Shovel Knight Beginner Guide: Shovel Controls, Landing and Retrying
Check PC inputs against their setting names, then review starting and cancelling a Shovel Drop, selecting relics and retrying after failure. Specific recovery examples are in collapsed solutions.
Edition: Shovel of Hope within Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove for PC Steam (app 250760), normal single-player main campaign. New Game+, co-op, other campaigns, Showdown, DX, Dig and Pocket Dungeon are treated separately.
Verification scope: Public sources compared on 2026-10-04. The game has not been launched, the current build number has not been checked, and not every current Japanese UI name has been verified. Follow the controls shown in your settings.
Sources checked: 2026-10-04
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Check PC inputs against the settings screen
Public PC control references list WASD, K or Space, J, L, E and Enter. These can be remapped, so use your Options bindings if the keys below do not work.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Action | Example PC input | Required state | If nothing happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move, climb ladders and talk | WASD; W is up | Stand on walkable ground, overlap a ladder or approach a resident | Check your position and movement bindings |
| Jump | K or Space | Ground that permits a normal jump | Do not confuse menu confirmation with attack |
| Normal attack | J | Swing forward on the ground or in the air | Check whether the target is within reach |
| Shovel Drop | S (down) while airborne | Point the shovel down and hit an enemy or object you can bounce on | Check that you entered the command in the air, rather than focusing on holding it |
| Cancel Shovel Drop | Normal attack, J, while airborne | When you want to land on a platform instead of continuing to bounce | Check that another down input is not restoring the stance |
| Use a relic | L, or W + J depending on settings | Select a relic you own and have enough magic remaining | Do not confuse this with another campaign's controls |
| Select relic / pause | For example, E / Enter | Select a relic in the subscreen / open Options | Follow your own displayed bindings |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
This guide does not tell you to hold Jump to charge an attack. The charged-attack upgrade uses a held Attack button.
Shovel Drops behave differently on different targets
Not every target gives the same bounce height. Look at enemy defenses, breakable ground and the kind of bubble involved, then choose your landing point first.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Target or state | What to check | Input distinction | Failure to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal ground | Enough room to land | Align horizontally and descend | Landing on breakable ground while still Shovel Dropping |
| Bounceable enemy or object | Is its upper surface exposed? | Jump, press down, then adjust horizontally | Dropping onto shields or blades without checking |
| Breakable blocks | Will any ground remain underneath? | Break only what you need and cancel with a normal attack if necessary | Digging through several blocks and falling into a pit |
| Shielded enemy | Shield direction and the moment after a charge | Attack the unguarded side | Assuming an attack from above always works |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
Targets that produce a high Shovel Drop bounce differ from objects that produce a low one. Reach and safe height are not given as fixed numbers that have not been measured.
Solution 01
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Control example: practise starting, cancelling and landing early on
- At the rising bubbles in The Plains, first identify the floor on the far side
- Jump above a bubble, press down in the air to hit it, then add horizontal movement after bouncing
- When digging down through blocks, use one normal attack to cancel Shovel Drop once you have opened the hole you need
- Confirm you have landed before approaching the next enemy. If you fall short, adjust takeoff and the target's position separately
Do not apply the bubble-bouncing action directly to underwater bubble-like blocks. Some of those platforms disappear when you stand on them.
Decide before destroying a checkpoint
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| State | What you gain | What you lose | Example first-playthrough decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activate it and leave it intact | Practise from a nearby point after death | Forgo the extra money from destruction | Keep checkpoints before unfamiliar sections |
| Destroy a breakable checkpoint | Money on the spot | The ability to restart at that checkpoint | Consider it only when you can reliably pass the following section |
| Already destroyed | Restart from the previous intact checkpoint | Repeat the distance back to where you were | You may prioritize finishing over recovering bags |
| New Game+ | Retry while retaining purchased equipment and other progress | Fewer checkpoints and healing opportunities | Do not rely on the meals and checkpoints of a normal playthrough |
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Not every checkpoint can be destroyed. Even if a checkpoint returns when you revisit a normal stage, do not assume you can immediately restore it during your current attempt.
Solution 02
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Three choices after dropping your money
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Recovery and money state | Recovery steps | When it is lost | Decision and exceptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Die in normal armor | From the last active checkpoint, locate the bags visually | As a rule, you drop 1/4 of the money you carry | Losing money does not end the game through a limited-lives system |
| Bag on safe ground | Deal with enemies before touching the bag | Dying again before recovery replaces the previous bags | Do not jump past enemies just to chase the bags |
| Bag floating above a pit | If you own the Fishing Rod, see whether you can retrieve it from the ground | Jumping straight at the bag and dying again | The rod also consumes magic. Recovery is not guaranteed at every position |
| Cannot recover bags reliably | Protect your remaining money and continue, or consider Return to Map | Return to Map also rolls back gains and progress since entering the stage | It is not a way to keep the bags and escape safely |
| Final Guard equipped | Use the same recovery process | Sources state that the money dropped is reduced by half | Rounding has not been checked. It does not prevent falls |
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Distinguish retrying after death from ending a session
A checkpoint inside a stage does not mean you can permanently save there and quit.
- To continue, retry after death from the active checkpoint
- To cancel this visit, read the Return to Map explanation before selecting it
- To finish a session, return to the map after a clear or leaving the Village, and confirm the save has completed
The official instructions describe returning to the title as quitting without saving and Return to Map as rolling back to when you entered. You do not need to delete a save to recover.
Frequently asked questions
I keep bouncing in the air
A normal attack cancels Shovel Drop. On flat ground, check whether you are pressing down again after cancelling it.
My relic does not activate
Check the relic selected in the subscreen, your remaining magic and the Use Relic binding, in that order. Also check whether activation uses Up + Attack or a dedicated button.
Is destroying every checkpoint more profitable?
You are trading restart distance for extra money. Keep checkpoints in unfamiliar sections, then decide after checking whether you can reliably pass the route ahead; this makes practice easier.
Can I quit while keeping what I picked up?
It depends on how you leave. Official saving generally happens when you return to the map, while Return to Map rolls back progress from this stage visit. Check the saving section.