How to Play (Controls)
HammyTurf has one control to learn: pick a direction. There is no button to hold, no jump and no dash. This page covers the mouse controls on a computer, touch controls on a phone, and how to send emoji while you play.
Mouse (computer)
Your hamster keeps moving toward the mouse cursor. Put the cursor on the right and it turns right; put it above and it turns up. No clicking is needed. The cursor position alone sets the direction.
- With the cursor close to the hamster, a small mouse movement makes a big turn. Keep the cursor close for tight turns and far away for a steady straight line.
- If the cursor sits directly on top of the hamster, the direction becomes unstable and it may veer off unexpectedly. Keep a little distance.
- On a small browser window, enlarge it or go full screen so you can see more of your surroundings.
Touch (phone and tablet)
Put a finger anywhere on the screen and slide in the direction you want to go. You do not have to touch the hamster itself. The edge of the screen works fine. The direction of your slide becomes the direction of travel.
- Your hamster keeps going straight after you lift your finger. You do not need to keep touching the screen. Lifting your finger while going straight gives you a clear view of the whole screen.
- To turn, touch the screen again and slide in the new direction. A short slide is enough.
- Both portrait and landscape work. Portrait shows more above and below you; landscape shows more to the sides.
Sending emoji (emotes)
While you play, four buttons (👍 😢 😱 🆘) appear at the bottom left. Tap one and that emoji appears above your hamster for a few seconds, visible to everyone on the stage. It is a way to express yourself without words.
| Button | Keyboard | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 👍 | Q | A nice enclosure, or applauding an opponent's move |
| 😢 | W | Lost turf, or a near miss |
| 😱 | E | Being chased |
| 🆘 | R | Asking teammates for help in Team Battle |
- On a computer, Q / W / E / R match the buttons in order, so you can emote without leaving the mouse.
- On a phone, keep steering with one finger and tap a button with another.
- Emoji have no effect on gameplay. They do not make you faster or protect you.
Reading the screen
- Minimap (bottom right): shows where you are on the whole stage and how far each opponent's turf extends.
- Vertical bar (left edge): a meter of how much of the stage is covered by turf. See Sunflower Seeds and the Space Meter.
- Seconds remaining (top right): appears once the end-of-round countdown starts.
Once you are comfortable with the controls, read Rules (Trails and Enclosures) to learn how you win and lose.