Controls
Controls in I Can Smell You from Here
Six official inputs, one rule that trips up almost everybody, and a menu that lets you take a run back. Everything below comes from the creator’s own control list and the v1.0.1 / v1.1.1 patch notes.
01The list
The official controls
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ENTERSPACELMBProgress dialogue
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ARROW KEYSSCROLL WHEELNavigate choices
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HOLD ENTERHOLD SPACEHOLD LMBConfirm choice
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HOLD ENTER / SPACE / LMB3 SECONDSFast-forward dialogue
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SCROLL WHEELReview recent dialogue
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TABOptions
Quoted from the controls block on the official itch.io page opens on itch.io.
02The important rule
Choices are held, not tapped
A tap moves the dialogue on. A held ENTER, SPACE or left-click confirms the choice you are standing on. That distinction is the whole reason players lose runs by accident.
v1.0.1 introduced the held press because players kept fumbling choices with both mouse and keyboard. The patch notes say dialogue choices now require holding for one entire second, and v1.1.1 extended ENTER, SPACE and left-click so they can progress dialogue or confirm a non-dialogue choice as well.
In practice: read the option, hold the button for a full second, and let go. If nothing happens, you tapped instead of held.
03TAB
Save slots, your choice history and OPTIONS
TAB opens the menu. It is more useful than it first looks.
What was called the DEBUG menu until v1.1.1 is now the OPTIONS menu, and the patch notes say it holds most of the features you expect from a visual novel. Three things in it matter while you play:
- 20 save slots you can revisit at any time.
- A trace of the choice sequences you have made, so you can see where a run went.
- An option to restart a run at the main date scene, right before the branching starts.
The creator adds a personal note in the patch notes: if you want a raw and immersive first run, ignore TAB until you are done. It is there for functionality, not for the first hour.
04Reading tools
Fast-forward and scroll back
Fast-forward: hold ENTER, SPACE or left-click for three seconds and the dialogue runs forward until the next choice. Useful when you are replaying a branch you have already read.
Review: the scroll wheel walks back through recent dialogue, up to your previous save point or choice. It is the fastest way to check what you actually promised her two screens ago.
Subtitles: listed as available on the official page, and the game is in English only.
05If it misbehaves
When the browser build will not start
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Use a current desktop browser
The web export is threaded Godot, which needs WebGL2 and cross-origin isolation. Current desktop Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari provide both; most phone browsers do not, and the creator has not added official mobile support.
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Click the game once
Browsers block audio until you interact with the page. If the game looks frozen on a black frame before dialogue appears, click once inside the game area.
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Give the first load time
About 83.1 MB of engine and game data is streamed before the title screen. On a slow connection the progress bar can sit still for a while.
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Fall back to the desktop build
Windows and Linux builds (73 MB and 64 MB) are on the official page. They download once and then run offline.
06About the host
The toolbar around the game is ours
The game opens as its own top-level page, not inside a frame, so the browser’s fullscreen key and zoom work normally. Around it we add a small toolbar with Back, Fullscreen and Controls so you can leave or re-read the key list without losing your run. The game itself is unchanged, and no advertising or analytics scripts run inside it.
07Questions
Controls FAQ
Can I play with the mouse alone?
Yes. The left mouse button progresses dialogue and confirms choices when held, and the scroll wheel navigates choices and reviews recent dialogue. v1.1.1 replaced the old mouse-hover selection with the scroll wheel specifically to stop accidental inputs.
Why does nothing happen when I click a choice?
Because a click is a tap. Choices need the button held for about a second. That rule arrived in v1.0.1 after players reported fumbling runs with both control schemes.
How do I skip dialogue I have already read?
Hold ENTER, SPACE or left-click for three seconds. The fast-forward runs until the next choice, so it will not decide anything for you.
Is there a controller or touch layout?
Not as of v1.1.1. The official control list covers keyboard and mouse only, and the creator lists no mobile support yet.