Subcon Forest is the third Chapter of A Hat in Time, being a spooky stretch of woods that Hat Kid must traverse and brave through to collect her lost Time Pieces, all while trying to deal with The Snatcher, a mischievous and self-proclaimed owner of the forest whom has taken and held hostage Hat Kid's soul.
Contents
History
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"A SPOILER? On MY Owl Express?" |
According to many sources throughout Subcon Forest, as well as the Storybooks provided by the both the Sleepy Subcon Time Rift and Seal the Deal DLC, it is said that the rulers of this place were a Prince and Princess who were in love with each other, they were in control of a small town home to many citizens.
But, one day the Princess walked in on the Prince with a florist, and this broke her heart. She ran away crying, and shortly after it is revealed the Prince was buying a bouquet for his lover. After trying to confront the Princess, the Prince was sent to the dungeon as what is thought to be darkness consumed the Princess. In the dungeon, the Prince starts to take the form of Snatcher.
After the confrontation and transformation of Queen Vanessa, the town is frozen over and the residents lives taken. Their spirits would take on the form of the mask-wearing Dwellers, where some would remain this way. Others would be contracted with Snatcher after he had fully transformed, binding their souls into small stuffed dolls now known as Snatcher's Minions.
Layout
Subcon Forest is a large area, initially blocked off by the fiery walls of the Fire Spirits residing around the forest. For the most part, there are several key locations to be found, surrounded by large tracts of lands which house optional puzzles in order to collect more Yarn or Relics.
The Forest
As its name implies, Subcon Forest dedicates a lot of its level to a large and sprawling forest, with many puzzles and paths to choose from, especially when platforming through the upper layer of trees wit various hook shot locations and leafy platforms.
Within the outskirts of the forest is also an abandoned village, which houses a Time Rift.
Augmented
Behind Snatcher's home is a strange portion of the forest, having many oddities and anomalies held inside it that are not found anywhere else in the forest. Opened houses with frozen furniture, a massive hour glass which is stopped in time and its various pieces floating, and several objects expanded to large sizes. It can be presumed that this would be the area dedicated to a cut character, Moon Jumper.
Burning
A large portion of the forest to the left of Snatcher's home has been overtaken many ravenous flame, leaving the ground here blackened and the trees charred, with some of the fire still actively burning some of the vegetation. A large house is found near the center of this section of forest, itself burnt and holding a Relic at the top.
Swamp
The swamp is rightwards of Snatcher's home, made up of a large boggy area which provides sparse platforming at the bottom layer and much more advanced platforms at the top. Inside here is a large well used to enter the Caves.
Snatcher's Home
In the center of the forest, as well as near the start of Hat Kid's entrance point, Snatcher's Home is a massive tree that he resides in, complete with some basic furniture like an empty closet, grandfather clock, a table and large chair with accompanying ottoman.
The house itself also provides a tricky platforming section, by following the Pons up the main spiky root from the bottom of the tree upward, the player can find a string of platforms, mushrooms and Snatcher's Minions to guide them further up the tree. The top ends with a massive cyan glowing mushroom that does not bounce, holding a reward and an achievement for getting on top of it.
After the player has completed Your Contract has Expired, Snatcher can be found in his home, sitting in the chair reading a book on how to kill kids, telling Hat Kid off for not following the guidelines in his contract to keep her out of the forest.
Village
Subcon Village is the dwelling place of the spooky, mask-wearing Dwellers of Subcon Forest, populated by many of them and several other faceless creatures inside the tree-stump houses. A large river is found in the heart of the village, though it does not flow until Hat Kid unclogs the well in The Subcon Well, and will flow for every act onwards.
During the Toilet of Doom opening, the village is altered to have its Dweller inhabitants panicking, as several large pipes burst from the ground and unleash large streams of purple and yellow gases into the air, all caused presumably by the Toilet of Doom itself.
Caves
Below the village is a series of caves, where glowing mushrooms and strange crystals grow. A network of pipes carries purple water through the caves. Giant white cherries can be found here, and can be activated and turned into bombs by bringing them near certain totems. The caves are also home to bats with glowing red patches on their bodies.
Manor
Queen Vanessa lives in her spooky old manor. This building has three floors and a basement, which is flooded partially and in a state of disrepair. On the second floor, there is a picture that slowly fills in, first with Hat Kid's head without a face, and then with a creepy stitched face. The final floor is an attic in which the Time Piece is located with a Relic above. The attic also contains a mural on the back wall which resembles the Moon Jumper. Throughout the whole mansion, frozen creatures can be found, including Mafia Goons, Science Owls, Subcon Dwellers, and someone who looks like The Conductor from the Owl Express, alongside many cut character models which make cameos.
Arena
At the back of the Village, there is a large chasm which can be traversed over with hookshot propellers which appear only in Act 3. After reaching the other side, a large circular arena is presented to the player, with some minor goodies outside the arena if searched for.
The arena houses two different boss battles depending on which Act is selected, either being the Toilet of Doom or Snatcher, where they will both battle Hat Kid in this arena.
In the center of the arena is a small pot of green ooze, which can damage Hat Kid if she steps in it. Above it is a hookshot spot, allowing Hat Kid to swing over it during the Toilet of Doom fight to pop bubbles or damage the Toilet outright.
Acts
These are the acts included in this chapter. To see all these pages, please check the Chapter 3 Acts page
Image | Episode Name | Summary |
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Act 1: Contractual Obligations |
Sign your first contract with The Snatcher and do his bidding. |
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Act 2: The Subcon Well |
Clean up the Subcon Well |
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Act 3: Toilet of Doom |
"Clean" up the Subcon Toilet. |
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Act 4: Queen Vanessa's Manor |
Sneak into the Manor and get to the attic. |
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Act 5: Mail Delivery Service |
Deliver packages to the Snatcher's servants. |
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Act 6: Your Contract has Expired |
Defeat the Snatcher. |
Time Rift Locations
Name | Image | Act | Location | Appears when |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pipe | ![]() The Hint Photography for Pipe. |
Any | In a giant sewer pool near the Burning Forest, leftward of Snatcher's punch station and the bridge to Queen Vanessa's Manor. | After completing the first two subsections of the "CLEAN OUT THE SUBCON WELL" contract (Contractual Obligations) |
Village | ![]() |
Any | In the Subcon Courtyard. It's at the highest point there, so you'll need to homing attack spiders to get up to a platform that can get to it. | After completing "The Subcon Well" (the actual "cleaning" of the well) |
Sleepy Subcon | ![]() |
Any | In the time frozen ice pillar in the Subcon Ruins. | After completing the Relic "Mockery of Off-Planet Life" |
Enemies
- Headless Statues
- Spiders
- Queen Vanessa
- Toilet of Doom
Characters
- Snatcher
- Snatcher's Minions
- Fire Spirits
- Subcon Dwellers
- Badge Seller
- Queen Vanessa
Collectables
Check here for a list of all collectables.
Note: There are 12 Relics in the base game game, and when all of them have been collected, all other treasures listed as "Relic" will give a Rift Token instead.
The Snatcher's Home and Subcon Village
The Subcon Swamp (Behind the Red Barrier)
Item | NO. | Image | Details |
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Ice Yarn | #4 | ![]() |
From the Snatcher's house take the opposite road out of the area (with the danger signs) and you'll find a blue statue. Search behind a nearby tree close to the swamp to find this gravestone with an Ice Yarn inside. Require: Brewing Hat. |
Rift Token | #1 | ![]() |
Inside a cabin blocked by ice. The Dweller and berry needed to destroy it are in the trees above, so jump on the mushroom to reach them. |
Dweller Yarn | #2 | ![]() |
Near where you met the Snatcher for the first time (or next to him during Act 5) are two small monuments with a wooden platforms behind them. Follow them up and to the left to a platform in a tree. On the platform look behind the tree to find a chest with the yarn in it. |
Dweller Yarn | #3 | ![]() |
Right in front of the Subcon Well. |
Sprint Yarn | #1 | ![]() |
There is a left path when heading for the Subcon Well. Take it and you will find a wall of ice in the swamp, and behind it is the yarn. You can either blow it up with a berry or go around it. |
Dweller Yarn | #4 | ![]() |
Left of the Subcon Well is a hidden platform with a bell in the swamp near it. Hit it and climb on the green leaves and homing attack spiders until you reach the yarn. |
Dweller Yarn | #5 | ![]() |
On the same platform as before there is a space where you can wall jump up. Do that then platform over the tree branches to find another nearby Dweller Yarn. |
Relic | #4 | ![]() |
When entering the swamp from Subcon Village there is a villager who talks about spiders. Homing attack the nearby spiders to land on some ruins. Climb up them to get to a tree house with a relic on its patio. Alternatively, this area can be reach by going left when on the platform with the bell in front of the wall of ice. |
Relic | #5 | ![]() |
As soon as you enter the Subcon Well there is a pink mushroom to your left. Jump on it and it will bounce you up to the relic (watch out for the spider!) |
Hookshot Badge | - | 175px | Inside a chest encased in ice. Use a nearby berry to destroy the ice to get to it. |
Dweller Yarn | #6 | ![]() |
On a curved pillar above the chest with the Hookshot Badge in it. Use said badge to get up to the yarn. |
Rift Token | #2 | ![]() |
On a pipe in the room where the water rises. When you reach this part of the well the water rises up to where Hat Kid is, so be careful grabbing it. |
The Burning Forest and Courtyard (Behind the Blue Barrier)
The Ruins (Behind the Green Barrier)
Queen Vanessa's Manor (Behind the Red Barrier)
Achievements
Below is the list of achievements related to this chapter;
Gallery
Trivia
- In the Beta Build, Subcon Forest had a "Free Roam" section, similar to Alpine Skyline. The Free Roam was later cut.
- There was originally another act in the forest known as "Fire Spirit's Big Ritual," but this act was removed from the game.
- Subcon Forest was originally the game's second chapter. Late into development, its position was swapped with Battle of the Birds, and it became Chapter 3.
- The name is likely a play on the word "subconscious" as the entire forest is populated by ghosts and spirits, or on "subcontractor", which is when an employee hires someone under contract to perform specific tasks for a larger project.
- The NES game "Super Mario Brothers 2" takes place in a place called Subcon.