If you’re trying to 100% Megabonk, hats are where most players get stuck. Some unlock naturally just by playing, while others need very specific setups or weird conditions that the game never really explains.
This guide breaks them down the same way most players experience them — starting with the simple ones, then moving into the runs that actually require planning, restarts, and patience.
Easy Hats (Most Unlock During Normal Play)
Santa Hat
This one is straightforward. Just load into Forest 1 and look for a present on the map. Open it, and that’s it — hat unlocked.
Frog Hats (Green, Blue, Red)
Each forest tier has an egg somewhere on the map.
When you activate it, it bursts and spawns three frogs. Killing them gives you a chest and the achievement.
The only annoying part is they run everywhere, so most players wait until later in the run when damage is high enough to delete them instantly.
Shady Hats
These just come from buying items from shady merchants during runs.
No special setup needed — if you play normally and interact with shops, you’ll unlock these naturally.
Microwave Hat
This unlocks simply by using microwaves during runs. Nothing fancy — just interact with them whenever you see them.
Crown
You need to reach Rank 100 on every character.
Rank XP comes from gaining XP during runs and progressing through stages, so this one takes time more than skill.
Kevin Hat
All you need to do is pick Kevin during a run and play normally.
Most players pair him with lifesteal to stay alive longer, since his proc chance works well with sustain builds.
Build-Based Hats (Require Specific Setups)
These are where the game starts getting picky.
You usually need to disable certain items, pick specific weapons, and build toward a single strategy.
Sheriff’s Hat
Use:
- Character: Dex
- Weapons: Sniper Rifle + Katana
- Tomes: XP, Damage, Precision, Quantity
Play Graveyard until you can one-shot a 2K HP boss. Activate the grave pylon, kill the first ghost instantly, and the hat unlocks.
Headset Hat
Start with:
- Dex
- Katana + Scythe + Dragon’s Breath
- XP, Chaos, Quantity, Damage tomes
Restart until you spawn with at least two boss curses, activate them early, then survive the run.
Magic Hat
Disable one weapon slot and only use listed weapons.
Focus heavily on XP tome first, then weapon upgrades. You usually unlock this around Stage 3 or after beating the final boss.
Pilot Helm
This one revolves around mines.
Disable damage items, take Size, XP, Damage, and Quantity tomes, and play Desert 1 with Swarm enabled.
Most players unlock it after a couple attempts once they learn how to kite enemies into mine explosions.
Clown Hat
This one is weird.
You basically build around thorns damage and let enemies kill themselves by touching you while you aim away from them.
Once Quin’s Mask is active, enemies just pop instantly.
Hard Hats (Long Runs & High Score Challenges)
These are less about builds and more about surviving extremely long runs while stacking luck and XP.
Top Hat & Long Top Hat
You need massive score runs.
The common strategy uses Dicehead with:
- Dex + Katana + Dragon’s Breath
- XP, Luck, Chaos, and Cursed tomes
The entire run revolves around stacking luck, keys, and microwaves early, then surviving as long as possible after time ends.
Most players stay:
- Stage 1 → about 1–2 minutes overtime
- Stage 2 → up to 8–10 minutes
- Stage 3 → sometimes over 14 minutes
Positioning outside map boundaries with magnet helps you farm XP safely while enemies take longer to reach you.
The Infamous Cheesy Hat (The Real Pain)
This is the one almost everyone struggles with.
It requires:
- Playing Amog
- Collecting Snek
- Getting 8 Cheese
- Killing the final boss in the same run
You also need to disable nearly all items so cheese drops more often.
How Most Players Actually Get It
The early game is all about stacking keys using microwaves.
You run around breaking pots constantly, buying from shady merchants, and activating shrines while avoiding Greed shrines completely.
Once you get enough keys, you start opening chests to hunt for cheese and Snek.
The Final Boss Part
Even after collecting everything, the boss fight is the real hurdle.
You need:
- High projectile count
- Extra jumps
- Movement speed
- Aegis shields
If Aegis is your first weapon, the fight becomes manageable because you can recover shields during pylon phases.
Without it, most runs end here.