If you are encountering the same 'problem', don't forget to turn on your CAPS-lock. In my case, I can't use the numbers you can find on the right hand side I need to use the ones above the letter-part. Each direction indicates how your minion will respond in the game, and during boss battles you'll need to use 1/2/3 to fling the small enemies to your opponent. If you are playing on a PC, you will need to use the navigation arrows. During boss battles, you'll see small enemies with some kind of cross-hair that surrounds them, which indicates that you'll need to tap on them to fling them at your opponent.
Swiping up is jumping, down is rolling, and with left and right allows you to switch paths. If you are playing this game on a Windows 8 tablet, you will need to use the swipe-controls.
