Project Afternight Keybinds
4K defaults plus the extra-key rows you must fill before a 9-key chart loads.
Most Project: Afternight songs are 4K. A loud minority are not. This tool page is the bind map. Island movement stays on controls. The rest of the options tree is settings.
4K — set this tonight
Two defaults people actually use:
| Lane | Arrows | WASD |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Left arrow | A |
| Down | Down arrow | S |
| Up | Up arrow | W |
| Right | Right arrow | D |
Pick one family and stay there. Rebind in Settings → Keybinds → 4K. Do not leave two lanes on one key. Do not use E or Space if you still mash those on the island between songs.
DFJK (osu! / 4K mania) is a valid custom map if that is already in your hands. The engine will not import osu! files; you type it.
Extra keys exist because the song list is unhinged
Public showcases document 8K, 9K, 10K, 11K, 12K, 13K, 16K, 18K files (Fangirl Frenzy through Rebellion, plus God Mode ramps). The embedded video in the middle of this page is a 40-minute tour of those charts. If you never open them, you never need those rows. If you open them with empty binds, you will hit 30% and blame the wiki.
Fill extra-key rows before the countdown. There is no pause-menu miracle after four new receptors appear.
A practical extra-key approach:
- Add adjacent keys (for 5–6K, grow outward from 4K).
- For 8K+, use two-hand spreads you already know from mania games.
- Do not invent a 10-finger fantasy if you have seven working fingers. The showcase player said the quiet part out loud.
Shaggy / Matt tabs are the usual “why is there 9K” surprise in versus. Song tiers marks those D/C. Versus says leave if you did not bind them.
Mobile and controller
Touch receptors are on-screen. Extra-key mania on a phone is a meme. Lower note speed, skip 8K+. Controller players must verify each extra-key row; Xbox defaults will not magically become 12K.
Bots and extra characters on screen
High-key files often spawn extra bots. The showcase notes a four-bot custom cap, with extras pulled from friends. That is visual noise, not a bind, but it is why FPS dies on 18K. Extras off in settings.
After a patch
If Eye of Corruption or a smaller hotfix emptied binds, re-enter 4K first, then extra rows you actually use. Screenshot the menu. Re-entering 18 keys from memory every month is a hobby you do not want.
Shop unlocks do not care which physical keys you used. They care that you passed the chart. Binds are how you get to 70%, not a second economy. How rewards work.
Restart and pause deserve a sentence. Put restart chart on a key that is not a lane. Hitting Left while trying to reset is how a 200 combo becomes a clip of shame. Pause should open PAFN’s pause, not Roblox’s escape menu on top of it — two stacked UIs is a classic missed hold. Test both before versus.
5K–7K files exist even if the showcase video jumps from 8K. Grow outward from your 4K cluster instead of inventing a new home row. If a song is 6K and you only bound 4K plus two random numbers, you will mash empty space.
Keyboard rollover matters more than the wiki usually admits. Cheap laptops ghost five-key chords. Mania charts love chords. If 8K feels physically impossible, it may be the keyboard, not your brain. Try a board that can NKRO or at least 6KRO before you buy a new “skill issue” narrative.
If you came here from a 4K-only life, you can leave after the first table. The rest of this page is a warning label for the video below it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
What are the default 4K keys?
Arrows or WASD. Rebind in Settings → Keybinds. Island keys stay on controls.
Do I need 18-key binds?
Only for those songs. Fill the row before you press play.
Can I import osu! binds?
Not as a file. Type the map once in PAFN.
Why did versus suddenly go 9-key?
Shaggy/Matt-style files. Leave the stage if you are unbound. Versus.