Do you need a controller?
For co-op, the official Steam listing is clear: controller operation is required for 2-player mode. For solo play, do not rely on a creator’s offhand “you need a controller” statement as definitive when the official page narrows the requirement to multiplayer.
If you are preparing to play at launch, a controller is still a sensible choice for a platformer, but this guide will not claim keyboard-only solo is impossible without shipping-build confirmation.
Normal and Hard in pre-release footage
A Japanese pre-release stream shows a difficulty selection that describes Normal as the more forgiving option for players less familiar with platformers: lower incoming damage, more health/recovery opportunities and more checkpoints. Hard is framed around higher punishment and reduced support.
The important part for guide use is not the exact numeric tuning — none is published in the current source pack — but the fact that difficulty affects execution pressure while the underlying emotion puzzle remains the same.
Assist mode is for reading the puzzle, not skipping it
Pre-release footage describes an Assist option that reduces punishment and improves access to hints/support. If a room is teaching you which actor should receive an emotion, dying repeatedly on the way to the experiment adds noise. Using Assist can make it easier to observe the mechanic and then return to a harder setting once the logic is clear.
Which setting should you choose?
First MONOWAVE run: Normal is the clearest baseline for learning the emotion system.
You understand the puzzle but execution is blocking learning: use Assist/support if the shipping build keeps the current option.
You already read platformers quickly and want fewer safety nets: Hard is the obvious fit, but expect mistakes to cost more.
What needs rechecking after unlock
Control bindings, exact Assist behavior, and any difficulty tuning can change between pre-release footage and the shipping build. The official controller statement is already strong enough for co-op; single-player binding details should be updated from the final in-game menu rather than guessed from creator hardware.
Co-op setup: the one controller rule we can state confidently
The official full-game Steam page lists shared/split-screen co-op and says controller operation is required for 2-player mode. That means a local co-op setup should plan around at least one controller rather than assuming two keyboard players will work. The exact device assignment flow belongs to the shipping menu and should be verified there after unlock.
For solo play, the safest launch advice is different: use whichever supported input the final settings menu exposes, and do not treat a pre-release creator’s personal setup as a platform requirement.
Difficulty does not change the recommended solving order
Whether you choose Normal, Hard or an Assist-supported setup, keep the same puzzle process: identify the obstacle, identify the emotion, decide whether Mono or a spirit needs it, then execute. Hard mode may make poor execution more expensive, but it should not change the reason a state solves the room. That consistency is useful when moving between settings while learning.
What the official Steam listing settles for launch setup
| Listing item | Official value | What it means for your setup |
|---|---|---|
| Full controller support | Listed | Modern pads are supported natively; no remapping tool required. |
| Gamepad Recommended | Listed | A pad is the developer-recommended default for a platformer, but a recommendation is not a requirement. |
| Keyboard Only Option | Listed | The listing itself supports a keyboard-only solo path — the part pre-release creator commentary left unclear. |
| Players | 1–2 players, shared/split-screen co-op | The second player needs a controller, and Remote Play Together is supported for remote co-op. |
| Difficulty | Adjustable | Pressure can be lowered without changing the emotion logic of a room. |
| Comfort and color options | Camera Comfort, Color Alternatives, Contrast controls | If two emotion colors blur together for you, check the color/contrast settings before assuming you misread the puzzle. |
| Platforms and size | Windows 10 21H1 or later, macOS, about 4 GB storage | The screenshots on this site come from the Windows build. |
Two practical notes follow from that list. First, because MONOWAVE identifies emotions by color, the official Color Alternatives and Contrast options are the right first stop if you keep mixing up Happiness and Sorrow at a glance — it is a set of listing features aimed at exactly that problem, not a hint that you are playing the game wrong. Second, Save Anytime and Steam Cloud are both listed, so experimenting with an emotion setup and dying is cheap: reload the checkpoint and treat the fail as a test rather than a setback. Source: official Steam listing, checked 2026-09-16.