BOMBANANA! Controls and Input

BOMBANANA! is built around three different input layers: normal movement and camera, the emote wheel the Mute uses to communicate, and voice chat that is deliberately role-restricted. This page covers how each layer works and how to set input up so the game (and your mic) behave on Steam PC.

How Input Works in BOMBANANA!

• Mouse + keyboard is the primary PC input for movement, looking and interacting with the bomb panels.
• The Mute Monkey communicates through gestures and the emote wheel, not text — so the Mute's "controls" are communication controls.
• Voice chat is role-restricted: the Deaf cannot hear the Blind or the Mute, and the Mute cannot speak. Push-to-talk and the in-game options matter more here than in a normal co-op game, because the game relies on the restriction.

Movement and Camera

Standard first-person-style input: move with the movement keys, look with the mouse, and interact with the module or van objects with the interact input. Specifics worth setting before a session:

• Look sensitivity — tune it low enough that aiming at a specific cable or switch is precise.
• Interact key — make it comfortable to hold; the Blind presses/holds interact-heavy actions while solving.

The Mute Emote Wheel

The Mute cannot type or speak, so the game gives them an emote wheel with physical gestures: yes, no, wait, repeat, go-back, and numbered signals. The practical control rule:

• Open the wheel, pick the gesture, and let teammates see it. The Deaf is the only one who can watch the Mute's hands, so the wheel's job is to make gestures readable across the van.
• Pre-assign meanings in setup: which gesture is yes, which is no, which number maps to which direction or color. A gesture dictionary agreed before the timer beats improvising under pressure.

Voice Chat

Voice is the second communication channel and it is role-restricted by design:

• Mute cannot speak at all (that is the role's constraint).
• Deaf cannot hear teammates — so the Deaf must be able to see the Mute's gestures, and the Blind must give visible confirmations.
• Blind can hear and speak.

Practical setup tips:

• Set push-to-talk for the Blind and Deaf so in-game audio (Morse, sounds, the timer) stays clear.
• Test voice and lobby before the timer. The official hotfix history shows voice/lobby issues were a real problem in the demo — verify both before relying on them.
• Agree a "wait" / "repeat" phrase and enforce it in voice, mirroring the gesture dictionary.

Controller Support

• BOMBANANA! supports controllers, but Steam Input can sit between the game and your hardware.
• If a controller is not detected: open Steam → game Properties → Controller and set Steam Input to Enabled.
• If an Xbox controller behaves oddly, the game may already read its native input — try disabling Steam Input.
• If the layout seems empty or broken, apply a standard Gamepad template.
• Change one setting at a time. Testing several input fixes at once makes it impossible to know which one worked.

Input Checklist

1. Tune look sensitivity and confirm the interact key before round one.
2. Agree the Mute gesture dictionary (yes / no / wait / repeat / 0–9) in the lobby.
3. Set push-to-talk for the speaking roles.
4. Test voice and lobby join before starting the timer.
5. If using a controller, verify Steam Input is set the way your controller needs.

Sources

• bombanana.wiki — Controls & Mic Fix
• PixelNitro — BOMBANANA Controller Not Working Fix (Steam Input)
• games.gg — Bombanana! (Mute emote wheel)
• Whisper of the House — BOMBANANA guide hub (voice/lobby notes)