TREES HATE YOU
Unofficial fan site

Trees Hate You controls and menu keys

Move with WASD, arrow keys or the controller's left stick. Steam players identify Tab as the pause-menu key. Below: browser focus fixes, the menu's separate tree button, timer settings and how to recover a stuck run.

Before you play

Make the browser listen to you

Click inside the game first

The browser build has to capture focus before movement works. If WASD or arrows do nothing, click once inside the game window and try again.

Plug in the controller before loading

Browsers detect gamepads more reliably when the controller is already connected before the H5 build starts.

Use Chrome or Firefox for gamepads

Gamepad support depends on the browser. Chrome and Firefox are the safest desktop choices for the web version.

Use Steam Demo for PlayStation pads

The Steam Demo explicitly adds PlayStation controller support. Use that version if a DualSense or DualShock is unreliable in the browser.

Input reference

Movement, menu, retry and skip

Trees Hate You controls, build applicability and sources
InputActionPlatformNote
WASD or arrow keysMoveKeyboard / official itch demoClick inside a browser game first. W and the up arrow are movement inputs; the official control list does not describe them as a jump button.Official itch.io demo and Windows download
Left stickMoveControllerThe official itch page lists controller movement. Steam Demo also lists full controller support, including PlayStation pads.Official itch.io demo and Windows download
TabOpen the pause / settings menuSteam Demo / keyboardPlayers identify Tab in the May 2026 pause-menu discussion. Opening this menu is separate from clicking its tree button.Steam players: Tab opens the pause menu — May 2026 discussion
Any button, when the retry / skip prompt says soContinue after a death or skip a skippable sequenceFollow the selected build's promptFocus the game, then follow its displayed retry or skip prompt. For a fresh timed attempt use Start New Game or Challenge Mode instead of continuing a checkpoint save; R and Space are not established universal shortcuts across builds.Official itch.io demo and Windows download

Steam Demo · June 2026 update

Turn on the timer and death counter

  1. In the updated Steam Demo, open the menu and enter Settings.
  2. Enable the timer and death counter for the HUD, then return to play.
  3. Finish the run to see time and deaths on the result screen as well. Use the same build and mode when comparing your practice attempts.

If those settings are absent in a browser mirror or older download, use the updated Steam Demo for this HUD feature. The time shown by the game and a community board's accepted time can use different methods; compare the timing rules before submitting a run.

Source: Tykenn: Demo Updates & Next Fest — June 19, 2026.

Keyboard (WASD + Arrow Keys)

Supported

Primary input method for browser play. Both WASD and arrow keys work simultaneously.

Xbox Controller

Supported

Left stick controls movement. Use this for both browser play and the downloadable build.

Generic Gamepad

Supported

Generic gamepad mapping should work in the browser, but detection depends on your browser and device.

PlayStation Controller

Supported

Use the Steam Demo for the best PlayStation controller path.

Quick checks

If input still feels wrong

If movement does nothing, click inside the game window once and try again.
The game is simple to control — movement only — but the challenge is trap awareness, not input complexity.
If the web version runs at low framerates, try Chrome or Firefox first, then switch to the Windows download or Steam Demo.

Play now

Open the H5 demo

Start in the browser, then click inside the game before moving.

First run

Beginner route

Once movement works, use the slow route through early traps.

No input?

Fix controller issues

Gamepad not detected, black screen, low FPS, or crash on Play.