Hollow Knight: Silksong Beginner’s Guide — Tips & Tricks

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a long-awaited metroidvania that has captivated millions of players from day one. In this guide, you'll find useful tips for beginners: the basics of mechanics, nuances of the economy, world navigation, boss fight rules, and ways to obtain all acrobatic abilities.

Adventures in the fantasy world of bugs attract millions of fans, as well as those who have never even heard of this famous franchise. With the help of our guide, diving into the sequel will be much easier, especially since the game is in no hurry to explain to the player from the very start how Hornet will face enemies on her way to the Citadel.

The game features many enemies who use ranged weapons against the heroine. Hornet can deflect such attacks: to do this, wait until the projectile is within the swing radius of the needle, then strike it. This way, you can hit the attacker with their own projectile.

In the Deep Docks location, you need to find an idol that grants Hornet the Swift Step ability. Thanks to it, the heroine will be able to move quickly through locations and cover large distances in the air.

The ability allows you to reach hard-to-access ledges. The move works as follows: while in a jump, press the Sprint button, after which Hornet will dash forward. It's worth noting that if you use sprint while standing still, the heroine will dash forward. Try to acquire this ability at the very beginning of the game.

Hornet can attack in different directions. Standard strikes are to the left and right, but if you hold the Up + Attack button/stick, the heroine will swing her needle above her head. This move also works in the air, allowing you to take out flying enemies.

Initially, the game does not allow you to attack from top to bottom. However, the heroine has another, more powerful move. If you press the Down and Left/Right buttons while jumping, and then Attack, the heroine will dive at a 45-degree angle, stinging the enemy on the head. In addition, this combo allows you to bounce off enemies and certain objects, which we will describe in the next section.

There are objects in the game that you can bounce off of. They are spherical objects, such as buds and balls. You will first encounter such objects in the Hunter's March location. It's also worth noting that in the Shellwood biome, there are white flowers that fall apart when touched and regenerate after a while.

To bounce off a sphere correctly, you need to understand the mechanics of this acrobatic trick. The object itself is static, so you can jump on it endlessly. Practice on safe buds (those without spikes underneath) and memorize the necessary height and distance for the downward strike. You always need to be slightly above and to the side of the spot you want to hit. If you master this technique, you'll be able to quickly cross large gaps without much difficulty. There is another way — simpler and more familiar for players.

Hornet needs to be at a close enough distance to the ball so as not to fall and not to enter the downward attack state.

You need to bounce as follows:

Many players find this mechanic difficult, and some even quit the game because of it. If this has become a challenge for you, pause the game and take a break. Just a little practice is enough to master the mechanic and perform such tricks without much trouble.

If bouncing off buds at an angle is too difficult for you, you can equip a different crest. We wrote about the types of crests and how to obtain them in another guide.

At the start of the game, Hornet can run, jump, and automatically climb onto ledges. But that's not enough to explore every corner of the world map. So, let's briefly describe which acrobatic tricks the heroine can learn and where to find them.

To make your playthrough as comfortable as possible and clear all locations, you need to learn all available acrobatic tricks. In addition, with their help, it will be much easier for you in battles with both regular enemies and bosses.

The game has basic enemies that will respawn in their places every time you leave a location. There are also stronger mobs that respawn when Hornet rests on a bench. In battles with them, don't rush and carefully study enemy behavior to develop a tactic for each one. Remember, you don't always have to fight, as most maps can be run through unharmed without killing anyone.

With bosses, things are not so simple, since the developers have created smart AI: each boss has unique patterns. Therefore, the player needs to learn enemy movements and also keep in mind that they deal increased damage when they lose more than 50% health. In addition, monsters speed up and attack with a new set of moves, so don't rush to defeat them in one try.

As a result, two main rules can be derived: don't rush and improvise. Regular enemies can be ignored if they don't get in the way and you don't need to grind. Bosses need to be studied to understand when it's safe to attack. With this approach, you can fight without taking damage, even in the toughest battles.

A few facts should be added:

The game world itself is small; you can walk from one end to the other in a few minutes if you choose the right route. The only difficulty is that there can be more than a dozen paths. Therefore, to avoid getting lost in countless passages, you need a map.

As you progress, you will regularly meet a cartographer named Shakra, from whom you can buy a compass and maps of individual locations. For example, if you find him in the Hunter's March biome, he will offer you an atlas for that level. Be sure to buy the Quill from Shakra, which will allow Hornet to fill in the map as you progress.

In addition, Shakra can sell the Compass tool and additional markers for shelters, passages, and important locations. To display Hornet on the map, you need to use a bench and place the compass in the charm slot.

It should be added that the cartographer sells a sketch of the map, which Hornet later fills in herself when resting on a bench. The heroine only draws the places she has visited. If you see that some part is not filled in, the Hornet hasn’t been there yet.

In other words, you buy a sketch, then gradually explore the location and after each transition save at a bench to always have an up-to-date map.

Beads (Rosaries)[/b] are red spheres that serve as the main in-game currency, allowing you to buy various useful items from merchants. There are three ways to obtain these gems: loot them from enemies, open stashes, and craft rosaries.

Enemies that drop beads are usually those with intelligence. You can distinguish them by the presence of weapons and more human-like behavior. Enemies that are closer to animals mostly drop shell shards, which we will discuss in the next section.

Stashes are scattered throughout the world, most often found in corners and inconspicuous places. Therefore, we recommend thoroughly searching all locations and poking your needle into all available spots, as treasures may be hidden behind piles of junk.

It should be noted that beads roll along the ground and can get lost or even fall, for example, into lava, where they will be destroyed. Keep in mind that in case of death, all money will remain in a cocoon, and if you die a second time without recovering the capsule, you will lose them forever.

The most effective bead farming strategy is [b]clearing locations. Since mobs respawn in their places after each rest, you can farm over 500 units in half an hour in locations such as Graymoor, Deep Docks, and Bone Bottom.

You will die quite often, and losing beads can be costly. Some safe zones are equipped with a machine that allows you to craft rosaries. Bracelets can replenish your bead reserves, as they are stored in your inventory even after death. Therefore, we recommend crafting as many strings as possible at the earliest opportunity.

Shell Shards are a resource used to repair equipment or craft tools, traps, and throwing projectiles. This material is common and drops from almost all enemies. It can be found as fossils and also comes in bundles from merchants or in the open world.

Farming shards is quite easy because they drop in large quantities from low-level enemies. You can find plenty of such foes in the starting locations. Even on higher difficulties, you won’t have a strong need for this material. In addition, after death, this resource stays with Hornet, not in a cocoon, unlike beads.

Grant Wishes

Hornet will meet many characters who will reward her with valuable items in exchange for completing their requests. Also, don’t forget to regularly talk to NPCs, as you’ll learn a lot of useful information about the bug world from them. Note that the game has many dialogues, which are constantly updated whenever you open a new area or defeat a boss.

Save Your Silk

Silk can be used to heal or for super attacks. Heal when you know a long fight is ahead. Use silk attacks if your opponent has little health left. We recommend using tools that increase energy gain rate, so you can spend your thread supply more than once in a single battle.

Strike Through Barriers

Many barriers in the game are very thin. Therefore, if the needle’s attack radius slightly goes beyond the barrier, Hornet can damage an enemy behind it.

Experiment with Builds

The game has a lot of different tools that affect Hornet in various ways. With them, you can create different builds for various playstyles. The number and types of devices the heroine can use are determined by the type of crest she’s wearing.

Combine Acrobatic Tricks

With all acrobatic skills, the heroine can reach any point in the world without problems. Mastery of all tricks will make Hornet invincible, and any skirmish will turn into a dance with a needle. Also, try to use the environment as much as possible, considering that most enemy AI is primitive.

Buy Benches

Rest points are used to save the game, restore health, repair equipment, and update the map. Only on a bench can you reassign tools. So, it’s a good idea to have at least one bench in every location, since a bench is primarily Hornet’s respawn point.

Purchase All Map Upgrades

At the start of the game, several locations are available, and closer to the end, the world will become a network of biomes connected by multi-level, tricky passages and tunnels. Therefore, to avoid wandering by memory, upgrade your map to the maximum and be sure to make all changes while resting.

Dig Tunnels

The game features a fast travel system. To start using it, you need to obtain the Silkspear in the Mosshome biome and defeat the Bell Beast. As a result, Hornet will gain the ability to purchase stations in the tunnel system, allowing her to move between locations.

Don't Rush

The game unfolds gradually. You'll often find yourself at a dead end — that's normal, since the opportunity to reach the same place by another route, using entirely different abilities, will appear a bit later. So, if something doesn't work out, head into unexplored lands, and maybe you'll find a path or a way to access a previously closed area.

Play with a Gamepad

The usual mouse many players are used to is not present in the game, and the keyboard layout is unusual compared to other modern projects. Because of this, beginners may have difficulty getting used to the gameplay. Therefore, to avoid retraining, we recommend using a gamepad, which will provide a more comfortable experience.