Question 1

Is Hollow Knight worth it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, without qualification. $14.99 for 40+ hours of some of the most finely crafted exploration and combat in the genre. It regularly goes on sale for under $4. At any price it is worth playing.

Question 2

Is Hollow Knight on Game Pass?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hollow Knight is available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. If you have a subscription, there is no reason not to download it immediately.

Question 3

Is Hollow Knight hard?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The base game is genuinely challenging, particularly the boss fights. The optional Pantheon content in the Godmaster DLC is extremely hard, built for players who want a serious endgame challenge. There are no difficulty settings.

Question 4

Does Hollow Knight have difficulty settings?

Accepted Answer

No. There is one difficulty level. The game was designed as a single, balanced experience. If you find it too hard, the most useful strategy is to explore different areas and level up your Soul and Geo before retrying difficult bosses.

Question 5

How long to beat Hollow Knight?

Accepted Answer

The main story takes most players 25-35 hours. Full completion including all optional areas, bosses, and the Godmaster DLC runs 50-60 hours. Speedrunners can finish the main story in under two hours, but that is a separate hobby.

Question 6

Is Hollow Knight a Metroidvania?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and one of the best examples of the genre ever made. You explore a large interconnected world, unlock new abilities that open previously inaccessible areas, and gradually piece together the map through exploration rather than being guided through it.

Question 7

Is Hollow Knight on Nintendo Switch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hollow Knight is available on Nintendo Switch and runs well. The portability suits the game well, exploration-heavy games benefit from being able to pick up and put down easily.

Question 8

Is Hollow Knight on PS5?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hollow Knight is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility and a native PS4 release. It runs at 60fps on both platforms.

Question 9

Does Hollow Knight have multiplayer?

Accepted Answer

No. Hollow Knight is a single-player game. There is no co-op, no online mode, and no competitive element. The experience is entirely solo.

Question 10

Is Hollow Knight like Dark Souls?

Accepted Answer

In terms of difficulty and atmosphere, yes, both punish careless play, both have cryptic lore delivered through environmental storytelling, and both reward patience. The gameplay is completely different though. Hollow Knight is a 2D platformer with precise movement mechanics, not a 3D action RPG.

Question 11

Is Hollow Knight harder than Dark Souls?

Accepted Answer

The base game is comparable in difficulty to Dark Souls 1. The optional Pantheon content, particularly the Pantheon of Hallownest, is significantly harder than anything in the Dark Souls trilogy for most players. That content is genuinely punishing.

Question 12

Is Hollow Knight good for beginners?

Accepted Answer

The base game is accessible to players who are comfortable with 2D platformers. It is not a good first game if you have never played an action platformer before. If you have played something like Ori or Shovel Knight, you are ready for Hollow Knight.

Question 13

What is Hollow Knight about?

Accepted Answer

You play a small Knight descending into Hallownest, a ruined underground insect kingdom. The story involves a plague called the Infection, a dead king, and a sealed evil that corrupted everything. The lore is delivered through environmental details and NPC dialogue rather than cutscenes, piecing it together is part of the experience.

Question 14

Is Hollow Knight finished?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hollow Knight is a complete game. All planned DLC has been released and is free. Team Cherry's follow-up work went into the separate sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, which released in 2025.

Question 15

Is Hollow Knight DLC free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All Hollow Knight DLC is free: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster. Four substantial content updates at no cost. Godmaster alone adds significant endgame content including the Pantheon boss rush gauntlets.

Question 16

When did Hollow Knight come out?

Accepted Answer

Hollow Knight released on PC on February 24, 2017. Nintendo Switch release was June 12, 2018. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases followed on September 25, 2018.

Question 17

Who made Hollow Knight?

Accepted Answer

Team Cherry: a two-person studio based in Adelaide, Australia. Ari Gibson handled art and animation. William Pellen handled programming and additional art. The game was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised AU$57,000, roughly four times its goal.

Question 18

How many endings does Hollow Knight have?

Accepted Answer

Three main endings, with a fourth optional ending added in the Godmaster DLC. The true ending requires completing specific objectives that the game does not explain to you. Discovering them through exploration is intentional.

Question 19

Is there a sequel to Hollow Knight?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hollow Knight: Silksong released September 4, 2025. You play as Hornet, a secondary character from the original game. It sits at 89% Very Positive on Steam, slightly below the original, mainly due to a difficulty spike Team Cherry patched down in the first couple of weeks.

Question 20

When does Hollow Knight: Silksong come out?

Accepted Answer

It already has: September 4, 2025, after being announced in February 2019. The wait genuinely mattered, and it is worth playing after you have finished the original.

Question 21

Does Hollow Knight have controller support?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is the recommended way to play. The game was designed with a controller in mind. Xbox and PlayStation controllers work out of the box on PC. Keyboard is functional but less comfortable for extended play.

Question 22

Can Hollow Knight run on a low-end PC?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hollow Knight has modest system requirements, any PC made after 2012 with a dedicated GPU can run it at 60fps. The minimum requirements list 4GB RAM and a 300MB GPU, which is very low by modern standards.

Question 23

Is Hollow Knight worth buying if I own it on Game Pass?

Accepted Answer

Game Pass licences expire when subscriptions lapse. If you think Hollow Knight is a game you will replay or want permanent access to, buying it makes sense, especially on sale. At $4-$5 during Steam sales it is an easy call.

Question 24

Is Hollow Knight better than Ori and the Blind Forest?

Accepted Answer

Different strengths. Ori is more accessible and emotionally immediate, a shorter, more guided experience. Hollow Knight is larger, harder, and more rewarding for players who want to lose themselves in exploration. Both are worth playing. If you can only pick one, Hollow Knight has more content.

Question 25

What order should I explore Hollow Knight?

Accepted Answer

The game is designed for open exploration, but there is a loose intended path through the early areas. Forgotten Crossroads, then Fungal Wastes, then City of Tears is a natural progression. Do not consult a guide on your first playthrough, getting lost and finding things yourself is the point.