Features Overview

The Typist mod transforms Balatro into a fully keyboard-driven experience. This guide covers all major features and how to use them effectively.

Universal Actions

Two keys provide consistent navigation across all game states:

Space - The “proceed” button that:
- Plays your selected hand in rounds
- Selects the upcoming blind
- Uses consumable cards
- Selects highlighted pack items
- Starts a new run from game over
- Clicks any “play” or “continue” button
Tab - The “dismiss” button that:
- Discards your selected hand
- Moves from shop to blind selection
- Sells consumable or joker cards
- Skips booster packs
- Closes overlay menus
- Exits to main menu from game over
Escape - Opens the options menu (available globally)
X - View run info (QWERTY layout)

Card Area Layers

Understanding Card Areas

Typist uses a “leader key” system to access different card areas. Hold a leader key, then press a position key to select cards in that area.

Available Card Areas

Leader Key	Area	Layout-Specific
`/`	Hand cards	QWERTY/Workman
`z`	Hand cards	Dvorak
`[`	Jokers	All layouts
`'`	Consumables	QWERTY/Workman
`-`	Consumables	Dvorak
Number row (1-0)	Top area (jokers + consumables)	All layouts
None	Shop/Pack cards	All layouts

Position Keys

After holding a leader key, use these keys to select cards by position:QWERTY Layout:

Row 1: a s d f g
Row 2: h j k l ;
Row 3: y u i o p
Row 4: q w e r t

Dvorak Layout:

Row 1: a o e u i
Row 2: d h t n s
Row 3: f g c r l
Row 4: ' , . p y

Workman Layout:

Row 1: a s h t g
Row 2: y n e o i
Row 3: j f u p ;
Row 4: b w r d q

Hand Management

Direct Selection (During Rounds)

In the SELECTING_HAND state, you can toggle cards without holding a leader key:

asdfg (QWERTY) - Toggle first 5 cards
aoeu (Dvorak) - Toggle first 5 cards
ashth (Workman) - Toggle first 5 cards
Use additional position keys for cards beyond the first row

Quick Select Commands

Key	Action	Description
`,` (QWERTY)	Left 5	Select leftmost 5 cards
`.` (QWERTY)	Right 5	Select rightmost 5 cards
`n`	Deselect All	Clear all selections
`m`	Invert Selection	Swap selected/unselected cards (max 5)

Sorting Commands

Key	Action	Description
`v` (QWERTY)	Sort by Rank	Order cards by rank value
`c` (QWERTY)	Sort by Suit	Group cards by suit
`b`	Sort by Enhancement	Reorder by modifiers (glass at end, lucky/mult at start)

Cheat Layer

Advanced Hand Selection

The cheat layer provides powerful shortcuts for selecting optimal hands. Access it by holding a leader key:

Leader Keys

Right Leader: p (QWERTY), l (Dvorak), ; (Workman)
Left Leader: q (QWERTY/Workman), ' (Dvorak)

Cheat Layer Commands

While holding a leader key:

Key	Action	Description
`b`	Best Hand	Select the highest-scoring hand available
`f`	Best Flush	Find and select the best flush suit
`s`	Spades	Select all Spades
`d`	Diamonds	Select all Diamonds
`c`	Clubs	Select all Clubs
`h`	Hearts	Select all Hearts
`2-9, 0`	By Rank	Select all cards of that rank
`j`	Jacks	Select all Jacks
`q`	Queens	Select all Queens
`k`	Kings	Select all Kings
`a`	Aces	Select all Aces

Reverse Selection

Hold Shift (either left or right) along with the leader key when pressing b to cycle through hand options in reverse order.Example: Hold p + Shift, then press b to cycle backwards through possible hands.

Deck Preview

Quick Deck Preview

View your entire deck without opening menus:

Layout	Key	Action
QWERTY/Workman	`z`	Hold to preview deck
Dvorak	`;`	Hold to preview deck

The preview appears above your hand and disappears when you release the key. This is especially useful for:

Checking remaining cards before discarding
Planning strategy for upcoming rounds
Tracking specific cards in your deck

Shop Actions

Buying and Using Items

Key	Action	Context
`c` (QWERTY)	Buy	Purchase highlighted item/pack/voucher
`v` (QWERTY)	Buy & Use	Purchase and immediately use consumable
`r`	Reroll	Reroll shop (costs money)
Tab	Leave Shop	Return to blind selection

Layout-specific buy keys:

QWERTY: c (buy), v (buy & use)
Dvorak: j (buy), k (buy & use)
Workman: m (buy), c (buy & use)

Key	Action	Requirements
Space/Enter	Select Blind	Start the highlighted blind
`s`	Skip Blind	Requires skip tag
`r`	Reroll Boss	Requires Director’s Cut/Retcon voucher + $10

Booster Packs

Selecting from Packs

Position keys - Select cards directly (no leader key needed)
Space - Confirm selection
Tab - Skip pack

Multi-Select in Special Packs

For Tarot and Spectral packs that allow multiple selections:

Hold Shift + / (QWERTY) to access hand cards
Use position keys to toggle multiple cards
Press Space to confirm

Card Movement & Manipulation

Moving Cards

Select a card using leader key + position key
Press a different position key to move the card to that slot
Works in hand, joker area, and consumables

Unacorn Feature

Snatching Cards from Amber Acorn Boss

The “unacorn” feature lets you protect a card from being shuffled:

Select a card (e.g., your best xMult joker)
Hold ** (backslash)
The card lifts above the play area
Release ** to drop it back

Use case: When facing the Amber Acorn boss blind, snatch your most important joker to prevent it from being shuffled out of position.Note: While a card is “unacorned” (lifted), you cannot sell or use it. This prevents accidentally selling it when pressing Space to start the blind.

Selling Cards

While a card is selected:

Press Tab to sell it (if sellable)
Works for jokers and consumables

Special Features

Splash Screen Skip

Press any key to skip the splash screen when launching the game.

Fast Run Start

From game launch to first blind:

Press any key (skip splash)
Press Space (start run)
Press Space (select deck)
Press Space (select blind)

You can start a run with just the Space bar!

Multiplayer Compatibility

BalatroMultiplayer Integration

When using with BalatroMultiplayer mod:PvP Blinds:

Space toggles ready state (instead of immediately starting)

Lobby Menu:

Space starts the run (if you’re the host)

Taikomochi Integration

Zen Mode Retry

When using with Taikomochi mod:Game Over Screen (Zen Mode):

Press Enter to retry the last ante

Debug Features

Debug Mode (DebugPlus Compatibility)

When the game is in debug mode and DebugPlus is installed:

Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Cmd (Mac) as a leader for the entire keyboard
All Typist and DebugPlus console features remain accessible
Left leader: lctrl or lgui (Mac)
Right leader: rctrl or rgui (Mac)

Tips & Tricks

Efficiency Tips

Speed Running

Use position keys for direct card selection (faster than mouse)
Master the cheat layer b key for instant optimal hands
Hold z for quick deck preview instead of opening the menu

Card Management

Sort by enhancement (b) before playing to see modifiers clearly
Use invert selection (m) to quickly switch strategies
Move important jokers to safe positions before boss blinds

Shop Optimization

Use c to rapid-fire purchase items
Combine selection + Tab to quickly sell unwanted cards
Press r to reroll without reaching for the mouse

Common Workflows

Example: Playing a Round

View hand automatically
Press p + b to select best hand
Press Space to play
Repeat until blind is defeated
Press Space to cash out

Example: Shopping

Use position keys to highlight items
Press c to buy
Press Tab to sell unwanted cards
Press r to reroll
Press Tab to leave shop

Example: Opening a Booster Pack

Position keys to select card
Press Space to confirm
Or press Tab to skip the pack

Get Started

User Guide

Technical

Community

Documentation Index

​Core Navigation

​Universal Actions

​Card Area Layers

​Available Card Areas

​Position Keys

​Hand Management

​Direct Selection (During Rounds)

​Quick Select Commands

​Sorting Commands

​Cheat Layer

​Leader Keys

​Cheat Layer Commands

​Reverse Selection

​Deck Preview

​Shop Actions

​Buying and Using Items

​Blind Selection

​Booster Packs

​Selecting from Packs

​Multi-Select in Special Packs

​Card Movement & Manipulation

​Moving Cards

​Unacorn Feature

​Selling Cards

​Special Features

​Splash Screen Skip

​Fast Run Start

​Multiplayer Compatibility

​Taikomochi Integration

​Debug Features

​Tips & Tricks

​Speed Running

​Card Management

​Shop Optimization

​Common Workflows

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Core Navigation