Hats in Trees Hate You serve as cosmetic collectibles that let you customize your character, though the forest will do everything in its power to rip them away from you. Developed by Tykenn, the indie rage-adventure game challenges players to hike home after a picnic while surviving relentless floral traps. While developer announcements confirm that multiple cool and ugly hats are planned across different biomes, the free demo features the elusive Top Hat hidden inside a forest treasure chest.
Normally, walking away after collecting the Top Hat triggers a scripted tree ambush that snatches and destroys it. However, players have discovered simple workarounds to bypass this trap and keep the hat equipped.
How Hats and Customization Work in Trees Hate You
According to the official Steam store page and developer updates from Tykenn, character customization allows players to either jump straight into the game as a default bespectacled character or select "Design a Victim" at the start. The customization suite includes options for hair, clothing, eyes, mouths, and skin tones.
Hats expand upon this cosmetic system as collectible world items found inside treasure chests during your hike. As developer Tykenn noted in an official development announcement, the full game will feature a variety of hats scattered throughout different biomes, with the explicit warning that "no promises that every hat will survive the journey." Most hat pickups are deliberately paired with troll traps designed to humiliate the player right after they equip a new look.
Where to Find the Top Hat
In Chapter 1 (the forest demo), the Top Hat is located in a treasure chest tucked away along a side route near the arcade machine section:
- Progress through the forest checkpoints until you reach the area with directional arrow signs that flip directions to mislead you.
- Avoid the falling apple bombs and rolling spherical obstacles on the main pathway.
- Take the path heading toward the lower clearing where an isolated wooden chest sits near a dead, leafless tree.
- Interact with the chest to receive the notification: "You found a top hat."
Your character will immediately wear the formal black top hat. Under normal circumstances, walking back toward the main path causes the dead tree to spring to life, snatching the hat off your head and ripping it to pieces.
How to Keep the Top Hat
Community players and guide creators have confirmed two working methods to prevent the tree from stealing your Top Hat after looting the chest.
Method 1: The Menu Tree Trick
The most popular workaround relies on forcing a respawn immediately after picking up the item:
- Open the chest and collect the Top Hat.
- Before taking more than a few steps or walking into the ambush trigger, press Tab to open the in-game menu.
- Select the option to "check for trees."
- A hidden menu trap will trigger, causing a tree branch to swat and kill your character.
- Once you respawn at your nearest checkpoint flag, your character will still be wearing the Top Hat.
Because the respawn registers the item as already collected while bypassing the specific step-trigger for the tree's grabbing animation, you can walk forward and continue through the level with your hat intact.
Method 2: Inventory Unequip
A secondary method shared in the Steam community discussion forums allows players to preserve the hat without sacrificing a life. Players report opening the inventory immediately after opening the chest and unequipping the Top Hat before walking back through the clearing. Once you have cleared the ambush zone, the hat can be safely accessed without triggering the destruction event.
Planned Hats in Future Biomes
The ending screen of the Chapter 1 demo and official Steam previews showcase several upcoming environments beyond the starting woods, including beach levels with palm trees, snowy winter zones with snowmen, and mountainous rocky terrain. Developer announcements confirm that more hats—ranging from stylish accessories to intentionally ridiculous headwear—will be hidden across these new biomes in the full release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hats provide any stat bonuses or protection?
No. Hats in Trees Hate You are purely cosmetic fashion items. They do not grant extra health, speed boosts, or immunity to tree attacks, gunshots, or tripping roots.
What happens if I lose the Top Hat to the tree?
If the leafless tree snatches the Top Hat, it is destroyed for that run. Returning to the chest will reveal it is empty, meaning you must restart or load from an earlier save to attempt the pickup again.
Can you wear hats in Challenge Mode?
Yes, cosmetic options and hats remain accessible in Challenge Mode, though the mode itself removes random respawn events and adds tighter, more punishing trap layouts along the main trail.
