The game fully simulates power, biology, atmosphere, chemistry, and other complex object and environmental interactions depending on game settings. Controls can differ greatly between servers, but WASD/arrow key based movement and a 'hand' system are fairly consistent. Some servers also entirely lack the intent/combat mode system. Additionally, some servers use a 'combat mode' system that assigns these intents to the left and right mouse buttons, with a single key to alternate between two modes that have different effects.

For example, using your character's hands on a fallen player with help intent would cause you to help them up from the ground, while using harm intent could punch or kick them. Additionally, depending on the server, the player can change their character's 'intent' between four different states (Help, Disarm, Grab, Harm) which will further influence actions taken. using a crowbar on another player would attack them but using it on a floorboard would pry it up). Different results will occur depending on many variables in any given interaction (e.g.

The player can interact with nearly any object or being in the game world in a context-sensitive fashion.

Screenshots depicting the user interfaces of Goonstation (left) and /tg/station 13 (right), both forks of a source release of Goonstation in 2010 a more extreme example of diversity between servers.

Space station 13 colonial marines