Slay the Spire on a Mac with a controller
The Slay the Spire 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, which lists full controller support. This layout is the mouse game from a pad, for a controller the game does not see or for players who prefer a free cursor.
Yes, Slay the Spire runs natively on the Mac with controller support, which steps between cards, and if it sees your pad it is a fine way to play. A deckbuilder is pointing at a card and then at an enemy, over and over, for an hour.
This layout is the mouse version instead, with a trick that suits every card game: two cursor speeds on two sticks. The left stick is slow and lands on a card, the right stick is fast and crosses the screen, and End Turn sits on the top face button, because you press it every turn.
On this page: 8 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Two pointer speeds. The left stick moves the pointer at 16, the right stick moves it left and right at 28.
- Play. The right trigger and the bottom face button are both the left mouse button, so you can play a card with whichever finger is free.
- Cancel. The left trigger is the right mouse button, which cancels a card you picked up.
- End turn and back. End turn (E) on the top face button. The right face button and Start are both Escape.
End Turn is a face button, because it is the one key you press every turn.
Tune it to how you play
- Fast stick up and down. The fast stick only moves sideways, because cards and enemies sit in rows. For both axes, add two rows for the right stick up and down that send mouse motion at 28.
- Cards by number. The number keys pick a card in hand. Put 1 to 4 on the D-pad and 5 to 8 behind a chord, with While holding set to the left bumper, and most turns need no cursor at all.
- A steadier pointer. For a shaky hand, raise the Deadzone on the slow stick so a resting thumb does not drift off the card. If you use the D-pad, turn on D-pad one direction at a time on the preset's page.
- Slay the Spire 2. The sequel is on Steam for the Mac too, and there is no layout for it in the app yet. A copy of this one is a good start, since both are pointer games. Check its end turn key and Scan the row if it differs.
Cards on the D-pad mean most turns need no cursor at all.
If the game ignores your pad
Climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Check the Mac. The pad should be listed under Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar.
- Change Steam Input. Change the game's Steam Input override (Properties, Controller) and relaunch.
- Send keys. Activate this layout. The game then gets a mouse and keyboard from the pad and does not need to see the controller.
If the game starts seeing the pad again, turn the preset off so one press does one thing.
Slay the Spire controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Slay the Spire, so the game was made to be played on a controller, menus included. A keyboard and mouse work as well, and the choice is yours. On a Mac, use the game's own controller support first when it sees your pad; this layout is for a pad it does not see, or for buttons it will not let you move. Full support listed means the controller is a first-class way to play Slay the Spire.
From Steam's listing, checked in October 2026. Every game's listing is in Mac games with controller support.
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 Slay the Spire 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.
Slay the Spire controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Slay the Spire'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 stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 28) | Cursor left (fast) |
| Right stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 28) | Cursor right (fast) |
| Right trigger | Left click | Play card / select (left click) |
| Left trigger | Right click | Cancel (right click) |
| A / Cross | Left click | Click |
| Y / Triangle | E | End turn (E) |
| B / Circle | Escape | Back (Esc) |
| 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
Why is my controller not working in Slay the Spire on Mac?
Check that the pad shows under Game Controllers in System Settings, then change the game's Steam Input setting (Properties, Controller) and relaunch. If it is still ignored, activate this layout: the game gets a mouse and keyboard from the pad.
Does Slay the Spire on Mac support controllers?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for the Mac version. This layout is the mouse game from a pad with two cursor speeds, for pads the game does not see or players who prefer a cursor.
Does Slay the Spire have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Slay the Spire, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Slay the Spire better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Slay the Spire, so it was made to be played on a controller, and a keyboard and mouse work as well.
Can I play Slay the Spire on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Slay the Spire 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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