Direction
There are 8 cardinal directions in NetHack.
Keys for cardinal directions
You can use either the number keys or the vi-keys:
Set number_pad:1 in your options to use the number keys for directions and movement:
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 4 | 6 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
To use the vi-keys for directions or movement, set number_pad:0 in your options:
| y | k | u |
| h | l | |
| b | j | n |
Whichever you set, you can always use the arrow keys, if using a port that allows for the arrow keys to work properly (most graphical ports do, but many terminal-based ports don't). However, relying solely on the arrow keys to move (sometimes called "grid bug conduct") is a very Bad Idea, because this makes overall diagonal movement cost more turns (requiring more food and letting more monsters spawn), and players tend to forget that the game lets them move diagonally, which makes it hard or impossible to retreat from a pursuing monster.
Other directions
Whenever you are prompted for a direction, you can also use the following:
Command aliases
If the number_pad option is turned on, the vi-style movement keys are replaced by the following command aliases:
| Key | Alias for |
|---|---|
| h | ? (help menu) |
| j | #jump |
| k | ctrl + d (kick) |
| l | #loot |
| n | numeric prefix |
| Shift + n | #name |
| u | #untrap |
See also
This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.
It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.1. Information on this page may be out of date.
Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-361}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.
