Trees Hate You character customization lets you personalize your hiker before stepping into the forest to get battered, shot, and squashed by malicious flora. Introduced by developer Tykenn during the demo updates, the creator gives you an alternative to playing as the default bespectacled protagonist by selecting the "Design a Victim" prompt at the start of a run.
Every aesthetic detail you choose carries directly into the game world, showing up on in-game wanted posters and reacting dynamically when lethal traps wipe you out.
How to Access Character Creation
When you launch a new run in the Trees Hate You demo on Steam or itch.io, the title screen presents two primary options:
- Be this loser: Instantly starts the game with the default bespectacled male hiker in casual picnic attire.
- Design a victim: Opens the full character creation suite, allowing you to configure facial geometry, hairstyles, clothing, and color palettes.
Developer Tykenn noted in official Steam announcements that the system was originally adapted from an earlier project and expanded to make the forest's trolling feel more personal. While the interface is identified by the developer as a work-in-progress, it offers full control over your character's visual identity.
Customization Categories and Available Options
The character creator includes multiple tabs to tweak your victim from head to toe. The options documented across official devlogs and demo gameplay include:
| Customization Category | Available Settings & Variations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Head & Chin Shape | Default, Chiseled / "Giga Chad", Flat Chin, Chubby Chin, Smooth | Modifies jawline definition and base facial structure. |
| Skin Color | Realistic tones (pale, tan) and fantasy colors (blue, red, orange, green) | Allows players to build normal hikers or alien-like victims. |
| Hairstyles | Flat tops, messy cuts, short neat cuts, long cuts, wild spikes | Includes multiple color swatches including black, blue, green, and gray. |
| Outfits & Tops | Loose t-shirt and shorts, overalls, jackets, trench coats, business suits, emperor capes | Features customizable colors for shirts, coats, and accents. |
| Facial Features | Noses (triangle, classic), Ears (standard sizes), Eyes (tired, dot, soulless, Link-styled) | Eyes can be paired with varied mouth expressions (smirks, sad frowns, buck teeth). |
| Facial Hair | Clean-shaven, mustache, full beard, neck beard | Can be toggled on or off regardless of outfit style. |
| Accessories | Classic glasses, sunglasses, 3D glasses | Glasses have dedicated physical reactions during gameplay. |
In-Game Reactive Features
Customizing your character is not just a menu cosmetic; the game actively integrates your design into the environment and death mechanics:
- Wanted Posters: In the forest, you will encounter "WANTED: THIS LOSER" boards nailed to trees. Rather than displaying a generic placeholder, the wanted posters dynamically render the exact face, eyes, hair, and accessories you created in the character menu.
- Flying Glasses: Following the Steam Next Fest demo polish update, any glasses or eyewear equipped on your character will physically launch off your face whenever a tree strikes or shoots you.
- Physical Collision: While different clothing items such as capes, lab coats, and suits change visual appearance, hitboxes remain uniform so that cosmetic choices do not alter trap timing.
Collectible Hats and Forest Items
Hats function as both a character customization preview and a core collectible mechanic within the forest:
- Menu Previews: Certain headwear items can be previewed directly in the customization screen as a showcase for full-game unlocks.
- In-Game Chests: While navigating the demo's obstacle courses, players can take detours off the main path to discover treasure chests. For example, a hidden chest in the first chapter rewards a dapper Top Hat.
- Hat Durability: Tykenn noted in official updates that "no promises that every hat will survive the journey." Traps and specific encounters—such as revived dead trees—can knock your hat off, requiring players to unequip it in the inventory or exploit checkpoint respawns if they want to retain the look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you change your appearance mid-run in Trees Hate You?
No. Your character's appearance is set at the start of a run when choosing "Design a Victim." To change your hairstyle, skin color, or clothing, you must start a new game from the main menu.
Do outfits provide defense against tree attacks?
No. Outfits such as suits, coats, and capes are strictly cosmetic. Every trap in the game—from flying torpedo trees to pistol-wielding trunks—remains lethal regardless of what your character wears.
Where do you get the Top Hat in the Trees Hate You demo?
The Top Hat is located inside a treasure chest along a side path in Chapter 1. Opening the chest places the hat on your character, though nearby tree hazards will immediately attempt to knock it away.
