If you’re eyeing Hollow Knight: Silksong but never played Hollow Knight, the short version is simple: you can start with Silksong. It’s a standalone adventure with a new protagonist, a new kingdom, and systems that teach themselves as you go. That said, there are good reasons many players still recommend beginning with Hollow Knight first.

What actually carries over

Silksong isn’t a reskin. You play as Hornet, who moves faster, climbs and zips with needle-and-thread mobility, and leans into vertical space more than the Knight ever did. Pharloom, the new setting, is its own world with its own characters and quest structure. You won’t need a plot recap to make sense of core events, and you won’t be blocked by missing items or saves from the first game.

What you do miss by skipping Hollow Knight: nods to characters, factions, and the broader mythos. The series’ lore is intentionally oblique; Hollow Knight gives you a feel for how Team Cherry hides history in the margins and rewards curiosity. None of that is required reading, but it can make incidental moments in Silksong land with more weight.

Why start with Hollow Knight

  • Calmer learning curve. Hollow Knight opens slower, spaces out difficulty spikes, and lets you acclimate to navigation, map updates, and death penalties before things tighten up.
  • Design literacy. You’ll internalize the way Team Cherry signals secrets, folds backtracking into progress, and tucks upgrades behind readable landmarks. That mindset transfers directly.
  • Context and payoffs. You’ll recognize Hornet beyond a name and voice, and you’ll pick up references you’d otherwise breeze past.
  • Practical skills. Core habits like positioning, pattern reading, and route planning carry over, even though Hornet’s kit is different.

Why jump straight to Silksong

  • It stands on its own. New kingdom, new cast, and systems that tutorialize effectively.
  • Momentum matters. If you’re excited to be part of the discovery window—when the community is mapping routes and trading tips—there’s value in arriving on day one.
  • You prefer Hornet’s speed. If faster movement and air control are your thing, starting with Silksong may simply click better.

On difficulty, early impressions vary. Some players find Silksong’s baseline more demanding—enemies punish sloppiness, arena rooms ask for tighter execution, and economy choices can feel stricter. Others report the opposite: having “Hollow Knight brain” makes Silksong’s opening hours feel smoother. Both can be true. Experience with metroidvanias, patience for exploration, and comfort with failure loops will swing the needle more than sequel order alone.

A simple decision rubric

  • If you like methodical exploration and want the gentler ramp: start with Hollow Knight.
  • If time is tight and you want the newest game’s pace and systems: start with Silksong.
  • If you bounce off Hollow Knight’s early hours, you can try Silksong anyway—its flow is different—but expect a sharper opening test.
  • If you hit a wall in Silksong and feel lost on fundamentals, pivoting to Hollow Knight can build the exact instincts Silksong expects.

What changes with Hornet (and how to adapt)

  • Movement first. Lean into mobility tools as soon as you find them. Upgrades that expand dash, climb, or air time often unlock safer routes and easier boss reads.
  • Navigation mindset. In Hollow Knight, you had to earn your bearings—buy maps, sit at benches to update, and equip a charm to see your marker. Expect a similarly deliberate approach in Silksong. Build mental maps, use landmarks, and don’t rely on HUD crutches.
  • Resource pressure. Whether it’s currency, heals, or crafting parts, assume early scarcity. Spend deliberately, unlock travel points promptly, and avoid long “cash-on-hand” runs when you’re unsure of what’s ahead.
  • Pattern discipline. Bosses and even standard enemies reward patience. Watch a cycle, then commit. Trading hits rarely favors you.

Tip: If you’re new to the series, set micro-goals—unlock a bench, find the next map piece, tick off a side task—so a tough fight doesn’t stall an entire session. The world usually offers a second path while you regroup.

If you start with Hollow Knight, do this early

  • Prioritize the basics. The first mobility upgrades drastically cut backtracking. The sooner you grab them, the faster the world opens up.
  • Invest in navigation. Buy maps for new areas and the items that help you annotate and orient. It’s less about “not getting lost” and more about learning the level design’s language.
  • Explore laterally. If a boss or platforming gate feels out of band, mark it and move on. Hollow Knight often expects you to return with a new tool or more health.

If you start with Silksong, set expectations

  • It may ask more, sooner. That doesn’t mean it’s unfair; it assumes you’ll learn by doing and route around blockers.
  • Mobility is survival. Take risks to secure movement upgrades; they often trivialize the sections that felt punishing minutes earlier.
  • Don’t hoard. Spend currency on benches, travel points, and core tools as you encounter them. Protected progress is stronger than a big wallet.

Either way, you’re not locked in

There’s no wrong order for enjoying these games. Start where your interest is highest, then circle back. If you choose Silksong first and love it, Hollow Knight becomes a rich prequel that deepens the universe you just explored. If you start with Hollow Knight, Silksong feels like a confident remix—familiar rules with a sharper tempo.

Where to jump in

  • Hollow Knight on PC and consoles is available via the game’s store page.
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong details and platforms are listed on its store page.

Key takeaway: you don’t need homework to play Silksong. Play the one that excites you today, and keep the other queued. Both reward curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to get lost before you find your way.