Controls guide for keyboard, mouse and touch
Desktop uses Minecraft's layout: WASD to move, mouse to look with pointer lock in first person, space and shift to fly up and down, click to place, delete mode to break. Touch uses a variable-speed joystick, drag to look, tap-and-release to place, and two fingers to pan.
Desktop keyboard and mouse
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| W / A / S / D | Walk forward, left, back, right |
| Mouse move | Look around (pointer locks in first person) |
| Arrow keys | Turn left and right, look up and down |
| Space | Rise |
| Shift | Descend |
| Left click | Place the selected block at the crosshair |
| Delete mode + click | Break the targeted block |
| Escape | Release the pointer lock |
| Undo / Redo buttons | Step back or forward through your edits |
Touch controls
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Joystick | Walk. Push further for more speed |
| ▲ / ▼ buttons | Fly up and down |
| One finger drag | Look around |
| Tap and lift | Place a block at the ghost preview |
| Delete mode + tap | Break a block |
| Two finger drag | Pan the camera without losing your viewpoint |
| Pinch | Zoom in and out |
The tools bar
Blocks and categories
Blocks are grouped into tabs: natural, stone, wood, glass, metal, decorative, furniture and vehicles. The colour tile opens a picker for any hex value.
Stamps
None, 1x1, 1x4, 4x1, 2x2 and 4x4. The ghost preview shows the exact footprint before you commit, and choosing None hides the bounding box if you prefer a clean view. Individual blocks from a stamp can still be deleted one at a time.
Views
First person, top-down and each compass side, plus a 360 degree tour that orbits your plot until you stop it. The home button walks you back to your own address at walking pace.
Collapse the bar
Hide the tools panel with the chevron to free the whole screen, then reopen it with the Tools button.
Troubleshooting
- Nothing places: you are pointing outside your own plot. Only your land is editable.
- The camera drifts: release pointer lock with Escape, then click back in.
- No ghost preview: the stamp is set to None, or the target is out of range. Move closer.
- Touch look feels reversed: it is intentionally direct on mobile, so the world follows your finger.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the standard Minecraft keyboard controls?
- W, A, S and D move, the mouse looks, space rises or jumps, shift descends or sneaks, left click places or attacks and right click uses or breaks depending on the mode. BroadwayBlocks follows the same layout and adds arrow keys for camera turning.
- Why does my mouse get captured in first person?
- That is pointer lock, and it is what makes mouse look feel correct. The crosshair in the centre of the screen becomes your build target. Press Escape to release the pointer.
- How do I place and break blocks on a phone?
- Tap and lift your finger to place at the ghost preview position. Turn on delete mode and a tap breaks instead. Drag anywhere to look, use the joystick to walk, and the arrows to fly up and down.
- How do I fly?
- The up and down arrow buttons are always available on screen, and space and shift do the same on a keyboard. There is no separate fly toggle to remember.
- Can I undo a mistake?
- Yes. Undo and redo are multi-step, and a stamp placed as a 4x4 is undone as one group rather than sixteen separate taps.
Try the controls yourself
Registration is free, takes about 30 seconds, and you are auto-assigned a 30x30 plot with an address like 1 Broadway. Build in your browser on desktop, tablet or phone.