : [ "PlayerDown", "CockpitDown" ],
  "Seven" : [ "InterfaceBar7" ],
  "Six" : [ "InterfaceBar6" ],
  "Slash" : [ "ChatBeginCommand" ],
  "Space" : [ "PlayerJump" ],
  "Three" : [ "InterfaceBar3" ],
  "Two" : [ "InterfaceBar2" ],
  "Up" : [ "EmoteHappy", "CockpitUp", "ChatNextLine" ],
  "W" : [ "PlayerUp", "CockpitUp" ],
  "X" : [ "InterfaceDeselectHands" ],
  "Y" : [ "InterfaceRepeatCommand" ],
  "Z" : [ "InterfaceSwapHands" ],
  "Zero" : [ "InterfaceBar0" ]
  },

The format is "key" : [ "action", "another action" ],. The possible keys are:

  None,
  Backspace,
  Tab,
  Clear,
  Return,
  Pause,
  Escape,
  Space,
  Exclaim,
  QuotedBL,
  Hash,
  Dollar,
  Ampersand,
  Quote,
  LeftParen,
  RightParen,
  Asterisk,
  Plus,
  Comma,
  Minus,
  Period,
  Slash,
  Zero,
  One,
  Two,
  Three,
  Four,
  Five,
  Six,
  Seven,
  Eight,
  Nine,
  Colon,
  Semicolon,
  Less,
  Equals,
  Greater,
  Question,
  At ,
  LeftBracket,
  Backslash,
  RightBracket,
  Caret,
  Underscore,
  Backquote,
  A,
  B,
  C,
  D,
  E,
  F,
  G,
  H,
  I,
  J,
  K,
  L,
  M,
  N,
  O,
  P,
  Q,
  R,
  S,
  T,
  U,
  V,
  W,
  X,
  Y,
  Z,
  Delete,
  Kp0,
  Kp1,
  Kp2,
  Kp3,
  Kp4,
  Kp5,
  Kp6,
  Kp7,
  Kp8,
  Kp9,
  Kp_period,
  Kp_divide,
  Kp_multiply,
  Kp_minus,
  Kp_plus,
  Kp_enter,
  Kp_equals,
  Up,
  Down,
  Right,
  Left,
  Insert,
  Home,
  End,
  PageUp,
  PageDown,
  F1,
  F2,
  F3,
  F4,
  F5,
  F6,
  F7,
  F8,
  F9,
  F10,
  F11,
  F12,
  F13,
  F14,
  F15,
  Numlock,
  Capslock,
  Scrollock,
  RShift,
  LShift,
  RCtrl,
  LCtrl,
  RAlt,
  LAlt,
  RMeta,
  LMeta,
  LSuper,  /* Left "Windows" key */
  RSuper,  /* Right "Windows" key */
  Mode,  /* "Alt Gr" key */
  Compose,  /* Multi-key compose key */
  Help,
  Print,
  SysReq,
  Break,
  Menu,
  Power,  /* Power Macintosh power key */
  Euro,  /* Some european keyboards */
  Undo  /* Atari keyboard has Undo */

And the possible actions are:

  None,
  PlayerUp,
  PlayerDown,
  PlayerLeft,
  PlayerRight,
  PlayerJump,
  PlayerDropItem,
  PlayerInteract,
  PlayerShifting,
  PlayerTechAction1,
  PlayerTechAction2,
  PlayerTechAction3,
  EmoteBlabbering,
  EmoteShouting,
  EmoteHappy,
  EmoteSad,
  EmoteNeutral,
  EmoteLaugh,
  EmoteAnnoyed,
  EmoteOh,
  EmoteOooh,
  EmoteBlink,
  EmoteWink,
  EmoteEat,
  EmoteSleep,
  ShowLabels,
  CameraShift,
  CockpitUp,
  CockpitDown,
  CockpitLeft,
  CockpitRight,
  TitleBack,
  CinematicSkip,
  CinematicNext,
  GuiClose,
  GuiShifting,
  ChatPageUp,
  ChatPageDown,
  ChatPreviousLine,
  ChatNextLine,
  ChatSendLine,
  ChatBegin,
  ChatBeginCommand,
  ChatStop,
  InterfaceHideHud,
  InterfaceSwapHands,
  InterfaceDeselectHands,
  InterfaceBar1,
  InterfaceBar2,
  InterfaceBar3,
  InterfaceBar4,
  InterfaceBar5,
  InterfaceBar6,
  InterfaceBar7,
  InterfaceBar8,
  InterfaceBar9,
  InterfaceBar0,
  InterfaceBarNPos,
  InterfaceRepeatCommand,
  InterfaceToggleFullscreen,
  InterfaceEscapeMenu,
  InterfaceStreaming,
  InterfaceInventory,
  InterfaceCodex,
  InterfaceQuest,
  InterfaceCrafting,
  InterfaceInspectCursor

There is not, as of patch "Annoyed Koala" (9 Dec. 2013), a way to rebind keys within the game itself. However, AutoHotKey can let you rebind whatever keys you want. (It's also nice for rapid clicking on that dang craft button)

Key binding is a planned feature, but this is still early beta, and the devs have a multitude of other stuff to do too.