One-Key Controls

Thornfeld now ships with a streamlined one-key-per-action control scheme. Defaults work in gameplay mode (chat unfocused) and never collide with typing. Every key is rebindable in Options → Controls → General Hotkeys.

• F — Interact with whatever is in front of you (NPC talk, container open, door use). Same effect as right-clicking the target.
• Space — Use the right ranch tool on the target in front. Goes through your Toolbox if you carry one, otherwise the matching loose tool in your backpack. Hoe on dirt, scythe on wheat, axe on tree, pick on rock, sickle on cane, hammer on construction, saw on log — all from one key.
• H — Halter (or unhalter) the animal in front of you.
• M — Mount the horse or donkey in front, or dismount if you are already riding.
• B — Toggle the Building Book.
• P — Toggle the Pet Book.

Walking into an impassable tile now turns your character to face it instead of doing nothing. Combined with F, a single walk-step + F is enough to start talking to an NPC or open a door — no Ctrl needed.

Toolbox Parking Slot

The empty slot in the bottom-left of the inventory (below the ring) is now your Toolbox slot. Drag your toolbox there and it becomes safe: items in this slot are never lost on death. The slot accepts only the toolbox — other items are rejected with a hint. You can still take the toolbox out whenever you want.

Chat & Window Polish

• Enter — Focus the chat input. A second Enter sends; an empty Enter closes the input. If the chat panel is hidden, Enter brings it back AND focuses the input in a single press.
• Esc — Two-stage: first press defocuses the input, second press hides the entire chat panel. Esc also closes any open window (Building Book, Pet Book, Order Board, Toolbox, Pet Info, Livestock Yard, Cave Elevator, Oven, Tutorial, Cockfight) from anywhere on the screen — no need to click into the window first.

Bug Fixes

• Building Book: pressing Esc while placing now only cancels placement and brings the book back, instead of looping the book open and closed.
• The chat-mode radio at the top of the keybinds panel has been hidden. Every rebind now lands on the gameplay slot by default, removing the confusing dual-slot UI.
• Mount and Halter hotkeys debounce at 500ms so key-spam cannot flood the server.

Full breakdown in the Wiki → Controls & Hotkeys section.