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Hollow Knight (2017)

Team Cherry

Linux · Mac · Nintendo Switch · Nintendo Switch 2 · PC (Microsoft Windows) · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Wii U · Xbox One · Xbox Series X|S

4.48 from 5554 ratings · #23 top rated on Grouvee

14308 members have it in their collection · 1487 playing now · 4889 backlogged · 2132 wish listed

How long? Main story 30h · with extras 45h · 100% 55h (from 200 logged playthroughs)

A 2D metroidvania with an emphasis on close combat and exploration in which the player enters the once-prosperous now-bleak insect kingdom of Hallownest, travels through its various districts, meets friendly inhabitants, fights hostile ones and uncovers the kingdom's history while improving their combat abilities and movement arsenal by fighting bosses and accessing out-of-the-way areas.
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Details

Developers
Team Cherry
Publishers
Team Cherry
Genres
Adventure, Indie, Platform
Themes
Action, Fantasy
Series
Hollow Knight
Events
Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 2.5.2026, Nintendo Direct: E3 2018
Steam
View on Steam

Release dates

  • Feb 24, 2017 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows)
  • Apr 11, 2017 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Mac
  • 2017 (Cancelled) (Worldwide) Wii U
  • Jun 12, 2018 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Nintendo Switch
  • Sep 25, 2018 (Full Release) (Worldwide) PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • Feb 05, 2026 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
  • Dec 31, 2026 (Next-Gen Optimization Patch Release) (Worldwide) Nintendo Switch 2

Related

Bundled in

Updates

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Featured in lists

Essential Indies by Human_Traffic · 50 games · 6
Gamestar Magazine's 300 best PC games of all time by Human_Traffic · 300 games · 5
Decompilation/Recompilation Projects by DucksOnQuack · 24 games · 4
Train Your Wife from Zero to Dark Souls (Scientific Method™) by Yevii · 10 games · 3
My Favorite Games Ranked by BurningKirby · 91 games · 3
BMO’s All-time Favourites by BMO · 9 games · 3

Rating distribution

5 stars
3624
4 stars
1252
3 stars
455
2 stars
173
1 star
50
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Community All Reviews Statuses

maeday

Status maeday Jul 23, 2019

Today's update in the ever ongoing saga of my playthrough with Hollow Knight, I have just one thing to say. Someone come cook/clean for me so I never have to get up and walk away from this title that is slowly enveloping my entire being inside of its existence. Send help. Dear god send help. It won't stop. It won't …

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Today's update in the ever ongoing saga of my playthrough with Hollow Knight, I have just one thing to say. Someone come cook/clean for me so I never have to get up and walk away from this title that is slowly enveloping my entire being inside of its existence. Send help. Dear god send help. It won't stop. It won't stop until we're all dead. It's thirst for attention is unquenchable.

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4 Comment Permalink
maeday

Status maeday Jul 23, 2019

I have 35 hours logged now into Hollow Knight. In unrelated news, I haven't visited a bathroom since I started this game, and my bedroom smells pretty bad now.

6 Comment Permalink
maeday

Status maeday Jul 20, 2019

I swear to god, I am going to make a device that creates a pixelated version of myself, put myself into Hollow Knight and go beat the shit out of The Broken Vessel with my own goddamned hands. Watch out, you sumabitch, I'm comin' for you.

8 Comment Permalink
maeday

Status maeday Jul 15, 2019

I think the thing I dislike about Hollow Knight the absolute most, and this is probably just me but whatever, is the fact that, okay, so they don't tell you exactly where to go and that's fine. Exploration is a huge part of the core gameplay, and I enjoy that, I admit it. But what I DON'T enjoy is them …

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I think the thing I dislike about Hollow Knight the absolute most, and this is probably just me but whatever, is the fact that, okay, so they don't tell you exactly where to go and that's fine. Exploration is a huge part of the core gameplay, and I enjoy that, I admit it. But what I DON'T enjoy is them not telling you things that inherently allow you to progress, such as, say, oh, that hitting the purple mushrooms with your nail will allow you to bounce on them and thus gain access to other parts of the world. What. I'm supposed to just accidentally try that? Gimme a break. People say games that hold your hand are garbage, but sometimes goddammit I NEED hand holding.

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3 Comment Permalink
Alphadoriest

Status Alphadoriest Jul 5, 2019

Just completed this after returning to it - having left it abandoned for over a year. Thanks to all its fans for pushing me through with your discussion and praise here. I thought this was simply ace. So ace that I dropped Mario Maker 2 to play something I bought two years ago.

Just need to see the other endings …

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Just completed this after returning to it - having left it abandoned for over a year. Thanks to all its fans for pushing me through with your discussion and praise here. I thought this was simply ace. So ace that I dropped Mario Maker 2 to play something I bought two years ago.

Just need to see the other endings now!

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5 Comment Permalink
Dallen

Status Dallen Jun 30, 2019

Yeah 15 hours in and this game is not sitting well with me. Thought I might like it for a bit but every session I leave feeling actively annoyed.

I've said enough about the lore and atmosphere that rub me the wrong way but what I can't get over are the copious amounts of required backtracking and arbitrary obstacles. Enemies …

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Yeah 15 hours in and this game is not sitting well with me. Thought I might like it for a bit but every session I leave feeling actively annoyed.

I've said enough about the lore and atmosphere that rub me the wrong way but what I can't get over are the copious amounts of required backtracking and arbitrary obstacles. Enemies that basically require certain medals or key places you have to revisit multiple times with no fast track areas.

Like case in point. It's a 10-15 minute round trip at least to repair fragile strength which is so obnoxious I can't ever be bothered to use the dang thing.

I'm really regretting the time I've spent playing this game but I'm 15 hours in and at this point I'm wondering if I should even bother finishing.

Imo it rarely presents an interesting challenge and flip flops between so easy it's a joke and bosses so quick you CANNOT heal and have to rely on rote memorization of patterns.

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5 Comment Permalink
maeday

Status maeday Jun 23, 2019

Wanna grab and play Hollow Knight finally, but...fifteen bucks, yikes. I only make like 45 a month, idk...

4 Comment Permalink
Dallen

Status Dallen Jun 22, 2019

Hmn.... not really sold on this game yet. The controls feel needlessly sluggish, I greatly dislike the Dark Souls style of of death and recovery mechanics (in a game like this losing progress should be the punishment not collectables). Even more I dislike the Dark Souls style of storytelling. I have always said "If your story can mean anything, it …

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Hmn.... not really sold on this game yet. The controls feel needlessly sluggish, I greatly dislike the Dark Souls style of of death and recovery mechanics (in a game like this losing progress should be the punishment not collectables). Even more I dislike the Dark Souls style of storytelling. I have always said "If your story can mean anything, it means nothing." I never understood why this idea of vague implication and vaguer item descriptions as story. They work great as a suppliant but I just don't think they work well as an actual narrative. I think most of that I could overlook if the art style clicked with me but it just...doesn't.... Even if the gameplay and story didn't hit me just right I think a game like this most of all could really carry me along with asthetic but man just everything in this game makes me uncomfortable. It's all gross and icky and weirdly rounded.

I think I get why so many people like this game but as an avid metroidvania fan, when I heard this was one of the best ever I was PUMPED to try it. Now that I'm here it seems a lot more like darksouls than iga-vania or metroid :/

Maybe it'll pick up later I'm only like 5 hours in.

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3 Comment Permalink
apr

Status apr Jun 21, 2019

Took an hour or so to get my feet under me, but it's become almost, almost pleasurable now. I played Ninja Gaiden Black as a kid but this is really it aside from that in terms of "hard" games. I go into the big encounters thinking "my goal is to learn" and that seems to keep me loose and nimble …

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Took an hour or so to get my feet under me, but it's become almost, almost pleasurable now. I played Ninja Gaiden Black as a kid but this is really it aside from that in terms of "hard" games. I go into the big encounters thinking "my goal is to learn" and that seems to keep me loose and nimble instead of tight and clinging to the health bar. After two or three goes you start dancing around and exploiting openings on the boss who seemed like such a juggernaut not long before. Hoping the music picks up a bit as the game progresses.

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4 Comment Permalink
BMO

Status BMO Jun 11, 2019

There is a sweet 50% off sale happening on the Nintendo e-shop to coincide with E3, including games like Hollow Knight, as well as first party Nintendo games like Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart.

4 Comment Permalink
BMO

Status BMO Mar 28, 2019

The mildest of spoilers below:

A little after completing Hollow Knight, I started a new game just so I could find my favourite character. For those who have played the full game you probably know why I had to start a new game just to do this one simple thing.

Myla is the character that most warmed my heart, and …

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The mildest of spoilers below:

A little after completing Hollow Knight, I started a new game just so I could find my favourite character. For those who have played the full game you probably know why I had to start a new game just to do this one simple thing.

Myla is the character that most warmed my heart, and then broke it during my Hollow Knight play through. At least I have one save file where Myla is forever singing, carefree, on her way to endless riches.

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5 Comment Permalink
BMO

Status BMO Feb 19, 2019

If I ascribe any meaning to the order of the Hollow Knight soundtrack, I was supposed to find and fight the Dung Defender before the Soul Master. Love that that wasn’t necessary.

2 Comment Permalink
BMO

Status BMO Feb 16, 2019

Only a couple days ago I was wondering how I'd ever get 1800 essences. And now I've already hit 2400 and achieved the Ascension trophy. It's amazing that what seems impossible one day is a cake-walk the next.

3 Comment Permalink