Hollow Knight
Games review
High confidence545.7K reviews Updated Jun 17, 2026
As of Jun 17, 2026, Hollow Knight is rated 97% positive on Steam (545,694 reviews).
Try Hollow Knight
Opens Hollow Knight's own site, not a review site.
ReviewPond analysis
Is Hollow Knight worth it in 2026?
An exceptionally well-received game backed by an enormous sample of reviews, where the dominant signal is consistent praise across art, music, combat, and world design. The complaints are narrow and low-frequency, centering on difficulty and pacing rather than any fundamental flaw.
Best for
Players who enjoy challenging combat, atmospheric exploration, and deep lore delivered without explicit guidance.
Watch out
Those who prefer accessible difficulty or guided progression may struggle, as the game's steep learning curve and lack of hand-holding are the most cited frustrations.
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
97% positive
Steam
545.7K reviews
Pros
- art style and visuals16
see reviews +-
- I didn't really care about this game at first. I had just bought a Humble Bundle pack that included Hollow Knight. My girlfriend told me she liked the art style and visuals, so I...
- -Beautiful art style. -Great OST. -Lovely story. -Hard gameplay. 10/10
- (I rank with a 5 star system) Overall Impression Hollow knight is a 2D Metroidvania that I didn’t think much of in the year 2026 considering where gaming is today. I was complete...
- music and soundtrack16
see reviews +-
- -Beautiful art style. -Great OST. -Lovely story. -Hard gameplay. 10/10
- A really lovely game with amazing music and visuals. 10/10 would recommend
- absolutely breathtaking game. perhaps the best i have ever played. upsides: - immersion is next level. perhaps the most entranced i have felt by a fictional world. getting lost i...
- challenging combat and bosses14
see reviews +-
- I didn't really care about this game at first. I had just bought a Humble Bundle pack that included Hollow Knight. My girlfriend told me she liked the art style and visuals, so I...
- -Beautiful art style. -Great OST. -Lovely story. -Hard gameplay. 10/10
- (I rank with a 5 star system) Overall Impression Hollow knight is a 2D Metroidvania that I didn’t think much of in the year 2026 considering where gaming is today. I was complete...
- world and atmosphere9
see reviews +-
- I didn't really care about this game at first. I had just bought a Humble Bundle pack that included Hollow Knight. My girlfriend told me she liked the art style and visuals, so I...
- absolutely breathtaking game. perhaps the best i have ever played. upsides: - immersion is next level. perhaps the most entranced i have felt by a fictional world. getting lost i...
- Hollow Knight is one of those rare games that completely pulled me in from start to finish. At first, I thought it was just another indie platformer, but the deeper I explored Hall...
- exploration and open world9
see reviews +-
- (I rank with a 5 star system) Overall Impression Hollow knight is a 2D Metroidvania that I didn’t think much of in the year 2026 considering where gaming is today. I was complete...
- Hollow Knight is a side-scrolling adventure game built around exploration and movement through connected areas. The visual style is hand-drawn and detailed, with a dark tone that g...
- absolutely breathtaking game. perhaps the best i have ever played. upsides: - immersion is next level. perhaps the most entranced i have felt by a fictional world. getting lost i...
- story and lore9
see reviews +-
- -Beautiful art style. -Great OST. -Lovely story. -Hard gameplay. 10/10
- absolutely breathtaking game. perhaps the best i have ever played. upsides: - immersion is next level. perhaps the most entranced i have felt by a fictional world. getting lost i...
- Dying multiple times is part of the game, just accept that!! That's what I tell myself when I spend hours in trying to beat a boss. It's a challenging game, lots of hair pulling fu...
Cons
- steep difficulty curve4
see reviews +-
- I have a massive love-hate relationship with Hollow Knight. There were moments where I genuinely wanted to throw my controller at the wall, turn off my console, and pretend this ga...
- Great game amazing bosses but its not for everyone at the beginning it is confusing and hard but once you get past those first few hours its amazing.
- Love it but for average gamer may be hard so if you get stuck use a tutorial update enjoy it so much got lv 5 badge and foil
- specific frustrating sections4
see reviews +-
- I have a massive love-hate relationship with Hollow Knight. There were moments where I genuinely wanted to throw my controller at the wall, turn off my console, and pretend this ga...
- "To witness secrets sealed, one must endure the harshest punishment." Does 112% the game multiple times, including Path of Pain, for fun count? Maybe the wait for Silksong does.
- The Best Game in my life, my little ghost is the most op character in the universe and i want to see him again in the "indie cross" reborn, at least i have hope on it. i have finis...
- lack of hand-holding3
see reviews +-
- (I rank with a 5 star system) Overall Impression Hollow knight is a 2D Metroidvania that I didn’t think much of in the year 2026 considering where gaming is today. I was complete...
- Hollow Knight is a side-scrolling adventure game built around exploration and movement through connected areas. The visual style is hand-drawn and detailed, with a dark tone that g...
- Great game amazing bosses but its not for everyone at the beginning it is confusing and hard but once you get past those first few hours its amazing.
Themes and quotes are drawn from 40 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 545.7K ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.
Compare Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight vs Baldur's Gate 3Hollow Knight vs Elden RingHollow Knight vs HadesHollow Knight vs Portal 2Hollow Knight vs Stardew ValleyHollow Knight vs TerrariaHollow Knight vs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
See all Games