Hollow Knight fans have been looking forward to Silksong for a long time, and it's safe to say that the hype behind the game has brought in a lot of new players. Silksong is an evolution of the Metroidvania gameplay of Hollow Knight, but even veterans of the genre may need some help getting their bearings.
Hollow Knight Silksong Price, Preorders, & Other FAQs
Find answers to the most common Hollow Knight Silksong FAQs and what you need to know about this highly anticipated sequel with this guide.
Whether you're a diehard Hollow Knight fan or you're a complete beginner, Silksong is a tough game. This guide offers some of the best beginner tips for Silksong that players should know, from learning how to play Hornet effectively to knowing the difference between Rosaries and Shell Shards and other tips to help players along their journey in Pharloom.
Learn Hornet's Unique Movement Style
Get Used to Hornet's Jump Distance & Platforming
Compared to Hollow Knight's movement, Hornet's movement in Silksong is much more acrobatic, and it may take new players and Hollow Knight fans a little bit to get used to how Hornet feels to control. For example, Hollow Knight veterans will have to learn how to deal with Hornet's diagonal down attack, instead of the Knight's direct down attack, while in mid-air.
At the start of the game, it's worth spending some time fiddling with your controls and getting a feel for how Hornet moves and reacts to various inputs.
Once you become familiar with how far Hornet jumps with a long and short jump input, the angle of her downward attack, and the distance her Needle can hit enemies from, you'll feel much more comfortable exploring the world of Pharloom.
Bind Works in Mid-Air
Dodge & Heal at the Same Time
One change from Hollow Knight, and something that isn't explicitly explained in-game, is Hornet's ability to recover Masks in mid-air. In Silksong, the Bind ability replaces the Focus spell from Hollow Knight, and though they essentially do the same thing, Bind works slightly differently.
Indeed, Bind can be used in mid-air, which fits well into the flow of combat as Hornet jumps and dodges over enemies. But Bind also uses your entire Silk meter to recover Masks; whether you are healing one Mask or up to three, you must have a filled Silk gauge to Bind. It also activates when you press the input, not when the input is held, like in the previous game.
In Hollow Knight, the Knight could recover Masks with a partially-filled SOUL gauge, so this is a change fans and new players will have to get used to.
Buy a Map, Quill, & Compass
Map Markers Are Very Useful, But Not Necessary
After you enter The Marrow, you will quickly run into Shakra, Wielding Rings, the Silksong equivalent of Cornifer. Shakra will offer her cartography services to Hornet and sell a variety of map-making goods, including maps of the local areas, a Quill, and a Compass.
These items are essential things players should get first in Silksong. It isn't easy to progress if you don't know where you are going, after all. Both maps will cost 90 Rosaries together, the Quill costs 50 Rosaries, and the Compass costs 70 Rosaries.
If you don't have enough Rosaries, you can return to her location in The Marrow after saving up – until you reach a certain progression point in the story, that is. Later on, you will run into her across most zones in the game and offer other maps of areas in Pharloom.
Equip Tools at Benches
You Can Only Equip Items While Resting
The Compass counts as a Tool in Silksong, a kind of equippable item that can only be swapped in and out while sitting at a Bench. This yellow Tool will only show your location on the map if it is equipped, so after buying the Compass, you must find a bench to update your map and display Hornet's location.
This works the same way for all Tools in Silksong. When you find an equippable item, you must return to a bench to wield it. Keep in mind that you cannot equip two Tools in the same slot of your Crest. Because both the Shard Pendant and Compass are yellow Tools, they cannot both be equipped into the starting Crest layout.
Rosaries are Currency, Shards are for Crafting
Spend Rosaries, Craft With Shards
There are two main currencies in Silksong: Rosaries and Shell Shards. Rosaries are the red beads that Pilgrims value as they journey up to the peak of Pharloom, while Shell Shards are used to create crafted items.
You won't be able to use Shell Shards until later in the game, but early in Silksong, players should still collect these to open up their options later on.
Rosaries are the primary spending currency that almost all vendors in Silksong accept for their goods. You can get Rosaries from a variety of sources, including normal enemy drops, Rosary caches, and Rosary strings.
Stay Aggressive To Stagger Bosses
Don't Run Away, Get Right Up In Their Face
One of the best combat tips Silksong players should take to heart is to stay aggressive. If you are able to string together attacks in rapid succession, you will build up a boss' Stagger meter faster. When a boss is staggered, Hornet has a few seconds to either get multiple hits in or Bind to heal her Masks.
If you play defensively and run away from a boss instead of confronting them head-on, you'll actually find the boss harder as you won't trigger as many Staggers as a player who stays up in their face. Some bosses cannot be staggered at all, but even against these bosses, it's best to play more aggressively than you think.
Once you get a feel for the flow of combat, you'll practically dance around bosses, avoiding attacks as deftly as you connect your own.
Pay Attention To NPC Dialogue
NPCs Divulge Important Information About Progression & Areas
One of the cardinal sins of playing Metroidvanias, especially games like Hollow Knight, is to skip dialogue or not pay attention. Even if you don't care to learn about the lore and story of Silksong, important details about progression and locations are often revealed in NPC dialogues.
For example, if you talk to Flick the Fixer the first time you meet him in Bone Bottom, you'll learn about wishwalls. These are essentially quest boards that Hornet can interact with to see local requests. If you talk to him, you will know to return to Bone Bottom later in the game to access Bone Bottom's wishwall.
Look For Breakable Walls To Find Secrets
Find Rosaries, Items, & More Hidden Behind Breakable Walls
A staple of Metroidvanias, like Hollow Knight and Silksong, is secret walls. Throughout Silksong, you can find breakable walls that look just like normal terrain. Test walls with your Needle, and if you hear a loud crunching noise and see the wall texture rumble, keep hitting to reveal a secret area.
These secret areas often contain Rosary caches, items, hidden Flea locations, or other noteworthy hidden collectibles and routes. If you see a wall that looks fishy, hit it with your Needle – you might just find something neat hidden in a secret area beyond.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Released
- September 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
