Stick It to the Stickman Controller Not Working Fix

Short answer: the community fix for a controller that won't control player 2 is a lobby workaround, but the author of that thread later said it was a beta-era trick and that the game had added a way to assign an input device to each player. The original steps, posted on July 6, 2024, were:

1. Be in the lobby where you can add another player.
2. Press I to put two players in the game.
3. Use the kill control on player 1.
4. Respawn player 1.

The poster's claim is that the controller then works as player 2's device. The later update is the part to check first on the Steam version you are running; the thread does not name the menu or screen where device assignment happens.

What changed after the beta

The thread is older than the 1.0 release. The Steam page lists Early Access on August 18, 2025 and full release on September 23, 2026. The last reply shown in the thread, from October 19, 2025, says the guide was for the beta and is "now useless" because input devices can be assigned to each player.

That reply is newer than the lobby trick, but it is not a 1.0 walkthrough and it does not give a menu path. Treat the numbered steps as the historical workaround and the per-player assignment option as the first thing to look for.

The disconnect-and-reconnect variant

A reply from April 13, 2025 said the original method did not work for that player and offered a variant: get player 1 and player 2 into the game with I, disconnect the connected controller for a moment, then plug it back in. The poster also mentioned going to "the tab" before reconnecting, without explaining which tab. This is a single player report, not a confirmed sequence for 1.0, but it is another reported thing to try if the original four steps do not take.

Older controllers and unreliable pads

In the same thread, one player said their friend had a bad controller. Another replied that old controllers are "a bit problematic" and suggested changing to a cheap Logitech controller in the style of an Xbox 360 pad that worked for them. That is a player suggestion, not an official compatibility list. The Steam page carries a popular user tag for Controller, but as of 2026-10-18 the page does not name specific supported controller models or give a setup guide.

Playing with a friend who isn't nearby

A reply in the thread suggested Parsec or Steam Remote Play. For Steam Remote Play, the poster only said to open the Shift+Tab overlay and that the option is "there somewhere"; they did not give a precise route. The Steam page lists Remote Play Together as a feature, which is the official Steam route to check. Parsec is the thread's community alternative, not an official recommendation.

General controller checks

The thread is about player-2 assignment, not a pad the PC never sees. If your controller is not detected at all, generic checks apply: confirm the operating system sees it, try another cable or USB port, and test it in another game. These are general suggestions, not steps confirmed for Stick It to the Stickman. If another game detects the pad, return to the assignment option and the reported workarounds above.

FAQ

Stick It to the Stickman controller not working: what's the fix?

The first thing to check is per-player input-device assignment, which the thread author said was added after the beta. If that option is not available, the original lobby workaround and the disconnect/reconnect variant are the player-reported alternatives.

How do you make a controller player 2?

In the beta-era thread: join the lobby, press I to add two players, kill player 1, and respawn player 1. The poster said the controller then became player 2. The author later called this obsolete.

Can I play with a friend who isn't nearby?

The thread suggests Parsec or Steam Remote Play, and the Steam page lists Remote Play Together. The thread does not give a precise setup route for either.

Do old controllers cause problems?

One player in the thread said old controllers are "a bit problematic" and suggested a different pad; another said a cheap Xbox 360-style Logitech controller worked for them. That is player experience, not an official compatibility list.