Chapter 2 of 7
The Tree Walkthrough
The Tree drops you into a backyard war between squirrels and wasps — and it is the game's first chapter built around pure co-op combat. May and Cody finally get weapons, but neither gun works alone: the sap marks, the match ignites.
| Theme | External Conflict |
|---|---|
| Playtime | 2–2.5 hours |
| Minigames | 2 (Tug of War, Plunger Dunger) |
| Core mechanic | Sap & Match Gun |
| May's tool | Sap Gun — sprays red sap that does no damage but marks targets |
| Cody's tool | Match Gun — fires matches that explode only on sap |
Co-op roles: read this first
The Tree teaches the most important combat lesson in the game: you must focus-fire the same target. Sap with no match is harmless; a match with no sap fizzles.
May — Sap Gun
- Coats enemies and objects in red sap from range.
- Sap alone never damages — it only sets up Cody's ignition.
- Keep moving; most wasp attacks are telegraphed and dodgeable.
Cody — Match Gun
- Fires matches that detonate on contact with sap.
- Call your target so May paints the same enemy.
- Some environmental puzzles need a sap-painted surface to blow open.
Co-op playbook for The Tree
The Tree is the first chapter built around real combat, and its lesson is the key one in the game: you must focus-fire the same target. Sap with no match is harmless, and a match with no sap fizzles. Read the notes below and the three bosses become manageable instead of frustrating.
Communication cadence
Name the priority target out loud on each wave. The player who sees the threat first should call it — "painting the big one" — and the gunner confirms "on it" before firing. Because May's sap sets up Cody's ignition, the pair should agree the target before either commits, so nothing is wasted. When a wasp splits your attention, the caller picks one and both lock it down rather than spreading shots.
Pacing & difficulty at a glance
The Tree runs about 2 to 2.5 hours. The difficulty curve is a steady climb from the gentle weapon pickup into the Extermination combat peak, then the three-phase Wasp Queen caps it. Pace your attention: don't burn out on the mid-chapter fights.
| Section | Rough time | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Air | ~15 min | 1 of 3 |
| Captured (Mortar Wasp) | ~30 min | 2 of 3 |
| Deeply Rooted (Giant Beetle) | ~30 min | 2 of 3 |
| Extermination | ~25 min | 3 of 3 |
| Gateway: Wasp Queen (3 phases) | ~20 min | 3 of 3 |
Times are editorial estimates for a first clear and exclude replays and the two minigame detours.
Camera & movement
Combat arenas in The Tree are busier than anything in The Shed, and the shared camera can hide a wasp diving from behind. Keep a shoulder-width gap so the auto-frame captures both of you, and when one player is launched or knocked back, the other should hold position rather than chasing — a moving target pair is harder for the camera and for each other to support. On the Extermination rail grinds, decide who shoots and who steers before you start.
If you get stuck
Most Tree stalls come from one of these — check in order:
- Unpainted target: if a match fizzles, Cody fired before May painted — re-establish the sap first.
- Split aggro: a wasp hitting both of you usually means you spread damage; focus one target and clear it.
- Missed minigame: Tug of War and Plunger Dunger sit on the main path but are easy to rush past during combat — backtrack if your count is short.
- Queen phase confusion: the Wasp Queen's third phase is a circular rail; call the rotation direction so you never cross fire.
Log both Tree minigames and your boss clears in the Completion Tracker, and check the minigame index for exact spots.
1. Fresh Air (weapon pickup)
You receive the sap and match guns here and enter the organic tree exterior. This section is a gentle onboarding for the combustion loop before the real fighting starts.
Steps
- May paints a training dummy with sap; Cody ignites it to learn the combo.
- Clear the first wave of wasps together — never split targets.
- Follow the branch path upward into the squirrel base.
May: "painting the big one" — name the priority target out loud.
Cody: confirm "on it" and fire only after sap lands, so nothing wastes.
2. Captured
A squirrel military training ground. You meet the captured-soldier storyline and play the chapter's first minigame. The section ends with your first real boss.
Steps
- Navigate the drill-yard platforming with sap-ignite switches.
- Free the captured squirrels by clearing wasp patrols together.
- Reach the arena for the Mortar Wasp.
A mobile artillery wasp that lobs mortar rounds. May saps its exposed underside; Cody detonates while it is grounded between volleys. Spread out so its splash can't catch you both.
3. Deeply Rooted
Descend into bioluminescent roots and ride the blue catfish through underground waterways. A second, tougher boss guards the lower roots.
Steps
- Ride the catfish; Cody ignites sap nodes to clear blockages.
- Platform across root bridges while avoiding snapping hazards.
- Face the Giant Beetle in the root cavern.
A armored bruiser. Break its shell plating by igniting sap on its back when it flips over, then unload on the soft underside. Keep one player baiting while the other lines up the sap-match combo.
4. Extermination
Assault the wasp nest: high-speed rail grinding with shooting galleries and cinematic action set-pieces. This is the combat peak before the finale.
Steps
- Grind rails while igniting sap-covered wasp nodes mid-motion.
- Survive the set-piece chase by coordinating who shoots and who steers.
- Arrive at the Gateway for the queen.
5. Gateway: Wasp Queen (final, 3 phases)
The chapter's three-phase conclusion tests everything you learned about sap-and-match teamwork.
Strip the queen's armor by igniting sap on her plated segments. Focus one plate at a time; don't scatter shots.
She summons wasp swarms. Clear them together while dodging her sweep attacks; keep your spacing so a single dive can't hit both.
A finale on a circular rail: grind and ignite sap nodes around the ring to finish her. Communicate the rotation direction so you never cross fire.
Minigames in The Tree
Both Tree minigames are on the main path — hard to miss, but easy to blow past if you rush the combat.
Tug of War
In the Captured section, near the training-ground start. A quick strength tug against an NPC — pure bragging rights.
Plunger Dunger
In Deeply Rooted, during the root descent. A plunger projectile contest in the underground stretch.
Source cross-check
- Chapter order & theme: hone.gg lists The Tree as Chapter 2 of 7 (External Conflict). Matches the hub table.
- Tools: hone.gg (May = Sap Gun, Cody = Match Gun). earlyguides' conflated "wasp queen boss" wording is resolved here — the Wasp Queen is the Gateway finale of The Tree, not a later chapter.
- Bosses: hone.gg names Mortar Wasp (Captured), Giant Beetle (Deeply Rooted), Wasp Queen (Gateway, 3 phases). earlyguides mislabels chapter numbers (its "Chapter 9-10 final" actually refers to The Attic) — ignored for mapping.
- Minigames: Tug of War (Captured) + Plunger Dunger (Deeply Rooted) per minigames.json (powerpyx + playhints cross-verified).
- Pending: fine boss-phase timing to be cross-checked against PowerPyx during the next verification pass.