Hollow Knight: Silksong review

Silksong is the newest game on this list and, on paper, the biggest. Team Cherry casts Hornet as a captured hunter climbing through Pharloom, a kingdom of mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors, toward a citadel at its peak. The store page promises over 200 enemies and over 40 bosses, a larger count than the first game, plus craftable tools such as weapons, traps and mechanisms. Quests ask you to hunt rare beasts and solve mysteries for the people you meet, and Steel Soul mode returns once you finish. Steam shows a Metacritic score of 90, the highest of any game here, and 93% of more than 147,000 English reviews are positive. It also lists a keyboard-only option and save-anytime support. It ranks second rather than first because it costs $19.99 and expects players to be comfortable with hard combat from the opening areas. Fans of the first game should buy it without hesitation.

Who it is for

Players who finished Hollow Knight and want faster, more acrobatic combat and a newer world.

Price

$19.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

as you ascend to the peak of a land ruled by silk and song. $19.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Play as Hornet, with a large set of acrobatic moves
• Over 200 enemies and over 40 bosses
• Craftable tools, weapons, traps and mechanisms
• Quests to hunt rare beasts and solve mysteries
• Steel Soul mode after you finish the game

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Metacritic score of 90 on the Steam page, the highest here
• Strength: More bosses than Hollow Knight: over 40 against 30
• Strength: Keyboard-only option and save-anytime support listed
• Weakness: Costs $5 more than the first game
• Weakness: Steam review ratio (93%) is a little below Hollow Knight's
• Weakness: Difficulty is high from the start

Key facts

• Developer: Team Cherry
• Price: $19.99
• Steam reviews: 93% of 147,354 (English)
• Released: September 4, 2025
• Minimum RAM: 4 GB

Where it ranks

Hollow Knight: Silksong is No. 2 in our Best 2D Games verdict.