A Hat in Time is broken into 7 Worlds and an over world. Here’s my ranking!

#8 Time’s End.

Honestly, there’s nothing really to this. It’s a final stage and it is great at that. Lots of enemies, fire, and using most if not all of the hats. All the characters make a reappearance and the boss fight is epic. It’ s checks a lot of boxes that a final stage need. However, I enjoy more laid back levels, beach levels, wood levels. I’m just not a big fan of what this level is doing, but I do appreciate it.

#7 Alpine Skyline.

This ranking kills me. It truly does. It is not as ambitious or unique as the other levels. The atmosphere isn’t quite as beautiful as Mafia Town or Artic Cruise. However, the platforming time pieces are some of, if not, the best time pieces in the game (looking at you Windmill.) I think there is a lot to love in this level. It just does not feel as unique as the other stages.

#6 The Spaceship (Over World).

As far as over worlds go, this is one of the weaker ones, admittedly. Compare this to the over world of Super Mario 64 or Sunshine. It is not as interesting to traverse or explore as many of its competitions. However, there are plenty of 3D platformers without an over world (Spyro, Ape Escape, Super Mario Odyssey), so I will never take an overworld for granted. Still, there is plenty to do such as playing the text based adventure computer, the bird band, unlocking space rifts and much more. This alone prevents this from being just a bland generic over world.

#5 Artic Cruise

This level might have the best atmosphere in the whole game. It introduces some fan favorite characters such as the seals, Walrus the Captain, and of course, the fish dude. The time pieces are surprisingly diverse for a level that takes place on a boat. Artic Cruise was the first DLC for A Hat in Time and it ushered in a few new mechanics such as the shattered time pieces and the errand running missions. However, there is no denying that if you played the 2nd mission Ship Shape, you rage quitted. I did not beat this mission before they applied the first update which I believed slowed down how fast the captain got mad. I’ve talked to a few of my viewers who actually didnt find the levels hard and enjoyed it. I’m convinced they did not play it prior to the update. Either way, there’s a lot to love here, but pre-update, this level was beyond frustrating.

#4 Battle Of The Birds

Personally, #3-#4 could be interchanged here. I elected to put Battle of the Birds here at #4 because I find it to be less of a platforming world. However, there is no denying their creative juices were flowing the most aggressively on this world. No levels are the same. As the first mission has you playing a stealth based level where you sneak around Dead Bird Studios. The second level has you trying to solve a murder on a train. The third level seems like a throw away level that has Hat Kid running around gaining diva points. The fourth mission is one of the best in the games, Train Rush. While the following mission, The Big Parade is one of the worst missions in the game. Battle of the Birds also brings to the small screen 2 of the most iconic characters in the whole game: DJ. Grooves and the Conductor.

#3 Subcon Forest

Neither Battle of the Birds or Subcon Forest really blew me away when I first played the game. As time has gone on I’ve learned to appreciate these stages. Subcon Well felt like a Wind Waker level. Queen Vanessa’s Manor is a fan favorite stage. What other game is going to have you fight an evil possessed toilet!? And of of course, Snatcher. Nuff Said.

#2 Mafia Town

This is the perfect introduction stage to a 3D platformer. The first level is a tad scripted but speed runner found out early you dont have to follow the main path. Its very reminiscent of Bomb-OMB Battlefields on Super Mario 64. A nice open world to explore, a variety to Enemies to defeat, and more collectibles than you can shake an umbrella at. The acts are nice and diverse while never straying too far from what makes 3D platformers so good. The stage is bright for the most part which I think is always a plus. Al in all, I think this is the best stage in the base game.

#1 Nyakuza Metro

The latest, and last planned DLC for now. This stage is awesome. I do Let’s Plays for A Hat in Time and this stage just felt special while playing through it. Past the first stage, this level because free flow. Meaning you dont select an act. Instead, you are just dropped into the hub space of the Metro where you are left to your own devices. The metro itself is broken down into several colored sections. Each section has a few time pieces and most of the sections are a blast to explore. The cats are quite as cute as the seals, but I wont that against them. The biggest knock I would have against the level is it feels a little more tight than Mafia Town. That doesn’t really detract from the platforming to get to the time pieces, but it hinders just messing around the stage in your free time. The metro is darker but that felts the atmosphere nicely so I cannot complain. Still these hardly point lowering grumbles. I’m just saying Mafia Town or Nyakuza Metro could easily flip flop as the #1

So there you have it. I’ve been trying to do these more consistently even as I work more. As a result that hurts proof reading and adding pictures. I pretty much write Stream of Consciousness so bare with me guys!

Have a great day and thanks for reading!