Summary
- Hollow Knight: Silksong set for 2025 release, featuring Hornet in the new kingdom of Pharloom.
- No official release date yet, but fans can explore similar games with unique art styles and narratives.
- Finish games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Dead Cells, and Animal Well for multiple endings.
After over six years in development, Hollow Knight: Silksong is reportedly on track for a 2025 release. Officially confirmed during the April 2 Nintendo Direct, Team Cherry dropped a blink-and-you'll-miss-it teaser of unseen footage, showcasing Hornet ledge-grabbing and sliding across the slope-heavy terrain of Pharloom. As such, although earlier views on what to expect from Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2025 were cautiously optimistic, it appears that the community may look forward once again with renewed hope.
While it's exciting news that Team Cherry's highly anticipated sequel has a release window, no exact date has been pinpointed. Nintendo reaffirmed in an X post (formerly Twitter) that Hollow Knight: Silksong would debut this year, but with no details, fans may still have ample time until the game's release. Fortunately, for those seeking similarly compelling titles with challenging mechanics, unique art styles, and story-rich narratives, there is no shortage of games to explore in the meantime.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Gets Puzzling Update
The latest update for Hollow Knight: Silksong has left some fans of the franchise scratching their heads.
The Best Games To Try While Waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong
Titles marked with an asterisk are classified as Metroidvanias, similar to both Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
- Animal Well*
- Celeste
- Dead Cells*
- Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights*
- Glimmer in Mirror
- Haiku the Robot*
- Neversong
- Nine Sols*
- Ori and the Blind Forest*
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps*
- Rain World*
- Sheepy: A Short Adventure
The original Hollow Knight is well-known as a precision platformer with intense boss fights, while also delivering a meaningful and deeply layered narrative. So far, not much is known about Hornet's struggle in the Kingdom of Pharloom, but fans are already privy to the knowledge that this takes place after the events of the first game, and outsider bugs have kidnapped her. After escaping, Hornet embarks on a quest to ascend to the kingdom's peak, which may sound familiar to fans of Celeste, as Madeline once undertook her own arduous platforming journey to the top of Celeste Mountain.
Similarly, finishing games like Animal Well, Dead Cells, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, Nine Sols, and Rain World can yield multiple endings, much like how the choices and ventures made in Hollow Knight can result in different outcomes. Additionally, Glimmer in Mirror is still in early access and doesn't have a perfect English translation yet; its striking imagery and engaging story are worth exploring if players are intrigued by Hollow Knight's story. Furthermore, while all the games on this playlist share equally vibrant artistic direction, Ori and the Will of the Wisps stands out for its hand-painted visuals, carefully selected color palettes, and Studio Ghibli-inspired landscapes.
For those looking for a more puzzle-oriented title, Animal Well is an excellent choice for thinking outside the box. In contrast, games like Haiku the Robot draw clear inspiration from Hollow Knight, which may appeal to fans of the franchise while offering more forgiving mechanics. Sheepy: A Short Adventure is another noteworthy, albeit free-to-play title, with less intensive mechanics. It offers speed-running achievements, a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and a lovable, fluffy sheep protagonist, which seems reminiscent of many aspects of Team Cherry's game.
With Hollow Knight: Silksong due any day this year, the above games should be worthwhile investments during the wait. However, for those who’ve found that they've played all, or the majority of these titles, there’s still one more journey worth taking. Now might be the perfect time to revisit Hollow Knight and relive the Knight’s adventure from the very beginning, immersing oneself once more in the world of Hallownest and its complex lore.
Each game in the playlist is published by an indie developer, though some were backed by larger publishers.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
WHERE TO PLAY
Become the Princess Knight
As the lethal hunter Hornet, adventure through a kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and taken to this unfamiliar world, prepare to battle mighty foes and solve ancient mysteries as you ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
