1
Walk the edges
Most traps target the center of the path. Walking the far edges reduces your hitbox exposure and lets you bypass several Falling and Flying traps without triggering them.
Speedrun Guide
Speedrun strategies for Trees Hate You, based on community routing patterns and YouTube Shorts trends. Speed runs of the demo have reached 25K views on YouTube Shorts.
Speedrun context
Why speedrunning works in this game
Speedruns of Trees Hate You are emerging as a community challenge mode. YouTube Shorts tagged 'Trees Hate You Speed Run!' have reached 25K views as of April 2026.
The demo's checkpoint system (added in v5) makes speedrunning viable — players no longer restart from the beginning on every death.
Two levels with escalating trap density create natural routing decisions: memorize Level 1 trap placements for consistency, then optimize Level 2 routing around the Double Fake-Out pattern.
2
Learn the checkpoint skips
Checkpoints are optional — you can skip them to save time if you're confident in your routing. But missing a checkpoint before a dense trap section means a longer restart.
3
Audio cue timing
Speedrunners use audio cues to time their movement. The rumble before a Rolling Log, the creak before a Falling Tree — reacting to audio is faster than watching for visual telegraphs.
4
Level 2 routing: bait the first, skip the second
Level 2's Double Fake-Out pattern rewards players who intentionally trigger and dodge the first trap, then immediately sprint past the second trap's spawn point before it activates. This is the biggest time save in the current demo.
Know the enemy
Traps catalog
10 traps with trigger conditions — memorize what you're routing around.
Survive first
Beginner guide
Master the basics before optimizing for speed.
Practice
Open the demo
Run your routes on the embedded playable build.