Trees Hate You Speedrun Guide: Routes, Leaderboards, and Skips

Speedrunning developer Tykenn's rage-comedy platformer Trees Hate You comes down to memorizing hitbox triggers, exploiting path boundaries, and timing your sprints using audio cues. While casual playthroughs of the demo can rack up thousands of deaths, an optimized route through the initial demo chapter takes around two minutes or less, with the current Speedrun.com verified leaderboard record standing at 2m 12s 328ms and video runs clocking in at 1m 56s.

Current Demo Speedrun Leaderboard and Benchmarks

The speedrun community actively tracks times across the standard demo and the post-game Challenge Mode. On the Speedrun.com leaderboard, runners compete on PC using Load Removed Time (LRT) and Real Time Attack (RTA).

In video community runs such as SHINKAI X's 1:56 demonstration, runners typically stop their timers upon clearing the final active obstacle gauntlet before the end-screen narrative animation plays out.

Core Speedrun Mechanics and Movement Tech

Running straight down the center of the trails will trigger nearly every ambush trap in the game. Optimized speedruns rely on specific movement habits:

1. Edge-Walking

Most hazard triggers in Trees Hate You detect collision boxes centered in the middle of the path. Walking tight along the outer walls and screen edges lets you bypass several falling tree and sliding log triggers entirely without causing them to activate.

2. Audio Cue Reaction

Visual patterns in this game are intentionally deceptive, but audio tells remain consistent. Speedrunners rely on sound cues rather than visual markers:

• A rumble sound signals an incoming rolling log or projectile.
• A wood-creaking sound signals an overhead falling tree.

Reacting to the audio cue allows you to begin your juke before the tree sprite enters your immediate path.

3. Simultaneous Triggering and Baiting

Many traps can be activated together to clear the way faster. Instead of waiting for traps sequentially:

• Intentionally step into the edge of a trigger zone to bait the first hazard.
• In Level 2, use the "Double Fake-Out" strategy: activate and sidestep the first trap, then immediately sprint past the second trap's spawn location before its trigger activates.
• When facing sliding or lunging trees, bait their dash into an obstacle or pushable tree to turn them into static geometry.

4. Checkpoint Management

Checkpoints were added in demo version 5. While grabbing checkpoints protects casual players from full restarts, speedrunners must evaluate whether tagging a checkpoint costs frames. If your routing through a dense trap section is consistent, skipping the detour to a checkpoint saves noticeable time, though a single death will invalidate the run.

Step-by-Step Demo Speedrun Routing

Based on top video runs and forum routing strategies, the standard demo path breaks down into three major splits:

Split 1: Opening to Checkpoint 1 (Target: Sub-10 Seconds)

1. As soon as the timer begins, run forward and hug the bottom boundary wall.
2. Position your movement along the wall to trigger two to three hazard scripts simultaneously.
3. Dip down and through the lower dip to bypass falling trunks.
4. Move behind the rear-spawning tree rather than crossing its front face to reach the first checkpoint zone in under 10 seconds.

Split 2: The Gun Trees and Chasing Hazards

1. Continue forward along the upper wall edge. Trigger the projectile tree's fire animation while keeping forward momentum so the projectile lands harmlessly behind you.
2. When the pursuing tree spawns, keep a constant sprint forward; the pursuing hazard accelerates the longer it chases you, meaning hesitation leads to death.
3. Turn at a 45-degree angle along the tree boundary. Trigger the double-tree ambush, quickly juking backward or altering angle to let the hitboxes clear.
4. Push movable trees into hazard paths if necessary to act as dynamic shields against falling ambushes.

Split 3: Rolling Hazards and the Final Gauntlet

1. After clearing the mid-route checkpoint, swing wide to the left.
2. When the large rolling ball hazard triggers, move in a tight zig-zag or circle maneuver to throw off its tracking angle.
3. Dash behind the tree line to bypass root traps without losing running speed.
4. Cut straight through the clearing to the final trigger zone, avoiding the optional arcade mini-game and collectible cosmetic chests to preserve your final time.

Challenge Mode Speedrun Differences

Challenge Mode is unlocked upon completing the standard demo once. The developer noted that this mode was built specifically for higher difficulty and speedrun balance:

• Static Trap Availability: Every trap is present and active right from the start rather than altering its pattern on respawns.
• Seeded Consistency: Certain random events are deterministic and seeded, allowing runners to build repeatable muscle memory.
• Higher Trap Density: Extra obstacles and tighter trigger zones are placed along common shortcuts, forcing runners to adjust edge-walking lines.
• Pacing: Because of tighter trap spacing, runners often mix walking and sprinting to avoid triggering overlapping traps simultaneously. The fastest recorded Challenge Mode time stands at 2m 16s.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest speedrun time for Trees Hate You?

On the official Speedrun.com demo leaderboard, the top time is 2m 12s 328ms by DehOFC. Independent video speedrun completions of the demo chapter have clocked in as fast as 1m 56s by cutting directly to the final gauntlet completion.

Can you use the Help button during a speedrun?

No. In Trees Hate You, the tree-shaped Help button in the menu is a parody mechanic designed to kill the player character immediately. While some players test it for instant position resets, it generally results in an immediate run reset.

Do cosmetics like hats affect speedrun movement speed?

No. Hats found in hidden chests throughout the woods are purely cosmetic customization items for your character and provide no gameplay or speed advantages. Speedrunners skip all cosmetic chests to save time.