Fairtris is controlled by the keyboard by default, and if a game controller is plugged in and set as main input device, also with it. All the game menus can be operated with both devices, while the game can only be played using the main input device, selected in the Game options menu.

Given that the keyboard and controller can be freely mapped, when discussing game scenes, general names of the buttons will be given. For more information about device mappings, see Set up keyboard and Set up controller pages.

 

To navigate in the menu, use the ↑ ↓ keys to change the selected item and ← → to change the value of the current option. If you want to enter the selected option, press the Enter key. To go back to the previous menu, press the Escape key. When mapping keys and buttons, if you want to set the button unmapped, use the Backspace key to clear the mapping.

Some menus have the option of entering seed and time counter data. To enter the editor, highlight the appropriate option and press the → key or the → button on the controller. The data is entered directly from the keyboard, so use the 0 to 9 keys for the timer. The seed can have hexadecimal characters, so the key pool expands to include the keys A through F. To accept the data entered, press Enter (press Escape to cancel changes and close the editor).

Additionally, if the editor is not open and is not locked, you can use Ctrl+C to copy data to the system clipboard and Ctrl+V to paste it. To generate a random seed, press Ctrl+G or the Select button on the controller. You will be notified with an appropriate sound about the correctness of the operation.

 

The actual game can be controlled with a keyboard or any USB controller for which separate mappings are provided. The basic set of buttons for this purpose is compatible with the buttons on the NES controller and can be freely mapped.

By default, the ← → ↑ ↓ keys are used to move and drop pieces, and the X and C keys are used to rotate them. The Z key is used to pause the game, while the V key is used to show or hide the next piece. The controller buttons are mapped by default according to the general button layout standards, where the X and Y axes are responsible for moving and dropping pieces, and the first two buttons for rotating them.

If after connecting the controller for the first time, you cannot control the game, use the keyboard and go to the Game options screen, select the controller as the main input device, and then go to the Set up controller screen, where you can set the controller mapping your way.

 

In addition to the basic buttons, some keys have special functions assigned permanently and cannot be used when mapping. If you need help, press the F1 key. To toggle the exclusive video mode, press F11. To change the active theme, press the F10 button (at any time).