Mouse input
In 1.0.3, left-click dragging moves the screen; holding left click removes a shelved book. Middle-button dragging was disabled. If an older guide tells you to use the middle button, follow the new control scheme instead.
Controls & Settings for The Grand Book Archive
Drag with the left mouse button to move the view. Hold left click on a shelved book to return it to the stack. Demo 1.0.3 replaces middle-button dragging and adds touchscreen input, with a PC recommendation.
Inblue Games key artGame context
Touchscreen support and the PC recommendation
Choosing a download or browser version? Compare the official demo options.
Demo 1.0.3 adds touchscreen input, but the developer reports that it is not smooth on mobile browsers and recommends PC. The Steam demo announcement confirms mouse, touchscreen and partial keyboard input, with no default gamepad support. The developer had not tested Steam Deck when announcing the demo; touchscreen support alone is not a Deck compatibility or performance guarantee.
Official 1.0.3 controls and touchscreen notes and the Steam demo input announcement.
Documented inputs
What is confirmed
The official itch.io metadata and update notes are the source of truth for this summary.
Keyboard movement
The official 1.0.1 notes say keyboard movement is enabled by default. The public notes do not establish a complete universal key table, so this page does not guess one.
Screen-edge pan
The 1.0.1 notes say screen-edge pan can be toggled off. Open Settings and turn off screen-edge pan if moving the pointer to an edge moves the view unexpectedly.
Books hidden behind the UI or a troublesome window
Hide the interface to inspect a stack
Use the Hide UI button at the bottom of the game when interface panels obscure the books. The button moved there in Demo 1.0.2, so older instructions pointing to the top-left corner are outdated.
This controls the interface display; it does not establish a setting to pin a book-name tooltip elsewhere.
Try a different resolution for the download
For the executable download, the 1.0.2 notes recommend changing the resolution if windowed mode still fails. Try that fallback in the downloaded game. It is not a browser-window setting or a documented mobile fix.
Official 1.0.2 interface and windowed-mode notes. These are documented options, not a promise that every display issue is fixed.
Troubleshooting
When the game feels unresponsive
Refocus the game
Click once inside the game area, then try the documented keyboard movement again. A browser tab or popout can lose focus after another window is used.
Check the current settings
If edge movement is distracting, look for the screen-edge pan toggle described in the 1.0.1 notes. The toggle is documented in the official 1.0.1 camera update.
Use the official build
Open the game from the official itch.io page when testing. Third-party embeds or old cached copies may not match the current Demo.
This guide covers the documented mouse and camera changes through Demo 1.0.3. It is not a complete keybinding reference. Custom remapping and a Space-bar quick-grab action have not been verified here; the Steam announcement explicitly says there is no default gamepad support.
Continue the archive run
Sorting basics
Read the official 10-book shelf clarification.
Open sorting guide →Missing books & saves
Use the official re-entry and Save and Exit reminders.
Open save guide →Upgrade decisions
Compare goals without relying on an unverified Tier List.
Open upgrade guide →