Hollow Knight

Challenging 2D Metroidvania through a ruined underground bug kingdom

Team Cherry · Released Feb 24, 2017

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 97% of 562K
Recent reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 96% of 4,295 in 30 days
Playing now: 4,572; peak 24h 5,164
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update: 5 months ago; Mar 27, 2026

What is Hollow Knight?

A single-player, side-scrolling Metroidvania set in Hallownest, a ruined underground kingdom inhabited by bugs. You explore an interconnected world, fight creatures and bosses, gain movement skills and spells, equip ability-changing Charms, and uncover the kingdom’s mysteries.

For you if...

+you enjoy exploring interconnected worlds for paths and secrets
+you want demanding bosses with learnable attack patterns
+you value detailed 2D art and atmospheric music

Not for you if...

−you dislike backtracking and finding your own route
−you want a low-pressure game to unwind with
−you are looking for multiplayer rather than a solo adventure

What players say

97% of 562,091 reviews are positive · 96% of 4,295 in the last 30 days

Players most often praise the art, soundtrack, interconnected exploration, and boss combat that rewards learning attack patterns. The main complaints are heavy backtracking, limited direction when seeking the next objective, and difficulty that some players find more frustrating than rewarding.

Screenshots and trailer

Hollow Knight system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Windows 10 version 21H1 (build 19043) or newer
Processor: Intel Core i3-3240, AMD FX-4300
Graphics: GeForce GTX 560 Ti (1GB), Radeon HD 7750 (1GB)
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Storage: 9 GB available space
DirectX: Version 10

PC version details

DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements: 63
Steam features: Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards

Steam Deck: Verified

All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Shows Steam Deck controller icons
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

Multiplayer and co-op

Single-player

Languages

Full audio: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Italian, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese.