Playing Trees Hate You requires navigating narrow forest trails using standard movement keys while anticipating deliberate trap gags from hostile flora. Developer Tykenn designed the game as a comedy rage-adventure where players hike back from a picnic while dodging unfair environmental hazards. Survival depends on baiting attacks, memorizing dynamic trap spawns, and ignoring misleading signs, especially since the game gives you no jump button.
Basic Controls and Core Mechanics
Before stepping onto the trail, you can select "Be this loser" to play with the default hiker or choose "Design a victim" to customize hair, face shapes, outfits, and accessories.
The control layout relies on standard keyboard or controller inputs:
- Movement: Use WASD (or keyboard directional keys / controller sticks) to walk along the trail.
- No Jumping: There is no jump mechanic in Trees Hate You. You cannot leap over logs, roots, or incoming projectiles.
- Chop Action: The controls list a chop action mapped to F (or X on some controller setups), though official Steam details state that finding an axe is an objective rather than an immediate starter tool.
- Checkpoints: Reaching red and green trail flags registers your respawn point. However, taking certain side routes or picking up specific collectibles can alter or reset your active checkpoint.
- The Tab Trap: Early on, an in-game sign advises you to press Tab to check for trees if you get stuck. Pressing Tab opens an interface overlay that promptly crushes or kills you as a developer troll gag.
Enemy Tree Types and Hazard Behaviors
Not all trees in the forest act the same way. In playthroughs of the demo, players encounter distinct visual and behavioral cues that signal how a tree will attack:
| Tree Type | Visual Appearance | Attack Behavior | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gun Tree | Dark green foliage | Draws a handgun or revolver and fires straight or angled bullets. | Bait the shot from a distance, hug side walls, or take cover behind fallen logs and other trees. |
| Falling / Pale Tree | Light-colored or tan trunk/leaves | Topples over directly onto the path or falls from the canopy above. | Watch for shadows on the ground; step forward to trigger the fall, then quickly backtrack. |
| Chaser / Bully Tree | Triple-cone or legged trunk | Sprints after the hiker once you enter its line of sight or cross its trigger line. | Run past it immediately or maneuver around obstacles to break its chase path. |
| Sprouting Tree | Hidden underground | Pops directly out of the dirt to crush the player. | Avoid stepping on discolored dirt or yellowish dry leaf patches along the path. |
| Torpedo / Rocket Tree | Horizontal conical pine | Flings itself horizontally across corridors at high speed. | Stay centered or hug specific safe boundaries depending on corridor width. |
| Apple Bomb Tree | Deciduous fruit tree | Drops bright red apples that detonate and wipe out wide areas. | Run clear of the drop radius immediately when the fruit shakes loose. |
| Tripper / Stretcher Tree | Bulky trunk or creeping roots | Extends long branches to push you off cliffs or spreads roots that trip and slow your character. | Go behind the trunk where possible; avoid tripping over roots while rolling boulders approach. |
Step-by-Step Survival Strategies
1. Bait Traps Before Committing to a Path
Because you cannot jump or sprint, rushing blindly into open paths will trigger instant deaths from sniper trees or falling timber. Inch your character forward until you hear sound cues or see a tree twitch, turn, or draw a weapon. As soon as the animation begins, tap the opposite direction to step out of its hit box.
2. Treat Signboards as Deceptions
The game's first sign tells you to read every sign you see, but nearly every signboard is written by the trees to troll the player. Signs that show directional arrows frequently point toward spike bushes, explosive apple drops, or dead ends. Furthermore, signboards occasionally change their indicated direction after you die, requiring you to test which route remains genuinely safe on your current attempt.
3. Use Hostile Trees as Cover
Bullets fired by gun-wielding trees can hit other environmental objects. If two trees cover a narrow chokepoint, position yourself so the forward tree absorbs the gunfire of the tree behind it, opening a brief window to walk past while they reload or reset.
4. Watch the Ground Texture
Sudden popup trees do not spawn on standard green turf. They exclusively sprout from dry dirt patches and yellowish markings on the ground. When moving through open clearings, walk around these distinct ground circles rather than straight over them.
Collectibles and Demo Endings
While working your way through the forest trails, you can find optional secrets:
- Tree Coins: Found along dangerous dead-end paths. These coins can be inserted into an arcade cabinet hidden along the trail to play a retro mini-game titled Trees Hate You.
- Treasure Chests: Hidden off the main trail. Opening them rewards cosmetic gear, such as a Top Hat, though subsequent traps may humorously tear the hat off your head.
- Act 1 Conclusion: Surviving the bramble dash and crossing the road triggers a scripted event where a truck driven by a tree knocks your character into "tree heaven." Completing this sequence concludes the demo of Act 1 and unlocks Challenge Mode on the main menu for players seeking an extra difficulty spike.
Release Date and Platform Availability
Official Steam store data confirms that Trees Hate You is developed and published by Tykenn, with a planned full release date of November 16, 2026. The game supports single-player gameplay on Windows and Linux systems, featuring full controller support, Steam Cloud, and multi-language localization. A free playable demo is available on Steam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you jump in Trees Hate You?
No. There is no jump button in the game. All obstacles must be cleared through positioning, timing, and baiting hazard triggers.
What happens when you press Tab in Trees Hate You?
Pressing Tab opens a "check for trees" menu gag that results in your character getting killed by a tree. It is a joke trap mentioned on an in-game sign.
How do you get an axe in the demo?
You cannot obtain an axe in the demo. While the control menu maps a chop key (F/X), the official game description notes that finding an axe is a broader objective across the journey, leaving you weaponless against the trees in early sections.
