Prince of Persia: PC Keyboard Controls, Combat Combos, and Light Seed Progression

Basic Movement and the Four-Key Run

On PC, the Prince's basic movement rests on four directional keys drawn from the letter cluster at the left of the keyboard. The W key sends him forward, the S key sends him backward, the A key moves him left, and the D key moves him right. These four assignments appear together on the manual's keyboard diagram, so the scheme is consistent rather than split across different layouts. The same diagram places the jump input apart from the movement cluster: the Space Bar initiates a jump. Together the four direction keys and the jump key form the movement core the rest of the control list builds on.

The run is literally a four-key arrangement: one key per direction, with forward, backward, left, and right each mapped to a separate letter. Because the jump sits on the Space Bar instead of a fifth letter, the movement hand stays on the same four keys while the other hand can reach the jump. Camera control is handled separately by the mouse, so turning the view does not require touching the directional keys. The manual presents these bindings as a reference diagram rather than a tutorial sequence, listing each movement key alongside the jump key in one place.

Running Walls, Roofs, and Gripping-Fall

Wall-running starts from movement rather than a separate key: the player moves the Prince and presses the Space Bar to jump onto a wall, then runs along or up it depending on which way he faces. While wall-running, pressing the Space Bar again jumps off the wall. When the Prince reaches the top of a column, another Space Bar press begins a roof-run along the ceiling. These actions chain from the same jump input already used for ordinary jumps, so the wall and roof maneuvers branch off the existing movement core rather than adding new bindings.

The gripping-fall covers hanging situations: from a ledge, from vines, or on a vertical section of wall, pressing Right-click makes the Prince slide down the wall, and the A and D keys steer during the slide. The same Space Bar that launches wall and roof runs also serves combat movement, since pressing it within attack range makes the Prince leap over an enemy or perform an aerial attack; out of range, the directional keys plus Space Bar produce a Quickstep to dodge long-range attacks. Chaining Left-click, R, the Space Bar, and E performs combos.

Swordplay: Block, Deflect, and Gauntlet Combos

Defense in the Prince's combat scheme is built on the Right-click button. Holding Right-click adopts a defensive stance that blocks all standard attacks, while pressing it just before the Prince is hit deflects an attack instead. Deflection applies only to standard attacks. Failing to block leaves the Prince weakened; if an enemy then lands another hit, that enemy has a chance to kill him. Offensively, Left-click performs the basic attack, and the E key calls Elika to use her magic during combat.

The R key performs a gauntlet attack that lifts the enemy into the air; pressing R twice executes a throw that causes damage. Pressing the Space Bar within attack range makes the Prince leap over an enemy or perform an aerial attack. Out of range, the W, S, A, and D keys combined with the Space Bar produce a Quickstep to dodge long-range attacks. Chaining Left-click, R, the Space Bar, and E performs combos, with a Combo List viewable in the Options screen.

Light Seeds, Fertile Grounds, and Ormazd's Power Plates

The Land of the Ahura is guarded by power plates, and activation depends on Elika gaining Ormazd's powers. The plates cannot be used immediately, because those powers need to grow first. To gain them, the Prince and Elika collect Light Seeds; once she has enough, Elika directs the Prince back to the Temple to gain the new power. Active plates then light up to show they can be used, and each power works only on the power plates that match it.

Fertile Grounds address Ahriman's Corruption. When Elika reaches a Fertile Ground, she concentrates the energy of the land to heal it and free it from Corruption; healing requires repeatedly tapping the E key. The same E key calls Elika's magic during a jump to extend the Prince's jump distance. Teleportation runs through healed ground: open the Map screen, select a destination with the mouse, then press E to move the pair to any healed Fertile Ground or the Temple. Her teleport works only when the pair are in healed land, since Corruption prevents leaving or entering corrupt areas.

First published Oct 22, 2026.