Hollow Knight: Silksong — 12 Essential Early Game Tips

Welcome to Pharloom

After six years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally released — and it's every bit as demanding as the first game. Here are twelve tips to help you survive the opening hours in Pharloom.

1. Explore before you fight

Silksong rewards curiosity aggressively. Every optional path likely contains an upgrade, silk, or lore. Don't rush to progress bosses.

2. Understand Silk

Silk replaces Soul from the first game. It's used for healing and special abilities. Unlike Soul, silk regenerates from parrying attacks — learn to parry early.

3. Master the Cross Stitch

Hornet's "Cross Stitch" (heal) uses silk in bursts. It's faster than Focus from Hollow Knight, but you're more vulnerable. Use it between attack windows, not during them.

4. Save your rosaries

Rosaries (Silksong's currency) are precious in the early game. Don't spend them on cosmetics or minor upgrades. Save for tools and map fragments.

5. Talk to every NPC twice

Many characters offer new dialogue after certain events. Some hidden quests only trigger after multiple conversations. Backtrack often.

6. Learn the pogo

Hornet can pogo (attack downward) similarly to the Knight in Hollow Knight, but the timing is stricter. Practice this in safe areas — it opens up movement options.

7. Tools are Silksong's charms

Silksong replaces the Charm system with Tools. You have loadout slots and can swap between three configurations. Experiment with combinations — some tools have surprising synergies.

8. Silk drops from enemies

Killing enemies drops silk fragments. This means combat is now a resource loop — kill to heal to kill. Aggressive play is often the correct approach.

9. Don't skip the tutorial areas

Silksong's early tutorial areas hide advanced techniques. Watch for wall-jumping tutorials, silk-tether interactions, and combat combos.

10. Map fragments are essential

Unlike Hollow Knight where the map was often optional, Silksong's maps are critical. Buy the first map immediately when you reach a new zone.

11. Bosses have "gimmicks" — find them

Every major boss has a mechanical gimmick. Trance Lace's shield can be broken with a specific parry timing. Track the pattern before committing.

12. Save your first savepoint carefully

Silksong's benches (save points) are further apart than in Hollow Knight. Rest at every bench you find, even if you're at full health — it locks in progress.

What to prioritize in your first playthrough

• Movement upgrades — mobility unlocks new areas
• Silk capacity — more heals means fewer deaths
• Nail damage — every combat encounter becomes easier
• Map fragments — navigation is everything

Play more, spend less

If you want a Silksong account for free, reserve yours on INFINITYPLAY — accounts delivered in minutes after a quick task.

Explore carefully, learn from every death, and welcome to Pharloom.