The Trees Hate You demo is a free trial version of the rage-inducing indie comedy adventure by solo developer Tykenn. Available on Steam after an initial release on itch.io, the demo puts you in the shoes of a hiker attempting to leave the woods after a peaceful picnic, only to face relentless, unfair ambushes from sentient foliage. It covers the entire first chapter of the game, complete with character customization, secret collectibles, and an unlockable Challenge Mode.

How to Download and Play the Trees Hate You Demo

Players can download the free demo directly from the official Trees Hate You store page on Steam. Tykenn originally distributed early builds of the demo on itch.io before launching the official Steam demo ahead of the Wishlisted showcase and Steam Next Fest.

The demo runs natively on both Windows and Linux PC platforms. According to the developer's official Steam listing, system requirements are minimal:

  • Operating System: Windows 10 or higher
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Input Support: Full controller support, including native DualShock and DualSense integration, keyboard-only navigation, and standard mouse/keyboard setups

In Steam community discussions, some players running unlocked frame rates at high resolutions noted increased GPU temperatures and fan speeds. If your machine runs warm, enabling VSync or capping your frame rate in your graphics settings helps keep temperatures stable during playthroughs.

Character Customization: "Be This Loser" or "Design a Victim"

When you begin a new game in the demo, the title immediately mocks you with two starting choices: Be this loser (the default bespectacled nerd model) or Design a victim.

Choosing to design your victim opens a character creator where you can customize multiple cosmetic layers:

  • Face and Chin Shapes: Default, flat, smooth, or rounded jawlines
  • Skin Tone: Standard human tones as well as unusual colors like green, blue, or bright orange
  • Hairstyles and Colors: Pigtails, messy styles, buzz cuts, mullets, and custom hue sliders
  • Outfits: Suits, coats, loose shirts with shorts, overalls, and capes with adjustable trim colors
  • Facial Features and Accessories: Noses, mouth expressions, beards, mustaches, and glasses

A comedic touch added in recent demo updates causes your character's glasses to fly off their face the moment a tree eliminates you.

Chapter 1 Gameplay: Traps, Gags, and Forest Hazards

The demo tasks you with reaching the exit of the forest, but progression relies entirely on trial, error, and memory. Trees do not behave like static environmental objects; they actively anticipate your movements, punish hesitation, and exploit your gaming instincts.

Key hazards encountered across Chapter 1 include:

  • Armed Trees: Multiple trees wield firearms and will shoot on sight from straight or diagonal angles as soon as you step into their firing line.
  • Flying and Rolling Attackers: Trees detach from the ground to launch themselves like torpedoes, drop from the canopy, or roll across narrow paths like boulders.
  • Misleading Signs: The game advises you on your first sign to read everything you see. However, following signboards often leads to death. A notable sign tells players to press Tab to "check for trees," which instantly triggers an elimination or opens a lethal menu gag.
  • Ground Indicators and Ambush Bushes: Certain discolored leaf patches or brown ground textures reveal where trees will suddenly sprout to block paths or strike you from behind.
  • Speeding Pursuit Trunks: Specific trees track your position and accelerate if you linger or sprint along obvious central trails.

Throughout the run, you will pass checkpoints marked by flags. While early areas offer checkpoints relatively frequently, later stretches require navigating multi-step gauntlets of falling trunks and sniper trees before you reach safety.

Hidden Collectibles, Hats, and the In-Game Arcade

Despite being a short preview, the demo rewards exploration off the beaten path with several secret items:

  • Tree Coins: Hidden in optional corners, down side routes, and behind fake environmental dead ends.
  • Top Hat: Found inside a treasure chest located along an alternate pathway. Equipping it adds a formal top hat to your customized character, though environmental traps can strip it away shortly after.
  • The "Trees Hate You" Arcade Cabinet: Later in the chapter, you can deposit collected coins into an arcade cabinet found in a clearing. It launches a retro-styled mini-game within the game where your character dodges swarms of descending trees to set a high score.

How to Beat the Demo and Unlock Challenge Mode

Surviving the final gauntlet of tripping brambles and rolling hazards leads to the forest highway. Once you cross, a cutscene reveals a tree driving a truck that runs you down, sending your character to "tree heaven" and a confrontation with a giant arboreal entity at the top of a grand staircase.

Reaching the Chapter 1 conclusion screen unlocks Challenge Mode, which introduces specific adjustments designed for speedrunning and experienced players:

  • Trap Layout: Every trap is active right from the start, removing variations that occur between standard respawns.
  • Seeded Randomness: Randomized trap events are seeded to play out consistently rather than unpredictably.
  • Increased Difficulty: Additional obstacles and hazards are placed along the route to restrict safe zones and narrow dodging windows.

Recent demo patches also added a built-in run timer and a death counter, which display on the end-of-run summary screen and can be toggled onto your active HUD via the in-game Settings menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the full version of Trees Hate You release?

The official Steam store page lists the planned release date as November 16, 2026. Developer Tykenn has announced that the full release will include multiple new biomes, stranger surprises, worse tree variants, and the ability to finally use an axe.

Can you play the Trees Hate You demo with a controller?

Yes. The demo features full controller support, including native compatibility with PlayStation DualShock and DualSense controllers, standard gamepads, and customizable keyboard setups.

Does the demo support languages other than English?

In official community updates, developer Tykenn stated that the current demo build is only available in English, with full localization across 22 supported languages planned for later updates and the complete release.

What do the coins do in the Trees Hate You demo?

The coins you find tucked into secret alcoves are used to play the in-game retro arcade cabinet located near the end of Chapter 1. Inserting a coin allows you to attempt the tree-dodging mini-game to earn a high score.