By going to the map screen it shows you four available areas you can go to in search of loot that you need to survive the night. While on the map screen you use WASD to choose which direction you want to go and it will take you to each respective location.
While in map mode or at night you'll use WASD to move, otherwise you type out commands to control the game. There is not supposed to be a character, you are simply viewing the scenes from above or in the first person. Not every command will work on every screen, but there is no negative side to using a command that does nothing so don't be afraid to try things out.
