--- key: mechanic/keyboard--family-chords type: mechanic id: keyboard--family-chords lang: en title: Simultaneous presses summary: >- Several keys held together form one command. PowerToys can replace one shortcut with another while preserving the intended action. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/keyboard--family-chords/' jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/keyboard--family-chords.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/keyboard--family-chords.md aliases: [] tags: - Physical keyboard interactions - Signals and timing sourceIds: - source-719540110f02454c sources: - id: source-719540110f02454c title: PowerToys Keyboard Manager url: 'https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: keyboard id: family-chords title: Physical keyboard interactions url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/keyboard/#family-chords' categoryIds: - section-1 supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: Simultaneous presses description: >- Several keys held together form one command. PowerToys can replace one shortcut with another while preserving the intended action. image: src: images/mechanics/control-powertoys-shortcut.webp width: 1440 height: 592 crop: x: 0 'y': 169 width: 964 height: 218 game: PowerToys Keyboard Manager sourceUrl: 'https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager' originalUrl: >- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/images/keyboard-manager/keyboard-remap-shortcut.png credit: Microsoft rights: >- Imagery © Microsoft. Developer-distributed screenshot or frame; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. caption: 'PowerToys: Alt+C is remapped to Ctrl+C' alt: 'PowerToys: Alt+C is remapped to Ctrl+C' markers: - x: 18 'y': 48 label: Two keys form the source shortcut Alt+C tips: - Check chord availability and conflicts with system shortcuts. examples: - title: PowerToys Keyboard Manager url: 'https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager' endsAt: null provenance: >- Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/keyboard --- # Simultaneous presses id: keyboard--family-chords type: mechanic key: mechanic/keyboard--family-chords lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/keyboard--family-chords/ Several keys held together form one command. PowerToys can replace one shortcut with another while preserving the intended action. ## At a glance ![PowerToys: Alt+C is remapped to Ctrl+C](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/control-powertoys-shortcut.webp) [PowerToys Keyboard Manager](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager) · Imagery © Microsoft. Developer-distributed screenshot or frame; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. 1. Two keys form the source shortcut Alt+C - Check chord availability and conflicts with system shortcuts. - [PowerToys Keyboard Manager](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager) ## How it works A chord here means a group of keys that together form one action. ## Variants ### Variants and applications - Coincidence of started pressing. Action: Multiple keys must begin to be pressed within tolerance. Application: Simultaneous strike, synchronized opening of locks, musical chord. Conditions: Physically perfect simultaneity is not required; a measurable window is specified. Equipment: Regular keyboard. - Joint retention. Action: The action is available as long as all the necessary keys are pressed. Application: Hold several seals, support the machine, collect a combination of ingredients. Conditions: The order of pressing may not matter. Equipment: Regular keyboard. - Modifier and action. Action: One key modifies the meaning of another as long as it is held. Application: Run plus movement, alternative shot, change of tool step. Conditions: Any assigned key can act as a modifier. Equipment: Regular keyboard. - Multi-level chord. Action: Two or more modifiers together with the main key select the action. Application: Expert commands, complex spells, a large set of tools. Conditions: Conflict checking and limiting the complexity of combinations are required. Equipment: Regular keyboard. - Chord as a symbol. Action: Each combination of a small set of keys represents a character or a word. Application: Shorthand input, fictitious language, limited controller control. Conditions: This can be implemented on regular keys; a specialized wall keyboard is a separate device. Equipment: Regular keyboard. - Accurate typing without extra keys. Action: Only the required set of keystrokes are accepted. Application: Collect binary code, play a constellation, pass a musical chord test. Conditions: You must clearly distinguish between “contains the required” and “matches exactly.” Equipment: A regular keyboard. - Chord with release confirmation. Action: The set is assembled while holding, then fixed when the selected or all keys are released. Application: Select the composition of the spell, type a shorthand syllable, run a batch of commands. Conditions: You must determine which release completes the assembly. Equipment: A regular keyboard. - Rolling chord. Action: The new key is pressed before the previous one is released; the intersection of states is important. Application: Interceptions on the rock, legato, holding a continuous power chain. Conditions: A simple sequence without intersection should differ in the result. Equipment: A regular keyboard. ## Context and limits Author's working classification for designing games and interactions. Options can overlap and combine; the list is not a generally accepted standard or proven exhaustive list. Application examples are conditional unless a specific verifiable observation is indicated nearby. Sources support individual techniques and technical limitations. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. - [PowerToys Keyboard Manager](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager) (id: source-719540110f02454c) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors