Silksong is hard, so a beginner's guide to get you started can't hurt. I don't think it's a hugely controversial statement to say it's difficult – for some that's an enjoyable challenge, for others it's a nightmarish slog, but either way it's certainly a tough game. Hornet's journey through Pharloom starts off punishing and only gets more vicious as time goes on, and for many the brutality of the experience ends up deterring them.
Which is a shame! Hollow Knight Silksong is a gorgeous game with a lot of lovely artwork, funny characters, thrilling boss fights and more besides. As somebody who was playing it straight out of the gate, I didn't have a lot of help to get me through the tougher moments, so here I'm going to run through all the things a new player will probably need to know if they're picking up their needle for the first time – after all, the fact that we have Silksong on Game Pass means that a lot will be trying it over the Winter holidays. And no, it'll never be an easy game, but I can at least smooth the experience out for you a little…
The basics
Did you know that Silksong Act 3 isn't just optional, but actively quite hard to reach? If you don't fulfil certain conditions then the game ends after Act 2, and a whole third of the game is missed!
As a metroidvania, half the time in Pharloom the danger isn't getting jumped by beetles so much as it is just getting lost. More than once I'd find myself in some labyrinth of twisting tunnels, wandering in circles while traps and minor enemies chipped my health away, unable to escape. The full Silksong Map will do a lot to mitigate that issue, so even if you haven't unlocked it in the game, you still have a reference point for where you are.
So now you know where you can go, you need to know what to do! Our general Silksong tips page caps all the gameplay nuances that would normally require a few respawns, but we've also got some solid ideas of where to go first in Silksong, to know what the best options are once you're exploring the initial tunnels.
Some early challenges you'll encounter include:
- Mossberries: These collectibles are used to get an early buff from a potion-brewing ally, but you'll need to find a few of them.
- Bell Beast: A major early boss fight that locks off the ability to fast travel.
- Fleas: They're part of a larger side quest that goes throughout the game, but if you can find a few fleas and return them to their family, there's a unique item in it for you!
- Hokers and Spine Cores: At one point you'll be trapped until you can complete this peculiar side quest – but what the heck is a Hoker anyway, and how do you harvest Spine Cores from it?
Core abilities and powers
Of course, you'll be limited to one corner of that massive map until you start getting new powers that allow you to explore and navigate it. The full list of Silksong abilities and where you need to go to get them is laid out here, but you can find specific guides on some of the big ones below:
But more than that, you'll also need to be your best self. Silksong needle upgrades and Pale Oil are a major part of the game that allow you upgrade your base damage, while the Mask Shards improve your max health and prevent you from dying in a couple of hits.
And of course, you don't want to be a poor bug. There's two kinds of currency in Silksong, and they're both essential at different times and for different things. Shell Shards are used for certain structural projects, quests, and as ammunition for your tools. Meanwhile, Rosaries are used to buy items, upgrades, checkpoints and more besides across the game, acting as a universal currency. For that reason, our Silksong Rosary farming guide will ensure you never run short on cash.
Where to go (and how to get there)
Once you're starting to get used to the game, there's all manner of places you can go and explore, with much of the map itself being optional! Here's a few key locations, optional and not, and what you need to know about them.
Test your skills as you explore:
- Hunter's March: This deadly early-game area infested with Red Ants is technically optional, but there's some really good loot here that makes it worth the dread of exploring it, including a new moveset that's incredibly user-friendly.
- Bellhart: A little town of bugs afflicted by a curse when you first encounter it, freeing Bellhart makes it into a vital hub area.
- The Slab and The Apostate Key: You can actually be kidnapped and dragged unwillingly to this prison zone, whereupon you'll need to stage a jailbreak and make your escape! There's also major rewards if you can find the Apostate Key that unlocks certain cells, and we can help with that.
- Blasted Steps: This platforming area forces you to ascend up to a final boss, working your way past armored foes and horrendous desert winds. Sadly, this area is mandatory – in fact, completing the Steps is how you make it to the end of Act 1.
- Bilewater: One of the most punishing spaces in the game, players are constantly struggling and failing to find where to get the map for this area.
- The Mist: A shadowy realm where space makes no sense and your map fails you, this area is actually a puzzle you need to solve to escape with your life.
Bosses
Silksong is all about the bosses and there are nearly 50 in total. While I'm not going to help you with all of them, here are six of the biggest early game pains you'll probably want some help with in the first act of the game.
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