TREES HATE YOU
Unofficial fan site

Troubleshooting

Trees Hate You not loading? Crashing when you press Play? Low framerate making it unplayable? This guide covers every known issue and fix, sourced from the official itch.io page, developer notes, and verified community reports.

How to use this page

Use this page if you searched for Trees Hate You crashing, Trees Hate You not loading, Trees Hate You low fps fix, or Trees Hate You controller not working.
All fixes are sourced from the official itch.io page, developer notes, and verified community reports — not speculation.
The single most effective fix for almost all issues: download the Windows version (108 MB zip) instead of playing in the browser. The native build avoids browser WebGL limitations entirely.

Known issues & fixes

Every reported problem with a verified solution

Game crashes when I press Play

High

What's causing it

The web version (HTML5) can be unstable in some browsers, particularly on lower-end hardware or with many tabs open. itch.io comments as of May 12, 2026 show multiple players reporting this: 'it keeps crashing everytime i press play' and 'did it crash for you too?'

How to fix it

Try a different browser. The developer recommends Chrome or Firefox. If the web version still crashes, download the Windows version (108 MB zip) instead — it runs natively and is more stable. You can also use the itch.io desktop app which handles HTML5 games better than stock browsers.

Low framerate / stuttering on web version

Medium

What's causing it

The developer explicitly acknowledges this on the itch.io page: 'Some people have been reporting low framerates on the web version.' HTML5 performance varies by browser engine, GPU, and system load. The game renders 3D environments with physics, which is heavier than typical 2D browser games.

How to fix it

Three options, ordered by effectiveness: (1) Download the Windows version — it runs natively and avoids browser overhead entirely. (2) Use the itch.io desktop app — it has better HTML5 performance than standard browsers. (3) Close other tabs and applications to free up system resources, then try a different browser (Chrome generally performs best for WebGL content).

Game takes too long to load

Medium

What's causing it

The HTML5 build is 108 MB (version 19), which must be downloaded to your browser cache before playing. Slow internet connections, browser cache limits, or background downloads can extend load times. Comments confirm: 'it takes so long to load.'

How to fix it

Wait for the progress bar to complete — the game loads entirely before starting, which is why it stutters less once running. If load times exceed 2 minutes, refresh the page and try again. The downloadable Windows version eliminates load times entirely after the initial download.

Controller not working or not detected

Medium

What's causing it

The web version detects controllers through the browser's Gamepad API, which varies in support across browsers. The game supports Xbox controllers, PlayStation controllers (Steam Demo only), and generic gamepads — but the web version may not detect all models.

How to fix it

For the web version: connect your controller before loading the page, then click into the game window. If still not detected, try Chrome (best Gamepad API support) or use the downloadable Windows version which has native controller support. For PlayStation controllers: the Steam Demo explicitly adds PS controller support — download the Steam Demo for best compatibility.

Game freezes or gets stuck on a black screen

Medium

What's causing it

WebGL context loss or an incomplete asset load. This can happen if the browser tab loses focus during loading, or if the GPU driver crashes mid-game. The Unity WebGL build is sensitive to context switches.

How to fix it

Refresh the page (F5) and do not switch tabs while the game is loading. If the problem persists, clear your browser cache and try again. As a permanent fix, download the Windows version — it's not affected by browser WebGL issues.

Stuck in the picnic intro / can't skip

Low

What's causing it

The cutscene skip button appears after the picnic intro plays once. On first play, you must watch the intro. On subsequent plays, pressing any button or clicking should skip it.

How to fix it

On your first playthrough, let the intro play — it's brief. On replay, press any key (Space, Enter, or any controller button) to skip. If the skip doesn't work, wait for the intro to finish once, then try skipping on the next run — the skip trigger only activates after one full play.

Setup

Controls reference

Keyboard and controller input guide — make sure your hardware works first.

Play it

Game overview

Platform options: browser, Windows download, and Steam Demo compared.

More help

FAQ

Common questions about the demo, full release, and more.