inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories. - Controls

inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories uses a deliberately tactile control scheme. Makoto does not restock Honki Ponki by clicking abstract menu buttons. She carries product crates, examines shelves, removes misplaced goods, rotates items at the checkout counter, scans purchases and records important information in her notepad.

The game is relaxed rather than time-driven, but understanding its different interaction modes makes every shift much smoother. Ordinary movement controls change slightly when Makoto inspects a shelf, holds a product, reads her notepad or works at the register.

The current PC version supports full control remapping, including separate primary and secondary bindings. Controller labels differ between platforms, but the physical button positions and functions remain broadly consistent.

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How Movement Works

Use the left stick or W, A, S and D to walk around Honki Ponki. The camera is controlled independently with the right stick or mouse.

Makoto has a sense of momentum and does not instantly rotate like a cursor. Make smaller directional changes when walking through narrow spaces between shelves, the register and the storage room.

Recent updates improved navigation around nearby obstacles, but carrying a large crate can still make tight turns feel wider than normal. Approach narrow doors directly instead of clipping the frame at an angle.

Moving While Carrying a Crate

A product crate occupies space in front of Makoto. Shelves, counters and doorways can stop it before Makoto's body reaches the obstacle.

When movement becomes awkward:

• Back away from the obstruction.
• Rotate the camera toward the open route.
• Approach the doorway or aisle from the centre.
• Put the crate down temporarily if the area is crowded.

Do not fight the collision system by repeatedly pushing forward. Repositioning once is normally faster.

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Interacting with People and Objects

Move close to an interactive customer, shelf, telephone, register, appliance or environmental object and press Interact. A prompt appears when Makoto is correctly positioned.

The same button is used for many actions, including:

• Starting conversations.
• Examining displays and shelves.
• Picking up crates and baskets.
• Using the telephone.
• Opening drawers or cupboards.
• Operating store equipment.
• Correcting badly placed products.
• Playing the gachapon machine.

When the prompt does not appear, move a little closer and face the intended object. The nearest interactable item may not be the one currently centred by the camera.

Talking to Customers

Approach a customer and use Interact. During conversation, advance text with the confirm button or left mouse button.

Dialogue is not merely decorative. Responses can affect what Makoto learns, how customers feel about her and which version of a personal story unfolds.

Take a moment to read each choice. The game generally avoids timers, so there is no advantage to selecting the first answer immediately.

Opening the Dialogue Log

Use the Text Log command when you miss a line or want to review the recent conversation. This is especially valuable when a customer mentions:

• A product they need.
• A person Makoto should contact.
• A future meeting.
• A clue about another regular.
• A preference that may matter on a later shift.

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Using Makoto's Notepad

Open the notepad to review current store duties, story tasks, remembered information and phone numbers. On PC, the default objective-notepad key is R; controllers use their map or View-style button.

The notepad is more than a quest marker. It helps connect details heard in conversation with tasks that must be completed elsewhere in the shop.

Turning Notepad Pages

Move left or right with the left stick or press A and D on the keyboard. Check every available page when a task appears unclear, as objectives and personal notes may be recorded separately.

Viewing Phone Numbers and Additional Notes

While the notepad is open, use the secondary information input—Triangle on PlayStation, Y on Xbox or F on PC—to view phone numbers and related details where available.

Make important calls before ending the shift. Some optional interactions and achievements depend on remembering routines that the main store checklist does not force you to complete.

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How Shelf Inspection Works

Approach a shelf or display and press Interact to enter shelf-inspection mode. Movement inputs now move the selection between shelf sections rather than walking Makoto around the store.

This is one of the game's most important control changes. When Makoto appears unable to walk away, you may still be inside inspection mode. Use Back or finish the current interaction first.

Moving Between Shelf Sections

Use the left stick or W, A, S and D to highlight another section of the same display. The active area is visually indicated.

Move section by section rather than repeatedly leaving and re-entering the shelf. This is especially useful for long refrigerator cases and multi-level snack displays.

Inspecting a Product

Select an item and use Inspect—Triangle, Y or F by default—to view it more closely. Product inspection can reveal its name, category and visual details.

Inspecting unfamiliar goods helps with customer requests and product-finding tasks. Honki Ponki contains many distinctive packages, and learning their positions is part of becoming comfortable in the store.

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Taking Products

While inspecting a shelf or holding a stock crate, use the Take Product command. Controllers normally use the left trigger, while PC uses the right mouse button.

Taking a product removes it from the selected position and places it into Makoto's active stock selection.

Use Take when:

• A product is on the wrong shelf.
• You want to rearrange a display.
• A customer asks Makoto to bring them an item.
• You need to replace an unsuitable product.
• A shelf must be emptied before restocking.

Placing Products

Use the right trigger or left mouse button to place the selected product into the highlighted shelf position.

The shelf must accept that product type. If the item refuses to appear, check whether:

• The wrong shelf section is selected.
• The active product is unsuitable for that display.
• The position is already occupied.
• You accidentally switched to another item in the crate.

Changing the Selected Product

Use L1 and R1, LB and RB, or the assigned PC control to cycle between product types available in the current crate or interaction.

Do not cycle unless the present item is wrong for the selected shelf. Changing products repeatedly can make it harder to remember which stock you were placing.

Correcting Misaligned Products

A product placed at the wrong angle or in an untidy position can be corrected with the Fix command. Select it and press Interact.

Fixing products is faster than removing and placing them again. Use it whenever a package appears crooked or visually inconsistent with the rest of the row.

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Working Efficiently with Stock Crates

Place a stock crate near the shelf you intend to refill. Constantly carrying the crate while moving between every shelf makes navigation slower and increases the chance of blocking customers or doorways.

A comfortable routine is:

1. Carry the crate from storage to the correct aisle.
2. Put it down beside the display.
3. Enter shelf-inspection mode.
4. Move through each shelf section.
5. Take products from the crate and place them.
6. Correct any crooked items.
7. Pick up the empty or partly used crate.
8. Move to the next display.

Putting the Basket or Crate Down

Use Square, Xbox X, Switch Y or Tab on PC. Choose a clear floor area where the crate will not block:

• The storage-room doorway.
• The path behind the register.
• The entrance.
• A customer's route through an aisle.
• Access to another shelf.

The store has no harsh efficiency penalty, but a thoughtful workspace makes the physical tasks feel much better.

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Checkout Controls

At the register, products must be handled as physical objects. Pick up or select the item, rotate it to find the barcode and move it across the scanner.

The checkout sequence is intentionally tactile rather than automatic.

Rotating an Item

On PC, hold both mouse buttons and move the mouse. With a controller, use the left stick while the product is active.

Rotate slowly until the barcode faces the scanning surface. Large movements can turn the product past the correct side.

Scanning a Product

Use R2, RT, ZR or the left mouse button once the barcode is aligned. A successful scan produces audiovisual feedback and registers the item.

When the scan fails:

• Rotate the product again.
• Move the barcode closer to the scanner.
• Check whether that item has already been scanned.
• Make sure the product, rather than the basket, is selected.

Do Not Rush the Register

Customers do not require frantic supermarket-simulator speed. Handle one item at a time, listen for the successful scan and then move to the next.

The checkout scenes often create opportunities for dialogue and observation. Treat them as part of the narrative rather than an efficiency test.

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Phone and Store Equipment Controls

Interact with the landline to call recorded numbers. Use Makoto's notepad when you need to check who is available.

Store equipment such as drawers, cupboards, freezers and cooking appliances also uses the standard interaction button. Context determines the action.

When a task mentions an item “near the register” or “in storage,” inspect cupboards, drawers and work surfaces rather than searching only the public shelves.

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Using the Gachapon Machine

Approach the capsule-toy machine and press Interact when Makoto has the appropriate coins and the machine is available.

The machine contains collectible Yojoki Masters toys. Play during each shift in which the option appears if you are pursuing a complete collection or related achievements.

Avoid repeatedly spending all available coins during one shift unless you are deliberately chasing duplicates. A steady daily routine makes it easier to remember whether the machine was used.

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Resetting the Current Shift

The current version includes a Reset Shift option in the pause menu. It returns the active night to its beginning.

Resetting is useful when:

• You selected a dialogue option by mistake.
• A task or object appears stuck.
• You forgot an important action earlier in the shift.
• A shelf or checkout interaction is behaving incorrectly.
• You want to explore a different narrative choice without completing the night.

Resetting removes progress made during that shift, so use it before investing more time in additional tasks.

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How to Remap Controls

• Open the pause or title menu.
• Select Settings.
• Open the Controls section.
• Select the gameplay, shelf, inspection or menu action you want to change.
• Choose the primary or secondary input slot.
• Press the replacement key, mouse button or gamepad input.
• Check for conflicts.
• Apply the new layout.

The updated PC version supports two bindings per action. This allows, for example, Interact to remain on E while also being assigned to a mouse thumb button.

Recommended PC Remapping

Keep Interact and Confirm Consistent

Using the same comfortable input for shelf interaction, customer conversation and environmental objects reduces hesitation.

Put Inspect Near Interact

These controls are often used one after the other. E and F form a convenient default pair.

Keep Take and Place on Opposite Mouse Buttons

The mirrored layout is easy to remember: one button removes a product and the other adds it.

Add a Secondary Notepad Binding

The notepad is checked frequently. Assign it to a mouse thumb button or another key that can be reached without moving far from WASD.

Test Shelf and Checkout Modes Separately

A binding that feels comfortable while walking may be awkward when holding two mouse buttons to rotate a product. Test every major activity after remapping.

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Recommended Controller Settings

Use Moderate Camera Sensitivity

The store is compact and contains many small interactive objects. Excessive sensitivity can make selecting an individual product or cupboard difficult.

Keep Take and Place on the Triggers

The trigger layout makes shelf organization feel intuitive and allows the right thumb to remain available for camera adjustment.

Keep Inspect on the Top Face Button

This separates the informational action from ordinary Interact and reduces accidental conversations or shelf changes.

Use the Secondary Bindings Where Available

Players with rear buttons can duplicate Put Down, Notepad or Inspect without replacing the familiar default controls.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic inKONBINI controls?

Move with the left stick or WASD, move the camera with the right stick or mouse and use Cross, Xbox A, Switch B or E to interact with customers, shelves and objects.

How do you open the notepad?

Press the Touch Pad on PlayStation, View on Xbox, Minus on Switch or R on PC.

How do you review dialogue?

Use the Text Log command during a conversation. The common controller input is Back or Circle, while the default PC binding is B.

How do you inspect a shelf?

Move close to it and press Interact. Movement controls then select different parts of the shelf.

Why can Makoto not walk away from a shelf?

You are probably still in shelf-inspection mode. Press Back or exit the interaction first.

How do you take a product?

Select the product or shelf position and hold the left trigger on a controller or the right mouse button on PC.

How do you place a product?

Select the destination and hold the right trigger or left mouse button.

How do you change the product in a crate?

Use the shoulder buttons or the assigned Change Product input.

How do you straighten a crooked product?

Highlight it and use the Fix or Interact command instead of removing it completely.

How do you put a crate down?

Press Square on PlayStation, Xbox X, Switch Y or Tab on PC.

How do you scan items at checkout?

Rotate the product until its barcode faces the scanner, then use the scan trigger or left mouse button.

How do you rotate checkout products on PC?

Hold both the left and right mouse buttons and move the mouse.

How do you talk to customers?

Approach them and press the normal Interact button.

Do dialogue choices matter?

Yes. Choices influence relationships and can change how individual customer stories develop.

Is there a time limit during shifts?

The game is designed as a relaxed narrative experience. Customers do not demand frantic service, so you can usually complete tasks and conversations at your own pace.

Can the controls be remapped?

Yes. The current PC version supports full keyboard, mouse and gamepad remapping, including primary and secondary bindings.

Can I reset a shift?

Yes. Open the pause menu and choose Reset Shift to return the current night to its beginning.

How do you use the gachapon machine?

Approach it with the required coins and press Interact when it is available.

Does inKONBINI support controllers on PC?

Yes. It supports gamepad input, although macOS users should check current compatibility notes when using third-party XInput controllers.

Which control method is best?

A controller suits the game's deliberate third-person movement and tactile shelf work. Keyboard and mouse provide more precise camera and checkout-item rotation. Both are fully usable.

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Final Control Advice

inKONBINI feels best when you slow down enough to notice which interaction mode is active. Ordinary movement, shelf selection, product handling, notepad reading and checkout scanning each reinterpret familiar buttons.

Place crates beside the correct aisle, use the triggers as a simple take-and-place pair, check the dialogue log when a detail slips past and open the notepad before assuming a task is unclear. The controls are not designed to test speed; they are designed to make everyday shop work feel tangible.

Continue with our inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories Tips and Tricks Guide for daily routines, shelf stocking, customer relationships, dialogue choices, gachapon toys, achievements and multiple playthroughs.