Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved indie hit Hollow Knight, and it’s finally here. You play as Hornet, a sharp-needled huntress trapped in the strange, silk-spun kingdom of Pharloom. The game is a 2D action-platformer packed with hand-drawn art, acrobatic combat, and over 200 enemies to outmaneuver. Fans often just call it “Silksong,” and many newcomers still confuse it with the original Hollow Knight. ✨

This article walks you through what makes Hollow Knight: Silksong special, how Hornet plays differently from the first knight, and where you can grab it. Quick highlights before we climb:

• Play as Hornet on a deadly pilgrimage to a shining citadel.
• Over 200 ferocious foes and 40+ legendary boss battles.
• Craft silken tools, traps, and mechanisms to break through tough zones.
• Orchestral score by award-winning composer Christopher Larkin.

What Is Hollow Knight: Silksong?

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania-style platformer made by Team Cherry. It started as DLC for the first game, then grew into a full sequel. Instead of the silent Knight from Hallownest, you control Hornet, who was captured and dragged to the haunted insect kingdom of Pharloom. Her goal is to climb all the way to the top.

Hornet’s story is more than a climb. She’s bound by lineage to Pharloom, guided by echoes of a past she barely remembers. As she rises, she unravels a deadly silken thread linking the citadel’s rulers to her own bloodline. Strange pilgrims, fallen knights, and whispering relics fill in the mystery as you go. It’s a quiet, melancholy tale that grows louder with every boss.

The first thing I noticed booting it up is how clean the animation feels at high frame rates. Hornet’s needle swings have real snap to them, and the parallax backgrounds give every grotto depth. It’s hand-drawn 2D done with serious care. If you loved the moody vibe of the original, Silksong leans even harder into that gothic-bug fairytale energy.

Gameplay in Silksong

The core loop is explore, fight, learn a new ability, then revisit old areas with that ability. Hornet is faster and more acrobatic than the first protagonist. She dashes, wall-jumps, and pogos off enemy heads with downward needle slashes. Healing happens in short, tense windows during boss fights, so timing matters a lot.

You’ll wander mossy grottos, coral forests, gilded cities, and misted moors. Each zone hides shortcuts, secret rooms, and shocking quests for Pharloom’s downtrodden bugs. The game rarely tells you where to go, which makes every discovery feel earned. Curiosity is the real engine here.

Hornet vs the Original Knight: How She Plays Different

If you came from Hollow Knight, Hornet feels like a whole new instrument. She moves noticeably faster across the ground and air, with a quicker dash that has shorter cooldowns. Her needle reaches a touch farther than the old nail, but the swing is slightly narrower, so spacing matters more. Healing also works differently: instead of focusing in place, Hornet binds silk in a faster, riskier window during fights. That trades safety for aggression and reshapes how every boss feels. Wall-jumps chain more smoothly, and her pogo bounce off enemies is more forgiving on tight platforming gaps. Returning players usually adapt within an hour, but the rhythm definitely feels sharper and more offensive than the original Knight’s careful style.

Combat and Silken Tools

Hornet doesn’t just swing a needle. She crafts an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and silken mechanisms. Some tools work like throwables, others set up the battlefield before a fight starts. Mixing them turns each boss encounter into a puzzle as much as a duel.

Over 40 legendary bosses stand between you and the citadel. Beasts, hunters, fallen kings, and rival knights all show up with their own patterns. Learning a boss in Silksong is part of the joy. You’ll lose, study, adapt, then finally win and feel like a genius.

Graphics and Orchestral Score

The art is traditional, hand-crafted 2D, and it’s stunning. Lakes of fire glow against silhouetted bug knights. Gilded cities sparkle while misted moors fade into eerie quiet. Every screen looks like a painting you could hang on a wall.

Christopher Larkin returns as composer, and the soundtrack is a huge part of the mood. Expect melancholy melodies, symphonic strings, and pounding boss themes that hit like a heartbeat. Play with headphones if you can. The audio carries the emotion as much as the visuals do.

Levels, Progression and Steel Soul Mode

Pharloom is one big interconnected map, not a list of stages. As Hornet learns new silken abilities, previously blocked corridors open up. That “oh, I can finally get there” moment happens constantly. Progression feels like peeling back layers of a kingdom rather than ticking off levels.

Once you finish the main adventure, Steel Soul mode unlocks a tougher challenge for veterans. It’s built for players who want to test everything they learned. Steel Soul is a permadeath mode: one death ends the entire run and your save is locked. Enemies and bosses aren’t statistically buffed, but every encounter carries way more weight. There’s also a long list of optional bosses, rare beasts to hunt, and ancient mysteries to solve. Completionists will be busy for a long time.

How to Play Hollow Knight: Silksong

Getting started is simple. Pick your platform, launch the game, and you’re dropped straight into Hornet’s capture. There’s no long tutorial wall, just a few prompts as you learn the basics. From there, the kingdom is yours to explore at your own pace.

Controls for Silksong

On PC you can use a keyboard or, ideally, a gamepad. Movement is on the left stick or arrow/WASD keys, and face buttons handle attack, jump, dash, and tool use. On Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, the standard Joy-Con or Pro Controller layout works perfectly. A controller really is the recommended way to feel Hornet’s acrobatics.

First 2 Hours: A New Player Strategy Guide

Your opening hours in Silksong shape the rest of the run, so be thoughtful. Prioritize unlocking the basic Silk Spear tool first — it doubles as ranged poke and crowd control for early swarms. Next, grab any tool that boosts silk regeneration, since you’ll burn silk fast on healing during early bosses. Speaking of silk, don’t try to save it for “later.” Spend it: heal at every safe gap, and let trash mobs refill your meter. During the first big boss, aim to bind silk only after you bait one full attack pattern, never mid-combo. Once you earn Hornet’s improved dash, backtrack to any NPC who hinted at a blocked path or “thread you cannot reach yet” — those revisits unlock side quests, charm-style crests, and shortcut benches. Finally, hit every bench you find; they’re your save points and your map updates. Two careful hours here saves you ten frustrating ones later.

Tips and Tricks for Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Master the downward pogo early. Bouncing off spikes, saw blades, and enemy heads opens up shortcuts and saves your health.
• Don’t hoard silk. Hornet’s healing and tools rely on it, so spend it during fights instead of saving it “just in case.”
• When a boss wrecks you, watch their opening attack again. Most bosses telegraph one safe punish window per pattern.
• Explore every dead end. Pharloom hides benches, charms, and quest givers behind breakable walls and odd ledges.
• Talk to every NPC twice. Side quests in Silksong often start with a single offhand line you’d miss in a hurry.

Key Features of Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Play as Hornet, the lethal huntress and secondary protagonist of the original Hollow Knight.
• Explore the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom across grottos, gilded cities, and misted moors.
• Battle 200+ foes and 40+ legendary bosses with acrobatic, skill-based combat.
• Craft and master silken tools, traps, and mechanisms that change how you fight and explore.
• Steel Soul mode plus a sweeping orchestral score from composer Christopher Larkin.

Where to Play Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong is available on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Game Pass, Humble Bundle, and PC through Steam. On PC it works on Windows 10, recent macOS versions, and SteamOS/Linux. This is a paid premium game, not a free browser title, so stick to official storefronts when buying. Avoid sketchy APK sites claiming a mobile port, since no official mobile version exists right now. If you want to try a quick taste, look for the Gamescom demo Team Cherry showed before launch.

Switch 2 Edition: What’s Different

The Nintendo Switch 2 edition is the upgrade pick if you own the new console. It runs at a higher native resolution than the original Switch version, which sharpens Pharloom’s hand-drawn detail. Frame rates are improved and far more stable, especially in busy boss arenas with lots of particles. Team Cherry also added extra visual effects like richer lighting, smoother parallax, and crisper silk animation. Load times between zones are noticeably shorter too. If you bought the original Switch version, you can carry your progress forward, so there’s no reason to start over.

PC System Requirements

Silksong is friendly on hardware, so most modern laptops can run it. Here’s the breakdown for PC players:

• Minimum (Windows): 64-bit Windows 10, Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti or AMD equivalent GPU, DirectX 11, and around 8 GB of storage.
• Recommended (Windows): 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, modern quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1050 or better GPU, DirectX 11, and 8 GB of SSD storage for faster loads.
• macOS: A recent macOS version (Big Sur or newer), Apple Silicon or Intel CPU, 4 GB RAM minimum, and 8 GB free disk space.
• SteamOS / Linux: SteamOS 3 or modern Linux distro, 4 GB RAM, OpenGL/Vulkan-capable GPU at GTX 560 Ti tier, and 8 GB storage. Steam Deck handles it great.

If your machine ran the original Hollow Knight, it’ll almost certainly run Silksong too.

Accessibility and Comfort Tips

Silksong is a hard game, so a comfy setup matters more than you’d think. Both PC and Switch versions support full controller remapping, so you can move dash or tool use to whichever button feels natural. If precision platforming hurts your hands, swap dash to a shoulder button — it cuts strain a lot. There’s no easy mode, but you can pace difficulty by exploring softer side zones to grab health upgrades before tackling hard bosses. On Switch handheld, the small screen plus dark backgrounds can cause eye strain, so bump brightness up and take a break every 45 minutes. Docked play on a TV is much easier on the eyes for long sessions. Steel Soul mode, by the way, doesn’t make enemies hit harder — it just turns the run into permadeath, where one death wipes the save. So it tests memory and nerves, not raw skill ceiling.

For Parents

Hollow Knight: Silksong is rated E10+ by the ESRB and PEGI 7 in Europe, with content descriptors for fantasy violence and mild scary imagery. That lines up with our 10-and-up suggestion. Combat is stylized and bug-themed, with no blood or realistic violence, though boss fights can be intense and difficulty is high. There’s no online chat, no microtransactions, and no loot boxes — it’s a one-time purchase, single-player adventure. Sessions can run long, so a 45-minute timer with breaks works well for younger players.

Similar Games to Hollow Knight: Silksong

If Hornet’s pilgrimage hooks you, these Metroidvania and platformer adventures share the same DNA:

• Hollow Knight – The original game set in Hallownest, with the same hand-drawn art and tight combat.
• The Binding of Isaac — a dark 2D action roguelike with deep exploration and item-based progression, sharing Silksong’s atmospheric storytelling and challenging combat.
• Undertale Yellow — a fan-made RPG with rich storytelling and emotional combat, capturing Silksong’s blend of charm and depth in pixel-perfect form.
• Swords and Souls — a character-building action RPG with tight combat progression, perfect for Silksong fans who love mastering combat skills.
• Arcane Archer — an action RPG with magical combat and ability upgrades, sharing Silksong’s focus on combat mastery and progression.
• Swords and Sandals 2 — a gladiator RPG with deep stat-building and turn-based combat, ideal for Silksong fans who love RPG depth.
• Vapor Trails — a 2D action platformer with stylish visuals and fast combat, capturing Silksong’s blend of platforming and action.
• Deadly Descent — a dungeon-style action adventure with challenging enemies and progression, sharing Silksong’s “explore deeper, grow stronger” loop.
• Platformer

FAQs About Hollow Knight: Silksong

Is Hollow Knight: Silksong better than Hollow Knight?

Many reviewers say Silksong improves on the original in combat and movement. It refines the gameplay loop with new mechanics and gives Hornet a story worthy of her history. Some fans still prefer the haunting mystery of the first game’s Hallownest. Both are excellent, so the “better” pick really comes down to taste.

How long is Hollow Knight: Silksong?

A focused playthrough takes most players around 30 to 40 hours. If you chase every side quest, hidden boss, and secret room, expect 50+ hours. Steel Soul mode adds even more time for veterans. Like the first game, it rewards slow exploration over speedruns.

Is Silksong harder than Hollow Knight?

Yes, Silksong is generally considered harder than the original. Hornet is more agile, but enemies and bosses hit faster and demand sharper reactions. New silken tools help balance the difficulty once you learn them. Patient players will adapt within the first few hours.

Can I play Silksong without playing Hollow Knight?

Yes, you can absolutely jump into Silksong as your first game. The story is set in a new kingdom called Pharloom, with its own characters and mysteries. You’ll miss some references to Hornet’s past, but the main adventure stands on its own. Plenty of newcomers start here and have a great time.

Is Hollow Knight: Silksong a prequel?

No, Silksong is a sequel, not a prequel. It follows Hornet after the events tied to the original Hollow Knight. The setting moves to a brand-new kingdom rather than revisiting Hallownest. Team Cherry has kept the exact timeline details intentionally vague.

Did Silksong really take seven years to make?

Yes, Silksong was in development for around seven years. Team Cherry co-founders Ari Gibson and William Pellen said the long timeline came from the project growing well beyond its original DLC scope. They’ve described the dev cycle as a creative vehicle rather than a stuck project. The polish in the final game shows where that time went.

Is there a mobile version of Hollow Knight: Silksong?

No, there is no official mobile version of Silksong right now. The game is built for PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Xbox via Game Pass. Anything claiming to be a Silksong APK is unofficial and unsafe. Stick to the listed platforms to play it properly.

Wrapping Up the Climb

Hollow Knight: Silksong nails the three things that matter most: tight acrobatic combat, a kingdom worth exploring, and a soundtrack that sticks in your head for days. Hornet is a more aggressive, more agile lead than the original Knight, and Pharloom gives her a stage that earns every gilded tower and misted swamp. If you’ve been waiting since the announcement, the climb is absolutely worth the wait. Grab your needle, tighten your silk, and start scaling the kingdom — the citadel at the top isn’t going to conquer itself.