Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight places you beneath the quiet surface town of Dirtmouth into Hallownest, a sprawling underground kingdom filled with branching paths, hidden rooms, and environmental storytelling. The core gameplay loop weaves tight nail-based melee combat with nonlinear exploration — you fight enemies to collect Geo (the game’s currency), discover new movement abilities that unlock previously inaccessible areas, and equip Charms to customize your build for different challenges.

What makes Hollow Knight exceptional among indie Metroidvanias is how its systems feed into each other. Combat generates Soul, which you spend on healing or offensive spells, creating a constant risk-reward tension during every encounter. Boss fights demand pattern memorization and precise dodge timing. Between battles, the interconnected world design rewards curiosity — nearly every dead end hides a Mask Shard, a Charm, a Grub to rescue, or a lore tablet that deepens the story. The hand-drawn art and Christopher Larkin’s orchestral soundtrack tie everything together into a cohesive, atmospheric experience that consistently surprises across 30+ hours of content.

How to Play Hollow Knight

Basic Controls

Hollow Knight uses a tight, responsive control scheme on keyboard. The default PC keybindings are:

• Arrow Keys — Move The Knight left, right, up, and down
• Z — Jump
• X — Attack with your Nail (melee weapon)
• A — Focus (hold to heal using Soul) or Cast Spell
• C — Dash (available after unlocking the Mothwing Cloak)
• S — Super Dash (available after unlocking Crystal Heart)
• D — Dream Nail (available after acquiring the Dream Nail ability)
• F — Quick Cast (fast spell casting)
• I — Open Inventory
• Tab — Quick Map (requires map items)
• Esc — Pause

All keys are fully remappable in the options menu. The game also supports controller input, which many players prefer for platforming sections.

Main Objective

Your primary goal is to explore Hallownest, defeat its corrupted guardians, and uncover the truth behind the kingdom’s collapse. There is no single linear path — you choose which areas to explore based on the abilities you’ve unlocked. The game has multiple endings, determined by which optional bosses and quest items you’ve found before the final encounter.

The Soul System

Soul is your most important resource. You earn Soul by striking enemies with your Nail. Once collected, Soul can be spent in two ways: hold A to Focus and heal one Mask (health point), or tap A / F to cast offensive spells like Vengeful Spirit (a projectile) or Desolate Dive (a ground slam). Managing when to heal versus when to attack with spells is the central combat decision in every fight.

Charms and Build Customization

Charms are equippable modifiers found throughout Hallownest that alter your abilities. Each Charm costs a set number of Notches to equip, and you have a limited number of Notches available. Some Charms boost Nail damage, others increase Soul gain per hit, extend spell range, or grant passive healing. Experimenting with Charm combinations lets you tailor your playstyle — aggressive melee builds, spell-focused caster builds, and defensive tank builds are all viable depending on which Charms you’ve collected.

Exploration and Progression

Progression in Hollow Knight is gated by movement abilities rather than levels. Key upgrades include the Mothwing Cloak (dash), Mantis Claw (wall jump), Crystal Heart (horizontal super dash), Monarch Wings (double jump), and Isma’s Tear (acid immunity). Each ability opens new routes across the entire map, so returning to earlier areas with new skills is essential. Benches serve as save points and respawn locations, and Stag Stations provide fast travel once unlocked.

Hollow Knight Pro Tips and Strategies

1. Buy the Quill and map from Cornifer first in every new area. Getting lost is the number one frustration for new players. Cornifer the cartographer hums audibly when he’s nearby — follow the sound, buy his map, then purchase the Quill from the shop in Dirtmouth so your exploration updates automatically.
2. Don’t hoard Soul — use it to heal aggressively. New players tend to save Soul for spells and then die with a full gauge. In early areas, healing is almost always more valuable than casting. Hold A the moment you take a hit and have breathing room.
3. Learn boss attack patterns before trying to deal damage. Spend your first few attempts on a boss simply dodging and observing. Every boss telegraphs their attacks with specific wind-up animations. Once you can dodge consistently, weave in Nail strikes between their recovery frames.
4. Equip the Compass Charm early on. The Compass shows your position on the map and only costs one Notch. Without it, navigation through Hallownest’s winding corridors is significantly harder, especially in new areas you haven’t fully charted yet.
5. Rescue Grubs whenever you find them. The Grubfather rewards you with Geo, Charms, Mask Shards, and other upgrades for every Grub returned. There are 46 total, and many are hidden behind breakable walls — strike any suspicious-looking wall with your Nail.
6. Prioritize Nail upgrades at the Nailsmith. Damage upgrades affect every single hit you land, making all combat faster and more efficient. Visit the Nailsmith in the City of Tears as soon as you have enough Geo and Pale Ore to upgrade.
7. Use the down-strike (pogo) to bounce off enemies and hazards. Attacking downward while airborne lets you bounce upward off enemies, spikes, and certain obstacles. This technique is essential for traversing spike-filled platforming sections and maintaining height during aerial boss encounters.

Game Features

• Interconnected Metroidvania world — Over 15 distinct areas connected by hidden passages, shortcuts, and unlockable fast-travel Stag Stations.
• Nail-based melee combat — Responsive, directional attacks with up-strikes, down-strikes, and three learnable Nail Arts for charged techniques.
• Soul resource system — A dual-purpose gauge earned through combat that forces constant healing-versus-offense decision-making.
• 40+ equippable Charms — Modular build customization through a Notch-limited Charm system supporting melee, spell, and hybrid playstyles.
• 150+ unique enemies and bosses — Distinct attack patterns and AI behaviors across corrupted bugs, ancient guardians, and dream-realm challengers.
• Hand-drawn art and animation — Every character, enemy, and environment is illustrated and animated by hand.
• Orchestral soundtrack by Christopher Larkin — Over 20 original compositions that shift dynamically with each area and boss encounter.
• Multiple endings — Story outcomes change based on optional bosses defeated and quest items collected before the final fight.
• Hidden content density — Breakable walls, secret rooms, lore tablets, and 46 collectible Grubs are tucked throughout every corner of Hallownest.

Why Play Hollow Knight on PLRun?

• Instant browser access — Start playing Hollow Knight immediately with no downloads, no installations, and no patching required.
• No account needed — Jump straight into Hallownest without creating a profile or signing up.
• Cross-device compatibility — Runs on desktop browsers, phones, and tablets through HTML5 (Unity WebGL) technology.
• Uninterrupted exploration — A cleaner play experience so you stay immersed in Hallownest without disruptive interruptions.

Games Similar to Hollow Knight

• Grimdark Survivors — A dark-themed action game with combat-focused progression and challenging enemy encounters, for players who enjoy Hollow Knight’s punishing fight design.
• Tailed Demon Slayer — A 2D action game with melee combat, ability upgrades, and boss battles that mirrors the Nail-and-spell combat loop.
• Stick Hero RPG — An RPG-action hybrid with character progression, equipment systems, and exploration-driven gameplay similar to the Metroidvania structure.
• Rise Hero — An adventure platformer with hazard-filled environments and checkpoint-based progression, appealing to fans of Hollow Knight’s exploration difficulty.
• Stickman Clash — A 2D combat game with fluid melee mechanics and enemy variety for players who enjoy the tight action-platformer feel.

FAQ

Is Hollow Knight free to play in browser?

Yes. You can play Hollow Knight free in your browser on PLRun with no download and no sign-up. The game runs on HTML5 (Unity WebGL) technology, so it works directly in any modern desktop or mobile browser.

What are the default keyboard controls?

Arrow Keys move The Knight, Z jumps, X attacks with the Nail, A focuses (heals) or casts spells, C dashes, S activates Super Dash, D uses Dream Nail, and F triggers Quick Cast. Press I for inventory and Tab for the map. All keys can be remapped in the options menu.

How long does it take to beat Hollow Knight?

A first playthrough typically takes 25–40 hours depending on exploration thoroughness. Completionists who pursue all Charms, Grubs, boss encounters, and endings can spend 50+ hours in Hallownest.

How do I heal in Hollow Knight?

Hold the A key (Focus) when you have Soul stored. Soul is earned by striking enemies with your Nail. Each Focus consumes about one-third of your Soul gauge and restores one Mask (health point). You need a brief uninterrupted window to complete the heal, so find safe distance from enemies before focusing.

What are Charms and how do I equip them?

Charms are passive modifiers found throughout the world or purchased from NPCs. Each Charm costs a certain number of Notches to equip. You can only change your Charm loadout while sitting on a Bench (save point). Experiment with different combinations to match your playstyle — some boost combat damage, others enhance spell power, and some provide quality-of-life benefits like showing your map position.

I keep getting lost. How do I navigate Hallownest?

Buy maps from Cornifer (the humming cartographer) in each new area, then purchase the Quill from Iselda’s shop in Dirtmouth so your map updates as you explore. Equip the Compass Charm to see your current position on the map. Use Benches to save progress and unlock Stag Stations for fast travel between distant areas.