Say Cheese Hat Man: Who He Is and How to Photograph Him

The Say Cheese Hat Man is the character behind one of the most talked-about endings in the game. He shows up on the hat storyline, and how fast you react to him decides whether that story ends well or badly. This page covers who the Say Cheese Hat Man is, what the hat trend looks like, and exactly what to photograph when he appears.

If you just want the steps, jump to How to Photograph the Hat Man, or read the full Hat Ending guide.

Who Is the Hat Man?

Community walkthroughs treat him as the trigger for the whole hat route. One guide calls the ending the "Hat Man Ending", which is why you will see both names. Either way, it is the same entry in the endings menu.

What the Hat Trend Looks Like

The official Say Cheese thumbnails show the hat storyline better than any description.

In this thumbnail, the news screen shows a character in a bowler hat, a monocle and a mustache, with the hashtag headline "OOH NICE HAT". Below the screen, every circle and square in the crowd is wearing a matching bowler hat and smiling. This is most likely the Hat Man the walkthroughs refer to, although the thumbnail itself does not name him.

A second official thumbnail shows the other side of the trend: the headline "nvm hats aren't cool anymore", with a sad circle and a sad square watching the screen. Together, the two images show how quickly the park follows whatever the news puts on screen, which is exactly what Say Cheese is about.

How to Photograph the Hat Man

The narrated community walkthrough is clear on the order of events.

1. Play the story until the Hat Man shows up. Keep the camera ready so you are not caught off guard.
2. Take a picture of him immediately. This first photo is the one that matters most. Hesitating is the most common way to fail.
3. Keep photographing him and everyone wearing a hat. Do not switch to other events in the park.
4. Stay on the hat story until the ending plays.

Good Hat Ending vs Bad Hat Ending

The Hat Ending is the only ending that community guides describe as having both a good and a bad outcome from the same route. The walkthrough puts it simply: the ending can turn out bad, but if you act in time, you get the good version instead.

• Good version: you photograph the Hat Man as soon as he appears and stay on the hat wearers.
• Bad version: you are too slow to react.

If you land on the bad version, do not try to rescue the run. Start a fresh one and have the camera up before he arrives. Photographing the square and circle conflict instead will pull the story toward the Viral Ending.

Where the Hat Man Fits in the Story

Say Cheese is about how the news shapes people. Most endings show fear spreading or hope winning, but the hat storyline shows something lighter: how fast a crowd copies whatever is on screen, and how fast it drops the trend again. Our story explained page and the full character list cover the rest of the park.

Say Cheese Hat Man FAQ

Who is the Hat Man in Say Cheese? He is the key character of the Hat Ending. Community walkthroughs say to photograph the Say Cheese Hat Man the moment he appears.

What does the Hat Man look like? An official thumbnail for the hat storyline shows a character in a bowler hat, monocle and mustache on the news screen, which is most likely him.

Why did I get the bad Hat Ending? You probably reacted too late. Take his picture immediately next time, then keep photographing everyone in a hat.

Is the Hat Man Ending the same as the Hat Ending? Yes. Some guides call it the Hat Man Ending; it is the ninth ending in the list either way.