Darkest Dungeon on a Mac with a controller
The Darkest Dungeon layout is built into InputConfig, free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
On a Mac: Native on macOS through Steam and the Mac App Store. Steam lists partial controller support, DualShock included. Use that first. This layout is the mouse game from a pad, for pads the game does not see and for skills on the face buttons.
Yes, Darkest Dungeon runs natively on the Mac, and its controller support, which arrived with the console versions, is listed as partial on Steam. If it sees your pad, it is worth trying.
This layout is the mouse version from a controller, and the reason to want it is the skills: four skills on the four face buttons, so a turn becomes press, point, confirm, instead of a trip across the screen to the skill bar and back.
On this page: 8 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Pointer. The left stick, at 16.
- Confirm and back. The right trigger selects and confirms (left click). The left trigger backs out (right click).
- Skills. Skills 1 to 4 on the four face buttons.
- Pass and walk. The left bumper passes the turn (P). D-pad left and right walk the party through a corridor (A and D).
- Menu. Start opens the menu.
A skill per face button turns every combat turn into press, point, confirm.
Tune it to how you play
- The move skill. Look up its key in the game's controls and put it on the right bumper, next to pass.
- Small targets. Trinkets, camping skills and the inventory are small. Turn on Ramp-up on the pointer rows, or lower the Pointer speed slider on the preset's page while you manage the hamlet.
- Combat speed. That is the game's own option. With skills on buttons, it makes long expeditions much less of a grind on the hands.
- Darkest Dungeon II. This layout is for the first game. The sequel has different screens and keys, so a copy would need its rows Scanned to that game's keys.
If the game sees your pad and you use its own scheme, turn the preset off, so presses do not double. The game's slower combat plus skills on buttons is the kindest setup for tired hands.
Darkest Dungeon controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists partial controller support for Darkest Dungeon: it plays on a controller, but some parts, such as a launcher, text entry or a menu, still expect a keyboard or a mouse. This layout sends keys and mouse movement from the pad, which can cover the parts the game's own support leaves out. With partial support, a layout fills the gaps the game leaves.
From Steam's listing, checked in October 2026. Every game's listing is in Mac games with controller support.
If your controller is not working in Darkest Dungeon
When Darkest Dungeon does not react to your controller on a Mac, climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Check that the Mac sees the controller. Open the gamepad tester and press a button. If nothing lights up there, the problem is the connection, and a controller that is connected but not working covers that first.
- Check the Steam Input setting for Darkest Dungeon. In Steam, open Darkest Dungeon, Properties, Controller, and change the Steam Input override. A controller that works in Steam but not in the game goes through each choice.
- Play it from keys. If Darkest Dungeon still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Darkest Dungeon already reads. Turn the game's own controller option off while it runs, or a press can arrive twice. The layout works whether or not Darkest Dungeon ever sees the controller.
Get it in two clicks
- Get InputConfig free on the Mac App Store, open it, and click Smart Preset Maker on the welcome screen.
- Search for Darkest Dungeon and pick it. The layout is created as a preset in your sidebar, named and ready.
- Press Activate. Every row can be changed afterwards: the editor's Scan button rebinds any control the moment you touch it.
To check the controller itself first, the gamepad tester shows every button and stick live in your browser.
Darkest Dungeon controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Darkest Dungeon's default keyboard and mouse controls, as this layout expects them. If you changed a key in the game's settings, change the same row in InputConfig.
| Controller | Sends | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Left stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 16) | Cursor left |
| Left stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 16) | Cursor right |
| Left stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 16) | Cursor up |
| Left stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 16) | Cursor down |
| Right trigger | Left click | Select / confirm (left click) |
| Left trigger | Right click | Back (right click) |
| A / Cross | 1 | Skill 1 |
| B / Circle | 2 | Skill 2 |
| X / Square | 3 | Skill 3 |
| Y / Triangle | 4 | Skill 4 |
| LB / L1 | P | Pass turn (P) |
| D-pad left | A | Move party left (A) |
| D-pad right | D | Move party right (D) |
| Start / Options | Escape | Menu (Esc) |
Button names follow the Xbox / PlayStation pair shown in the editor, so A / Cross is the bottom face button on either pad. On a Switch Pro Controller the bottom button is labeled B; the mapping still fires on position.
Questions
Does Darkest Dungeon on Mac support controllers?
Steam lists partial controller support for the Mac version. This layout is the mouse game from a pad, with skills on the face buttons, for pads the game does not see or players who prefer a pointer.
Does this work for Darkest Dungeon II?
This layout is for the first game. Darkest Dungeon II has different screens and keys, so a copy of this layout would need its rows Scanned to that game's keys.
Does Darkest Dungeon have controller support?
Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for Darkest Dungeon: it plays on a controller, but some screens still expect a keyboard or mouse.
Is Darkest Dungeon better with a controller or a keyboard?
A controller works for most of it. Steam lists partial controller support for Darkest Dungeon, so some screens still expect a keyboard or a mouse, and a layout like this one can put those on the pad.
Why is my controller not working in Darkest Dungeon on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Darkest Dungeon still ignores it, change the game's Steam Input override in its Steam Properties, and if that does not help, activate the Darkest Dungeon layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Darkest Dungeon on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Darkest Dungeon has a native Mac version, and its minimum requirements are listed on its Steam store page, so check your Mac against that list. I have not tested it on each Mac. The controller layout itself works the same on any Mac that runs InputConfig.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
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