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I’ve Played 30 Hours of Hollow Knight and the Pogo Still Bullies Me

Mastering Hollow Knight's pogo downward slash is harder than it looks—this confession breaks down the bounce technique's brutal failures.

I have a confession to make: I cannot pogo. Not consistently, anyway. After 30 hours of Hollow Knight, after crawling through Deepnest’s nightmare tunnels, after turning the Mantis Lords into chitin confetti, and after spending so much Geo that the shopkeepers probably have a group chat about me, I still whiff the single most reliable damage technique in the game. It’s embarrassing. It’s humbling. It’s also weirdly funny, because every Hollow Knight veteran online talks about the pogo like it’s breathing.

What even is a pogo? It’s the move where you leap above an enemy, slash downward as you land on their head, and bounce back into the air. Do it again before you fall, and you’ve chained a pogo. If you’re really good, you can drift horizontally with a moving enemy, turning their skull into a trampoline. When a streak clicks, it feels better than sliced bread. Or better than ‘sects. Sorry, I had to.

I know the pogo isn’t new. It’s a classic 2D platformer trick from Shovel Knight and DuckTales. But in Hollow Knight, players treat it like a sacred rite. Need to beat the Watcher Knights? Pogo into Desolate Dive. Need to skip a tricky platform? Pogo on a flying bug. Need to feel like a god? Chain ten pogos on a poor Crawlid. The community says mastering the pogo is the difference between stumbling through Hallownest and dancing through it. And honestly? I believe them.

So why can’t I do it? I’ve pulled it off. I’ve pogoed into a Desolate Dive during the six-against-one Watcher Knights fight, which is basically a brawl with a gang of oversized armored bowling balls. I can nail it maybe 75 percent of the time. But that missing 25 percent drives me insane. I’ll jump, aim downward, and somehow my Knight decides to do a neutral slash instead of a pogo. I’ll be perfectly positioned, then the enemy shifts one pixel left, and I eat a faceful of bug. Am I bad? Is the game gaslighting me? Have I been outplayed by a cartoon beetle with no dialogue?

Let me break down my personal pogo failure chart:

• The thumbstick trade-off – I started this run using the Switch’s D-pad, but it hurt my hands. So I switched to the thumbstick. My old Hori Split Pad Pro would have saved me, but it broke last year. Now I’m using Joy-Cons, and the stick is about as precise as throwing a dart while riding a unicycle. Is this pointing down? Down and slightly left? Down and plotting my demise? I traded precision for comfort, and outside of pogoing, I don’t regret it. While pogoing, I regret everything.

• Hitboxes are liars 🥷 – Some enemy hitboxes are smaller than my will to live. I’ll visually be right on top of a bug, but the game says “nope, that’s not a head, that’s the concept of a head.”

• The nail is a toothpick ️ – Hollow Knight’s melee weapon is shorter than I expect. In most games, a sword reaches across the screen. Here, it barely reaches your own shadow. The pogo demands you be practically inside the enemy’s hat.

• Vertical movement ruins everything – If you’re fighting Hornet and she leaps up to do that whip-tornado attack, your pogo becomes a ticket to the bad weather. Enemies that move vertically break the rhythm, and suddenly I’m not a knight; I’m a ragdoll with a nail.

• I might just be a dingus – I’ve considered this. It hurts, but honesty matters.

It’s now 2026, and the gaming world has moved on. By this point, everyone and their grandma has opinions about Silksong’s new mechanics, final boss, and speedrun skips. People are arguing about Hornet’s new tools, the revised charm system, and whatever fresh nightmare Team Cherry has cooked. Meanwhile, I’m still in the original Hallownest, getting disrespected by a downward slash. I can’t leave. I won’t leave. Not until the pogo bows to me.

The worst part? I know the pogo isn’t the hardest tech in Hollow Knight. There are spell skips, shade cloak dashes, and nail-art combos that make the pogo look like kindergarten. And yet here I am, 30 hours deep, celebrating every successful pogo like I just won a boss fight. Maybe that’s the real lesson: Hollow Knight doesn’t care about your ego. It will let you beat the Mantis Lords, survive Deepnest, and still turn a simple bounce into a personal crisis.

So yes, I’ll keep trying. I’ll keep jumping, slashing, falling, and swearing. One day, I’ll chain twenty pogos on a moving enemy and feel like the true Ghost of Hallownest. Until then, I’ll be the guy who can beat Watcher Knights but still gets clowned by a crawling mushroom. Wish me luck. Or better yet, send a more precise thumbstick.

You know, maybe the real solution isn’t more hours of practice or stubborn grit—it’s better equipment. My broken Hori Split Pad Pro taught me that much. If I had a controller with a crisper D-pad or a stick that didn’t drift into the void every time I tried a downward slash, I might have landed that pogo chain by now. Hardware matters more than we want to admit, and if you’re on a similar journey, it might be worth seeing what alternatives are out there.

So before you sink another weekend into a game that disrespects you, take a quick look around for the [best game deals]( might find a proper controller, a discounted copy of a game that actually respects your inputs, or something else to ease the pain of being clowned by a beetle. DealNest could be the pit stop your gaming setup needs. After all, if you’re going to get bodied by an enemy hitbox, you might as well do it with gear that doesn’t add insult to injury.

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I Stumbled Into Silksong's Secret Plasmium Phial Trick That Makes Hornet Nearly Unkillable

Hollow Knight: Silksong and Plasmium Phial offer a brutal challenge; mastering Lifeblood Hearts transforms survival in Pharloom.

Let me set the record straight: I did not discover this. I am just the traveller who spent a dozen hours in Pharloom getting carved into ribbons by common mobs because Hornet's health bar refuses to cooperate. In 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong has already earned a reputation as a brutal sequel, much harder than anyone expected. Diagonal-bounce platforming feels like trying to fold a fitted sheet while juggling, and the bosses make the Lost Kin look like a friendly tutorial. Then I saw WikiWitIT's video about the Plasmium Phial, and my entire approach changed.

The Phial That Looked Like a Novelty

The Plasmium Phial is rewarded after you finish a side quest called Alchemist's Assistant for Alchemist Zylotol in Wormways. You collect three pieces of Plasmium and receive the tool. On the surface, it lets Hornet stack Lifeblood Hearts, which are bonus health slots that last until you rest at a Bench or lose them by getting hit. My first impression was not generous. Compared to tools that deal damage or open paths, a health-stacking phial felt about as exciting as a sundial in a lightless cave. But Silksong punishes health management far more than Hollow Knight ever did. Regular enemies frequently deal double damage, so every extra Lifeblood Heart feels like a small miracle.

The Bench Trap and the Architect's Crest

The catch is that resting at a Bench refills your tools, but it also strips away the Lifeblood Hearts you stacked. At first, the phial seems capped by the bench cycle. You stack a few hearts, use the phial's charges, sit down, lose them all. It felt like trying to carry moonlight in a basket. Then WikiWitIT showed the workaround. Find and equip the Architect's Crest, a trinket that lets you replenish tools without using a Bench. From there, keep stacking Lifeblood Hearts. Do it enough, and you trigger a hidden state that nobody had documented until now.

What the Hidden Overdose State Feels Like

Once the secret effect kicks in, Hornet's ordinary health is effectively replaced by Lifeblood Hearts. The bar no longer behaves like a finite resource. Instead, it trickles back over time, as if the hearts are refilling themselves from some unseen reservoir. In combat, this feels less like standard Silksong survival and more like fighting with a suit of armor that quietly sews its own wounds. I took a triple-damage swipe from a heavily armored sentinel, waited a few seconds, and watched the red edge creep back. That was the moment I understood the hype.

Here is the short version for anyone who wants to replicate it:

• Complete the side quest Alchemist's Assistant for Alchemist Zylotol in Wormways.

• Collect three Plasmium to earn the Plasmium Phial.

• Find and equip the Architect's Crest so you can refill tools without resting at a Bench.

• Keep stacking Lifeblood Hearts past the normal limit.

• Trigger the hidden effect and enjoy passive health regeneration.

Situation
Normal Plasmium Phial
Overdosed with Architect's Crest

Health type
Temporary Lifeblood Hearts
Lifeblood Hearts replace main health

Regeneration
None, only refill at Bench
Passive regeneration over time

Survivability
Helps, but fragile
Dramatically harder to kill

Known duration
Until rest or hit
Unconfirmed, possibly story-gated

Right now, no one has pinned down exactly how long the passive regeneration lasts, or whether there is a hidden cost. Some players suspect the effect may fade when you reach certain story thresholds or after a fixed number of hits, but nothing is confirmed. Abusing the Plasmium Phial like this does not seem to disable achievements or soft-lock a save, but treat it as an exploit-adjacent trick until Team Cherry decides whether to patch it.

For anyone still getting shredded by double-damage mobs, the sequence is simple: finish Alchemist's Assistant, grab the Plasmium Phial, find the Architect's Crest, and stack Lifeblood Hearts until the game stops counting. It changes Hornet from a fragile needle-dancer into something much closer to unkillable. Just be ready for the conversation to shift again when the inevitable balance patch arrives.

If you are planning to test this hidden Lifeblood state before Team Cherry rolls out a fix, it is worth keeping tabs on the broader Silksong conversation. Patch notes and community discoveries land fast, and a trick like this one can vanish overnight. Between hunting for secrets like these, many players are also using the downtime to stock up on other metroidvania titles that scratch the same itch, and keeping an eye on [DealNest game deals]( is a reliable way to catch discounts on similar action-adventure games without missing a beat.

Whether you are chasing undocumented exploits or simply want a fuller library for your next playthrough, a little preparation goes a long way. Bookmark the page and check back whenever you need a break from grinding Lifeblood Hearts, so you are always first in line when the next hidden mechanic surfaces.

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Silksong Confessions: Stubborn, Broke, and Still Hugging Every Wall in Pharloom

Hollow Knight: Silksong frustrates with its punishing Soulslike combat and scarce rosary beads, challenging even seasoned players.

I have made peace with a simple truth: I am not a gifted Hollow Knight: Silksong player. The original Hollow Knight already reduced me to a frustrated pile of broken focus, particularly during my dozens of failed attempts against the Traitor Lord. Now that I am deep into Silksong in 2026, the story repeats itself. I have collected a truly embarrassing number of silly deaths, lost more rosary beads than I can count, and accepted that I will never earn every achievement or master its demanding Soulslike combat. Instead of becoming competent, I have developed a set of chaotic habits that carry me through Pharloom in the messiest possible way.

🪙 Scrambling For Rosary Beads Out Of Sheer Desperation

Pharloom is secretly a capitalistic nightmare, and rosary beads are the currency that rules everything. I have never felt so perpetually broke in a video game. Every useful item, map fragment, charm, and fast travel unlock seems absurdly expensive, while the rosary beads scattered around the world feel painfully scarce. Maybe Team Cherry is making a pointed comment about survival under relentless economic pressure, but that does not help me afford a basic map.

So I scramble constantly. I poke into dangerous corners, challenge enemies I know will flatten me, and retread areas hoping to squeeze out one more glimmering bead. Please, Pharloom, I just want to know where I am.

Mistaking Cute Enemies For Harmless Little Friends

Team Cherry excels at creature design, which is a problem for someone like me. Whenever I step into a fresh biome and spot an unfamiliar bug, my brain says adorable instead of dangerous. I pause to admire its little silhouette, then it launches itself at Hornet and teaches me a very fast lesson.

These critters prove that cute and devastating are not mutually exclusive. If so cute, why so spicy? My health bar knows the answer.

️ Falling All The Way Back Down To Moss Grotto, Again

Whoever designed the early hub area with a giant, gaping pit deserves a very serious conversation. The opening region above Bone Bottom contains a monstrous vertical shaft, and if I miss a single jump while exploring nearby ledges, I plummet what feels like several miles straight back to the very beginning of the game.

This is not a rare accident. This is a tradition. Each time I tumble down that hole, I lose progress, poise, and another sliver of self-respect. The only word is: why?

️ Checking The Map I Still Do Not Have

I am fully aware that I lack rosary beads and have not purchased maps for most areas. Will I stop opening my map anyway? Absolutely not. Every time the blank interface appears with that little symbol indicating no map, it feels like a paper receipt for my failures.

I have even opened the map by accident during boss encounters. As if a flimsy scrap of unmapped parchment would help against a massive armored predator. My subconscious apparently wants to attempt a map-only run.

️ Brute Forcing Every Boss Until Something Breaks

My partner and I play Silksong together, and we have opposite philosophies. She is the wise one: attempt a boss twice, retreat, explore, locate hidden mask shards, gather upgrades, and return stronger. I am the stubborn one: slam into the same wall of health bars over and over because backing away feels like surrender.

Beating Lace or any other boss after leaving to upgrade does not feel like the same victory once I have already died ten times at one health segment. I will keep throwing myself into the arena until either the boss breaks or my patience does.

Wanting To Pet The Bell Beast

The Bell Beast is one of the cutest things in Pharloom. After an early encounter, this odd creature becomes my primary method of fast travel. Despite being a giant bug, it behaves in a distinctly dog-like manner: excitable, affectionate, and full of energy.

Why can we not pet the Bell Beast? Why can we not offer it a treat? This should be the top priority for the first update. I want to scratch behind whatever passes for its ears before riding off to my next disaster.

🧱 Hitting Every Single Wall Hoping For A Secret Room

Hollow Knight taught me that Team Cherry loves hiding secret rooms inside crumbling corners. So in Silksong, I attack nearly every suspicious wall, floor, and ceiling. Most of the time there is nothing, and Hornet looks like a lunatic swinging at empty air.

But when that wall finally cracks open to reveal a glowing secret, I feel completely vindicated. I will continue slapping every surface in Pharloom forever.

Learning Everything The Hard Way

I prefer to play blind. I only consult guides when I am hopelessly lost or stuck, which means Silksong serves me regular portions of humble pie. I flail through tough platforming gauntlets and boss patterns, repeating the same mistake until the lesson finally sinks in through sheer repetition.

I cannot explain why I make myself suffer like this. Maybe part of the fun is surviving my own incompetence. What I can say is that I will not be finished with Silksong for a very long, very stubborn time.

Habit
Likely Outcome
Lesson I Refuse To Learn

Fighting cute new enemies immediately
Getting flattened
Cute still means hostile

Ignoring map upgrades
Watching blank map screen
Buy maps earlier

Falling into the Moss Grotto pit
Plummeting to the start
Jump more carefully

Brute forcing bosses
Many deaths
Patience is allegedly useful

Maybe one day I will practice, plan, and play Silksong like a sensible explorer. Until then, I will remain broke, stubborn, and loudly asking Team Cherry for a Bell Beast petting feature.

With my track record of impulsive purchases and stubborn blind runs, you would think I had learned to budget my gaming spending. I have not. Between buying every indie Metroidvania that looks even remotely like Hollow Knight and grabbing DLC I never finish, my wallet is as battered as Hornet after a boss fight.

These days I try to be smarter about where I look for my next obsession, and that means keeping an eye on [DealNest game deals]( before I commit to another adventure. A good discount does not cure my recklessness, but at least it makes the sting of dying to the same enemy forty times much easier to accept.

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Every Mask Shard Location I Found in Hollow Knight Silksong

Find all 20 Hollow Knight: Silksong Mask Shard locations to boost Hornet's max HP to 10 and unlock the Masked achievement.

Let’s be real for a second: I’ve lost count of how many times I got absolutely flattened in Hollow Knight: Silksong because I skipped a few upgrades. If you’re like me and you don’t want to spend the entire game rolling back to a bench with one sliver of health, you need to grab those Mask Shards. They’re basically little pieces of Hornet’s life bar, and collecting enough of them gradually boosts your maximum HP. After a lot of exploring, backtracking, and a few rage moments, I can safely say there are 20 Mask Shards scattered across Pharloom. Once you’ve got them all, you’ll unlock the Masked achievement and push Hornet up to a cozy 10 HP.

So here’s my complete rundown of every Mask Shard location I managed to track down, including the tricky hidden ones and the quest rewards that are super easy to miss.

The Early Game Shards (Don’t Skip These)

I really can’t stress enough how important it is to grab the early shards. When you’re still running around with basic gear, a little extra health makes boss fights way less painful.

1. Bone Bottom

Right after Hornet leaves Moss Grotto, there’s a merchant camping out at Bone Bottom. This is probably the easiest shard in the game, but it’s not free. You’ll need to hand over 300 Rosaries. It feels like a lot early on, but trust me, it’s worth every single bead.

2. Deep Docks

Head to the border between The Marrow and Deep Docks, just north of the Bellway fast travel point. It’s tucked away near the water, so keep your eyes peeled for a small alcove.

3. Far Fields

You can’t get this one right away, which annoyed me at first. You’ll need to finish the Flexile Spines quest to grab the Drifter’s Cloak. Once you have that, start from the Seamstress’ Balloon and glide using the wind currents. You’ll notice exploding rocks near some platforms — blast them with your attacks to create more updrafts. Eventually, you’ll reach a hidden passage on the left. Inside, keep hitting those combustible rocks until the ceiling one drops and exposes a shard underneath the floor.

Mid-Game Shards (You’ll Need Some Tools)

Once you’ve got a few abilities unlocked, the world really opens up. Here are the shards that require a bit more platforming skill or a specific tool.

4. Wormways

From the Wormways Simple Key door, drop down into the water and look to your right. There’s a breakable wall hiding a shard. Just smash it open.

5. Shellwood

South of the Cling Grip skill pickup, there’s a passage heading east. It’s a platforming gauntlet, but at the end of the room, you’ll be rewarded with a Mask Shard.

6. Songclave (Choral Chambers)

This one is technically a purchase. After you save Jubilana during The Wandering Merchant quest, she’ll sell you a shard for 750 Rosary Beads. Make sure you don’t spend all your beads on silk upgrades first.

7. Whispering Vault

Honestly, this one took me forever to find. If you remember how you discovered the Whispering Vault map, this shard uses the same trick. Go south of the bench and start smacking the ceiling until a pole ladder drops down. Climb up, break the box blocking the way, and then use the box to climb even higher. The shard is waiting on the upper left.

8. Cogwork Core

This is tied to the Threefold Melody quest. From where you accept the task, drop down through the floor passage and keep descending until you see an opening to the west. Follow it, and you’ll get locked into an arena battle. Survive the fight, and the hall that unlocks afterward has your shard at the top.

Shards From Quests And Special Areas

Some of these are easy to miss if you don’t know where to look, especially the ones tied to the Bellhart Wishwall hunts.

9. Savage Beastfly Quest

Use the Wishwall to promise the Wish on Bellhart. You’ll be sent to slay the Savage Beastfly, which is waiting for you in the same spot where you fought the Fourth Chorus boss. Beat it, and you’ll get a shard.

10. Far Fields Skull Cave

You’ll need the Clawline skill for this. From the Seamstress, head east until you spot an unexplored area to the north. Use your Act 2 ability to reach the skull cave and grab the shard inside.

11. Weavenest Atla

This one’s a bit involved. After being warped to the lower side of Weavenest Atla, you’ll need to wall jump and double jump to reach a path going right. At the bottom, find a breakable wall on the right. Inside, there’s a chamber with a Marrow theme parkour challenge. Finish it for the shard.

12. Bilewater

This one is straightforward if you use the map. Look for the word “Bilewater” on the map, then find the vertical room right above it. There’s a long hall heading east, and the shard is at the end.

13. The Slab

You’ll need the Key of Apostate first. Once you have it, use it to unlock the door on the upper side of the prison area. The shard is inside.

14. Mount Fay

After you pick up the Double Jump skill, revisit the bench on the southwestern side. There’s a broken tower to the left. Climb inside to collect the shard.

15. Wisp Thicket

This one requires finding the hidden route from Greymoor. Once inside, head right to the bench, climb up, and find another route to the right. You’ll need to swim through some nasty maggot water until you reach a spot to jump. Bounce between the walls, and the shard is on the left.

The Secret Act 3 Shards (The Trickiest Ones)

Things get serious once you unlock the secret Act 3. There are five shards hidden behind this point, and honestly, they’re the ones I see people miss the most.

16. Brightvein

First, you need to find the secret room called Brightvein in Mount Fay. Use Silk Soar to reach a ceiling opening, then destroy the ice blocking your path to the right. Inside Brightvein, complete the platforming test to claim the shard at the top.

17. Sprintmaster Swift Reward

Accept the Sprintmaster Swift’s Fastest in Pharloom quest, then track down his location on the eastern edge of Far Fields. He’ll hand over a shard, but only after you beat him in a race three times. It’s not too bad if you’ve upgraded your movement speed.

18. Dark Hearts Quest

This is another Wishwall deal. Complete the Dark Hearts quest from Bellhart Wishwall, and the 18th shard is yours.

19. The Hidden Hunter

This is the third Hunt mission tied to the Wishwall. It’s easy to overlook because you need to actively seek out the quest. Complete The Hidden Hunter quest, and you’ll earn another shard.

20. Blasted Steps

This final one takes you back to where Hornet almost leaves Pharloom. Instead of trying to exit the kingdom, use Silk Soar to reveal a hidden room above. At the very top of that room, you’ll find the last Mask Shard.

Wrapping Up My Hunt

Collecting all 20 Mask Shards is a marathon, not a sprint. Some of them you’ll naturally stumble into, but the rest require hunting down specific abilities, finishing side quests, or just smacking every suspicious ceiling you find. The ones locked behind Act 3 are particularly easy to forget, so make sure you double-check places like Brightvein and Blasted Steps before you declare your run complete.

Figuring out where all the Mask Shards are isn’t just about bulking up Hornet’s health bar — it’s also about seeing more of what Pharloom has to offer. The hidden rooms, the platforming challenges, and the weird little interactions along the way made the hunt feel worth it. Plus, that Masked achievement popping up at the end is a nice way to remind yourself that you’ve officially cleared one of the game’s biggest collection goals.

Happy hunting, and try not to lose too many Rosaries along the way.

While you're busy chasing down those last few shards, it's also worth keeping an eye on your gaming budget. Silksong is the kind of game you can sink dozens of hours into, and whether you grabbed it at launch or are waiting for a discount before diving in, using [this price tracking tool]( for your next purchase is a smart habit to build.

DealNest can help you spot price drops and snag the best deals across your favorite stores, so you can spend less time hunting for bargains and more time exploring Pharloom. Once your Mask Shard hunt is complete and the Masked achievement finally unlocks, it's a great moment to check what's on sale and start planning your next gaming journey.

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How I Got the Rosary Cannon in Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong's Rosary Cannon tool offers unique gameplay in Pharloom, hidden behind a locked door in High Halls.

I have spent dozens of hours wandering through Pharloom in Hollow Knight: Silksong, and one of the strangest items I have picked up is the Rosary Cannon. At first I thought Tools would be a minor part of Hornet's kit, but once you upgrade a few of them, they can deal real damage. The Rosary Cannon is not necessarily a practical choice, but it is absolutely entertaining. It works like a little gatling gun that spits out Rosary beads, and I found it hidden behind a locked door in High Halls after a lot of backtracking.

The Locked Door in High Halls

The first step is to reach High Halls and look for a locked door that requires a Simple Key. I remember running past this area several times before noticing it. The door sits to the left of the High Halls Ventrica and Bench. That location is convenient because you can respawn and heal nearby if anything goes wrong. The door itself is marked with a Rosary Necklace icon, which felt like a playful hint that the room behind it would be full of bead-related treasure. And honestly, it was.

If you open that room and somehow miss the Rosary Cannon, do not panic. The Tool will still be there in Act 3. During my visit I also ran into Grindle in the treasury room. He was poking around the leftovers and muttering something about loot. I ignored him because I was too focused on finding the cannon.

Finding the Hidden Route

After stepping through the Simple Key door, the room looked almost empty at first. I stood there for a moment wondering if I had wasted a key. Then I remembered that Silksong loves hiding things above your head. I destroyed a breakable ceiling, and a secret way up opened. That led me into a narrow set of tunnels filled with small obstacles. I had to move carefully because the space was tight.

Eventually I reached an intersection. This is the point where the route splits, and it is easy to pick the wrong direction if you only care about treasure. Going up took me into a room packed with Rosary beads. It was a lovely reward for Hornet's pouch, especially if she is planning not to die for a while. But I wanted the weapon, so I turned around and took the downward path instead.

The downward route brought me into a place filled with steam. Visibility was not great, but I could see a platform I could stand on. On the left side there was a breakable wall. I destroyed it and entered what looked like another empty room. This time I knew better than to leave immediately. I looked up and spotted a breakable object attached to the roof. When I destroyed that object, the Rosary Cannon fell to the floor. It was glowing, so I walked over and claimed it.

How the Rosary Cannon Feels in Combat

After picking up the Tool, I headed to a bench to equip it. The Rosary Cannon can hold up to 80 Rosary beads as ammo. That sounds like a lot, but in a fast fight it disappears quickly. Once you run dry, you need to reload at a bench. That is a major limitation if you like to wander far from safe rooms.

I tested it against several enemies. The cannon shreds things that stay still on the ground, like the slow wandering creatures in the halls. You can hold down the trigger and feel like you are mowing down a corridor. Against flying enemies, however, it feels clumsy. The spread and lower accuracy make it much less reliable when something is buzzing around your head. Hornet already has precise needle attacks, so the cannon is more of a side tool than a main weapon.

The biggest downside is the upkeep. Rosary beads are also your currency, and feeding 80 beads into the ammo pool can quickly deplete Hornet's savings. I spent a while farming beads just so I could keep playing with the gatling gun. That felt a little wasteful, but I had fun experimenting with different upgrade combinations. I would not recommend it as a permanent loadout for difficult bosses. Still, for clearing simple ground enemies or just enjoying the novelty, it is worth seeking out.

Quick Checklist for Getting the Rosary Cannon

• Bring a Simple Key to High Halls.

• Find the locked door left of the High Halls Ventrica and Bench.

• Look for the Rosary Necklace icon on the door.

• Enter and destroy the breakable ceiling.

• Navigate the tunnels until you reach an intersection.

• Skip the upper Rosary bead room if you only want the cannon.

• Take the lower path into the steam area.

• Destroy the breakable wall on the left platform.

• In the next room, destroy the breakable object on the roof.

• Claim the glowing Rosary Cannon and equip it at a bench.

Even though the Rosary Cannon is not the most efficient Tool in Hollow Knight: Silksong, it is one of the most memorable. I love the absurdity of turning Hornet's bead pouch into a rapid-fire weapon. If you are playing in 2026 and have not picked it up yet, bring an extra Simple Key and go exploring. The detour is a bit long, but the moment that cannon falls from the ceiling is satisfying. Just remember to keep some Rosary beads in reserve, because the cannon is hungry.

Weapons like the Rosary Cannon are what make exploration in Hollow Knight: Silksong so rewarding. The thrill of breaking a hidden wall and finding a glowing tool is the kind of experience that keeps players hunting for every secret. Of course, chasing that feeling through multiple playthroughs means spending plenty of hours in the game, and many players like to keep their gaming setup comfortable and up to date while doing it.

If you're planning a deep run through Silksong or just looking to upgrade your gaming gear, it's always smart to track down good deals first. You can find discounts on games, accessories, and more by checking out [DealNest]( A quick visit before your next long session could save you some money, leaving you free to focus on what really matters: tracking down the next breakable wall.

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Little Nightmares 3: How Co-Op, Wordless Storytelling, and Charming Horror Shape the Franchise's Boldest Entry

Little Nightmares 3 delivers wordless co-op puzzle-platforming as Low and Alone brave the Nowhere in Supermassive's ambitious horror sequel.

Since arriving on October 10, 2025, Little Nightmares 3 has settled into 2026's horror landscape as one of the most distinctive co-op puzzle-platformers of the generation. Developed in partnership with Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Europe, the game casts players as Low and Alone, two small figures navigating the nightmarish world of the Nowhere. In a recent interview, producer Coralie Feniello explained how the team built wordless storytelling, cooperative play, and the franchise's signature charming horror into its most ambitious entry to date. From the warm orange ruins of the Necropolis to the overwhelming lights of the Demon Carnival, Little Nightmares 3 uses environment, sound, and animation instead of dialogue to communicate dread, friendship, and fragile hope.

Wordless Storytelling Through Environment

Feniello said the absence of voices forced a different approach to narrative. The team relied on environmental clues, readable story beats, and layered details that reward curiosity. According to her, the goal was to keep the core story understandable for every player while leaving enough ambiguity for fans to dig deeper. This balance has long defined Little Nightmares, but the third game expands it through the relationship between Low and Alone. Their friendship becomes the main thread, with small animations and cooperative actions conveying emotion where words cannot. Feniello described the story as bittersweet and said she hopes players carry the ending with them after the credits roll.

A Community Built on Theories and a Growing Universe

The developer also spoke about the community's importance. Fans examine every frame and build elaborate theories, something the studio watches without letting it dictate the story. Alongside the game, transmedia projects such as a podcast have begun to distinguish the Counties from the Nowhere, giving longtime players a larger cosmology to explore. Feniello hinted that this is only the beginning for the franchise, with more projects already in development.

Co-Op as the Core Design Challenge

Little Nightmares 3 is designed around two-player co-op from the ground up. Unlike the previous game, where Six was an occasional AI presence, Low and Alone are together at all times. Feniello said the team developed multiplayer first and then adjusted the AI so solo play would feel organic. During playtests, both multiplayer and single-player sessions ran side by side, allowing the studio to study how players communicated and where frustration appeared. The AI uses interest points near puzzle solutions, sometimes acting on its own or waiting for the player to trigger a response. The goal was to keep the AI helpful without removing tension, a difficult balance given how quickly cooperation can diminish fear.

Each protagonist has unique items that reinforce cooperative play. According to Feniello, these tools were a design challenge because the characters still needed to feel fragile. The items encourage trial and error, communication, and shared discovery. In her words, some playtest couples and friendships were almost destroyed by the game, but she added that this is also what makes a good co-op experience.

Charming Horror, Memorable Silhouettes, and Childhood Fears

A major goal for the team was to avoid classic gore while preserving unease. Feniello called this approach charming horror. Character silhouettes are built around simple, memorable shapes: Alone's pigtails and Low's mask recall the iconic silhouettes of Six and Mono. The Residents, or enemies, required extensive animation work. The King, for example, went through many iterations before the team found a movement style that felt strange but legible.

The chapters also carry distinct color grading and personalities. The Necropolis was originally too bright, so the team adjusted it until it reached a disturbing orange tone. Later areas, including the Demon Carnival, use childhood memories of fairs and clowns to create an overwhelming atmosphere. Feniello shared a personal memory of being frightened by a large clown at a fair as a child, explaining that such experiences are central to how the team designs monsters and environments.

Design Pillars and the Supermassive Influence

Feniello identified tactile interactions and settings as the series' core pillars. Mechanically, characters pull, push, climb, and carry objects, but the interest comes from the context. A puzzle involving a rolling head becomes memorable precisely because it is unsettling rather than generic. Supermassive Games brought experience from The Dark Pictures and other horror projects, helping the team understand how to scare people who are playing together. Their familiarity with the series and their study of the previous games helped preserve the franchise's DNA while introducing a warmer, more friendship-focused dynamic.

What Comes Next

Asked whether Little Nightmares 3 was intended as a capstone, Feniello said the opposite. With a VR game and other projects shown recently, the franchise appears to be entering a broader phase. For players who have finished Low and Alone's journey, the nightmare may be over only temporarily.

For fans eager to dive into the nightmare when it releases, keeping an eye on the game's price across different storefronts can be just as tense as the game itself. Rather than checking manually, players can rely on [this price tracking tool]( to alert them the moment the game drops to a more comfortable price point, ensuring they can grab it without having to outsmart any Residents.

Setting up an alert takes only a moment, which leaves more time to prepare for the real challenge ahead — facing the horror with a friend, one fragile step at a time.

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How to Get Volt Filament in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Grab Hollow Knight: Silksong's Volt Filament in the Sands of Karak—unlock Silk Soar, beat Voltvyrm, and claim this Act 3 tool.

I’ve been tearing through Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026, and I’ve got to say—Volt Filament is one of those tools that is easy to overlook but absolutely worth the detour. It’s an Act 3 tool, so you can’t grab it in the early game even if you’re feeling like a speedrunner on a hot streak. You need a specific ability first, and you need to know exactly where to poke around in the Sands of Karak. Let me break it all down, step by step, so you don’t wander around like a headless bug.

Silk Soar Is the Make-or-Break Skill

Let’s cut to the chase: you cannot reach Volt Filament without Silk Soar. This Super Jump skill is your golden ticket to the hidden area. If you show up without it, you’ll be staring at a ledge like a lost tourist—don’t bother. Make sure you’ve unlocked Silk Soar before heading out, because trying to reach the Voltnest without it is like trying to chop wood with a spoon. Pointless and a little embarrassing.

How to Unlock the Sands of Karak Shortcut

If Sands of Karak is still greyed out on your map, head to the west of Blasted Steps to enter the region for the first time. Once you’re inside, look for a shortcut right above Blasted Steps’ Bellway. Open that shortcut, because you’ll be bouncing back and forth, and the long way around is a real time sink. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

Reaching the Voltnest

From Blasted Steps’ Bellway, teleport and climb up to Sands of Karak. If you didn’t unlock the bridge shortcut on top of the region, you’ll have to take the long road to the right and circle back on top of the bridge to create the shortcut. Save yourself the headache—do it now. When you get to the bridge, trigger Silk Soar and you’ll pop right into the Voltnest. That’s where the real fun begins.

Voltvyrm Boss Breakdown: Don’t Panic

Okay, let me be real with you: Voltvyrm is aggressive. The whole Voltnest is packed with electrical attacks that will fry you if you get greedy. Voltvyrm keeps coming at Hornet, and the damage can feel rough. But here’s the kicker—this boss is a glass cannon. Every time you land a hit, it retreats to another spot. It dies faster than most bosses, so your job is to avoid attacks and keep the pressure on.

I found that the best approach is to bring auto-attacking tools like the Wispfire Lantern or Cogfly. Let them chip away while you focus on dodging. It’s not the flashiest strategy, but it works like a charm. Hit, retreat, repeat. Don’t be a hero and try to trade blows; Voltvyrm’s electrical barrages will punish you for it.

What Volt Filament Actually Does

Once Voltvyrm goes down, you’ll snag the Volt Filament tool. It increases the damage of Silk abilities and makes them electrical—pretty solid on its own. But if you really want to max out the benefit, slap it on the Shaman crest. That crest has three Silk abilities, so the electrical boost triggers across the board. It’s a match made in heaven, or at least in Pharloom.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how I’d rate the synergetic loadouts:

Loadout
Synergy Level
Reason

Volt Filament + Shaman Crest
High
Three Silk abilities benefit from the electrical boost

Volt Filament + Wispfire Lantern
Medium
Good damage support, but less direct Silk synergy

Volt Filament + Cogfly
Medium
Auto-attacks complement the tool, but not max synergy

Final Take

Volt Filament is not the kind of tool that will completely rewrite your whole build, but it’s a dang good pickup for Act 3. The path to it is a little sneaky, and Voltvyrm might give you a scare, but once you know the route it’s a piece of cake. Open the shortcuts, pack an auto-attacker, and don’t sleep on that Shaman crest combo. Happy hunting, and keep your eyes peeled for those hidden ledges—Silksong loves to hide the good stuff.

One last bit of advice before you dive into Pharloom: being a savvy player isn't just about smart loadouts and knowing boss patterns—it's also about knowing where to find value. If you're hunting for your next adventure or just want to pick up Silksong (or a few other indie gems) without breaking the bank, keeping an eye on [PC game discounts]( is a smart move. DealNest rounds up solid deals across the PC gaming space, so you can spend less time digging through storefronts and more time actually playing.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong Flintslate Guide: My Early-Game Fiery Tool Walkthrough

Hollow Knight: Silksong's Flintslate boosts Hornet's attacks with burn damage—here's how to buy the Simple Key and reach Deep Docks to grab it.

Let me be real with you: Hollow Knight: Silksong does not mess around. Between the unforgiving combat and those brutal platforming stretches, Team Cherry has absolutely kept the “git gud” energy alive in 2026. But here’s the good news — the game gives you tools that can seriously tip the odds in your favor. One of the earliest and most satisfying offensive pickups I’ve found is the Flintslate. This little beauty cranks up Hornet’s attack power and sets enemies ablaze with every hit, which is a total game-changer when you’re still learning enemy patterns. I’m going to break down exactly how I snagged it without pulling my hair out.

What Makes the Flintslate Worth Your Time

The Flintslate is not just for show — this thing punches above its weight. Once equipped, it gives Hornet’s needle attacks a fiery edge, applying burn damage to anything you hit. Trust me, that extra damage over time can mean the difference between a clean kill and another trip back to the bench. Here’s the quick rundown:

Detail
What You Need to Know

Tool
Flintslate

Effect
Boosts Hornet’s attack power and inflicts burn on every hit

Location
Deep Docks area

Requirement
Simple Key

Merchant
Pebb the Merchant in Bone Marrow

Cost
500 Rosary Beads

Charges
3 charges when equipped

Before You Go: Simple Key Shopping

You can’t just waltz into the Deep Docks and expect the Flintslate to be sitting there for you. The door is locked, and you’ll need a Simple Key to open it. I got mine from Pebb the Merchant in the Bone Marrow area. The price tag is 500 Rosary Beads, which honestly isn’t too bad if you’ve been poking around the early game. I didn’t have to grind for ages — between enemy drops and breakable objects, those beads stack up faster than you’d think.

Once you have the Simple Key in your pocket, head over to the Deep Docks area. The spot you’re looking for is a large cavern with a locked door on the bottom-right side of the map. No switches, no puzzles — just use the Simple Key and the door opens. Easy peasy.

Deep Docks Walkthrough: Getting the Flintslate

Now comes the fun part. After you unlock that door, you’ll step into a chamber that’s absolutely crawling with enemies, so go in ready to scrap. I made the mistake of waltzing in with low health once, and let me tell you, it was not pretty. Here’s the route I followed:

• Enter through the locked door and follow the pathway into the first chamber with chained platforms.

• Fight or dash past the enemies — either works, but don’t get cocky. The first area has plenty of nasty critters waiting to ruin your day.

• Keep heading right and enter the next area.

• Climb the chained platforms slowly in this second chamber. There are flying enemies here, so take them out before they knock you off.

• Reach the top and jump into the top-left path.

• Follow that path until you spot an item on a table. That’s your Flintslate!

My Combat Tips for the Flintslate

Once you grab it, simply equip it at a bench to start using it. You’ll get three charges for the Flintslate, and activating it imbues Hornet’s attacks with fire damage. The activation animation looks slick, but it’s not just cosmetic — every needle strike while it’s active applies burn damage to enemies. That said, don’t sleep on the short duration. The burn window is brief, so I only pop the Flintslate right before a clear opening. If you activate it too early, you’ll waste a charge and miss out on the damage. Patience is the name of the game, folks.

Honestly, the Flintslate is one of those early game godsends that makes Silksong’s tough-as-nails combat feel a little more manageable. If you’re struggling with aggressive enemies or just want to melt through early encounters, don’t skip this tool. Grab the Simple Key, brave the Deep Docks, and light some enemies up. You’ve got this.

Speaking of getting more out of your Silksong journey, it never hurts to shop smart when it comes to expanding your game library. Whether you still need to grab a copy for yourself or you're already eyeballing the next Metroidvania to sink hours into, taking a moment to [check game prices]( can stretch your budget much further. DealNest rounds up the best offers across multiple stores, making it easy to spot a bargain without the usual tab-hopping price hunt.

At the end of the day, smart spending is just another skill worth sharpening. Pair that with the burn damage from your new Flintslate, and you'll be slicing through both enemies and your wishlist like a true hunter. Happy exploring, and may your needles always strike true.

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Hidden Hunter Quest Guide: Silksong Gurr the Outcast Walkthrough

Hollow Knight: Silksong's Hidden Hunter Grand Hunt sends Hornet through Far Fields to track Gurr the Outcast and reclaim Gilly's Keepsake.

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet's journey through the kingdom of Pharloom can take many directions, and not every task comes directly from the main path. After reaching Act 3, a visit to Bellhart opens up new opportunities through Bellhart's Wishwall. Among the available requests is the Hidden Hunter, a Grand Hunt wish that asks Hornet to track down the thief who stole Gilly's Keepsake. Because the request is marked as a Grand Hunt wish, it immediately suggests that the encounter will be far more threatening than an ordinary hunt. The quest is not simply about finding an object; it requires crossing into a sealed portion of Far Fields, reading subtle signs in the environment, and eventually facing a dangerous hidden opponent.

Starting the Hunt

The quest begins with a clue. The Hidden Hunter wish explains that the stolen keepsake was taken near the Bellshrine between Deep Docks and Far Fields. That location is treated as the last place where the thief was detected. When Hornet searches the area close to the Far Fields Bellshrine, she can discover a visible track on the ground. This track is the first step in a longer trail. From that point, following the track becomes the main method of navigation, since the hidden hunter does not simply wait in an open arena.

Reaching the Far Fields Upper Lands

Reaching the hunter's territory requires access to a locked area in Far Fields. This area does not open until Hornet unlocks the Silk Soar skill. With that ability, she can open a bridge from Hunter's March into Far Fields, which allows exploration of the upper sections of the region. Players who have not yet opened that area need to start from the Marrow and travel into Hunter's March without taking the Deep Docks shortcuts. At the end of Hunter's March, a row of statues marks the way forward. Using the Super Jump Skill there lets Hornet access the newly opened path.

Following the Trail

Once Hornet enters the upper lands of Far Fields, the trail appears again. The route is not empty, however. Tracks and traps are scattered along the way, and each one serves as a marker for the direction she should follow. The final marker is not a simple clue. It is a trap that drags Hornet downward into the boss's location. This sudden fall acts as the final transition into the fight, giving the encounter a feeling of being caught rather than choosing the moment herself. For those who have already visited this area during quests like the Fastest In Pharloom quest, the Pilgrim's Rest shortcut offers another way to reach the same upper region.

Gurr the Outcast Boss Fight

The Hidden Hunter is revealed as Gurr the Outcast. The fight against Gurr is dangerous, but it is not random. Gurr moves in predictable patterns, which means observation is more important than constant movement. As Gurr changes position, spikes are left behind across the battlefield. Those spikes gradually limit the space Hornet can safely use, while Gurr retains the freedom to move wherever the arena allows. This combination can make the fight feel overwhelming at first. However, once the pattern becomes clear, the safest approach is to wait patiently for each opening and land hits only when it is safe to do so. Rushing leads to mistakes, especially as the spikes accumulate.

Completing the Wish

After the battle ends and Gurr the Outcast is defeated, the next step is simple but easy to miss. Hornet should move to the left side of the area after the fight. There, the Grass Doll can be found. This object is the stolen keepsake connected to the wish, and it must be returned to complete the quest. Traveling back to Bellhart and turning in the Grass Doll officially finishes the Hidden Hunter wish. With the item returned, the Grand Hunt request is complete, and Hornet can move on to other challenges waiting in Pharloom.

Why This Quest Stands Out

The Hidden Hunter quest is a strong example of how Hollow Knight: Silksong combines exploration, movement abilities, and boss design. It rewards players who pay attention to environmental clues and encourages them to unlock parts of the map before chasing a target. The path from Bellhart's Wishwall to the Far Fields upper lands is not always obvious, but the trail and the traps slowly build the atmosphere of a genuine hunt. The fight against Gurr the Outcast then tests patience as much as skill, making the final return of the Grass Doll a satisfying conclusion.

For players who enjoy the kind of layered quest design found in the Hidden Hunter wish, Hollow Knight: Silksong delivers hours of similar challenges across Pharloom. The exploration-heavy approach, combined with the satisfaction of overcoming boss encounters like Gurr the Outcast, is exactly what keeps this genre engaging. It is no surprise that many players seek out every quest and secret before finishing the game.

Of course, before setting out on the Grand Hunt, it makes sense to make sure you have the game at the right price. Whether you are just starting your journey or picking up a copy for a friend, it is always wise to [check game prices]( before a purchase. DealNest offers a convenient way to compare options across different storefronts, helping you save while diving into the world of Silksong and other titles.

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Silksong's Creepy Bellhart Easter Egg Is Easy to Miss

Hollow Knight: Silksong hides a missable Bellhart easter egg where quitting at its bench leaves Hornet strung in silk—Pharloom's creepiest scare.

When Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched, longtime fans expected the same brand of melancholy and hidden weirdness that made the original Hollow Knight such a cult hit. In 2026, the game has been out long enough for players to compile maps, boss guides, and speedrun routes, yet some secrets still slip through the cracks. One of the creepiest and most missable easter eggs in Silksong is tucked inside Bellhart, and it is the kind of moment that can genuinely rattle a player who thought they had seen everything Pharloom had to offer.

Team Cherry built a reputation on secrets. The original Hollow Knight had players chasing thief Millibelle after she bolted with a hefty pile of Geo, and the game kept dropping lore bombs years after release. Silksong follows the same playbook. Even though the game has only been widely available for a little while, enthusiasts have already uncovered tucked-away rooms, hidden interactions, and strange dialogue flags. But Bellhart's unnerving surprise seems tailor-made for players who grind through the opening hours and call it quits at just the wrong moment.

A town frozen in silk

Bellhart stands out early in Silksong because it is one of the first places where the game's tone shifts from difficult platforming to quiet horror. When Hornet first reaches the settlement, a cutscene shows her reacting to a grim sight: the town's inhabitants are all hanging limply, wrapped in silk. It is a genuinely unsettling image, and it lingers even after the cutscene ends.

That alone would be enough to get under a player's skin. But if they decide to rest at the bench in Bellhart and then quit the game, the next launch is a different kind of nightmare.

The secret scene that catches players off guard

Instead of loading into a normal resting state, players are greeted by a hidden scene in which Hornet herself is strung up, just like the villagers she found moments earlier. The first instinct is usually to panic, but the way out is simple in theory: mash buttons until she tears free of the silk. In practice, it is disorienting enough to feel much worse than any boss fight.

The scene is not a game over, a trap, or a punishment. It is a pure easter egg, designed to make players squirm before letting them back into the game. For a series that loves to blur the line between player and character, it works a little too well.

Why so many players miss it

The requirements are narrow enough that most first-time players will never see the moment. Here is exactly what has to happen:

• The player must reach Bellhart before saving the town.

• They must rest at the specific bench inside Bellhart.

• They must quit the game while resting there.

• They must load the save again during that same window of progression.

If any of those steps are skipped, the secret scene simply does not trigger. Once Bellhart has been saved, the chance is gone for that playthrough. That time limit is what makes the easter egg so elusive. In typical Hollow Knight tradition, the game does not advertise the moment, and there is no tutorial hint nudging players to try it.

Condition
Result

Reach Bellhart before saving it
Cutscene shows villagers wrapped in silk

Rest at Bellhart bench and quit
Hidden scene on next load

Save Bellhart first
Easter egg window closes

Load save after triggering
Hornet is strung up; mash buttons to escape

A small scare with a big impact

What makes the Bellhart secret stand out is how personal it feels. Hornet is not witnessing someone else in danger; she is the one trapped, and the player is the one forced to free her. It is a quiet, clever piece of environmental storytelling that echoes the original game's best hidden moments. Plenty of players will finish Silksong without ever seeing it, and that is almost certainly the point.

For completionists, speedrunners, and lore hunters, this is one easter egg worth chasing before Bellhart's story resolves. It is a quick scare, a strange reload, and a reminder that Pharloom is watching — even when the game is not running.

️

Hidden moments like this one are a big part of why Hollow Knight fans keep returning to the series. They reward curiosity, patience, and a willingness to poke at every corner of the map. The same mindset that drives players to discover the Bellhart easter egg often carries over to how they hunt for new games in the first place — waiting for the right moment, keeping an eye on prices, and jumping when the timing finally lines up.

For anyone still waiting to dive into Silksong or planning to revisit Pharloom on a fresh save, keeping track of the best offers can make the experience even sweeter. That is where [DealNest game deals]( come in handy, helping players spot price drops and discounts without scouring the web all day. Much like the secret bench scene, catching the right deal at the right moment takes a little patience — but the payoff is worth it.

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How to Reach Far Fields Secret Area in Silksong

Reach Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Far Fields secret area in Act 3 via Silk Soar and Hunter’s March to earn the Heart of the Wild reward.

Okay, listen. I have been spelunking through Pharloom since the Act 3 content landed in 2026, and if you are anything like me, you have probably stared at the Far Fields map, noticed that suspiciously blank corner, and thought, “Yep, there is a secret over there.” Good news: there absolutely is. Bad news: Silk Soar does not care about your feelings, and the route to the Far Fields secret area in Hollow Knight: Silksong will make you work for it. Here is how to actually get there without losing your needle, your patience, or your mind.

The Route: Karmelita, Silk Soar, and a Very Sneaky Ceiling

First things first: you need to be in Act 3. A decent chunk of Pharloom only opens up once you reach this chapter, and the Far Fields secret area is one of those additions. If you are still poking around Act 2, go advance the main story before you waste an afternoon jumping at walls.

When you are ready, travel to Hunter’s March. Specifically, find the statue of Karmelita. This is not just a fancy piece of scenery; it is basically your vertical launchpad. Use the Silk Soar Ancestral Art near the statue to leap upward into a hidden passage. I missed this the first time because I kept hugging the ground like a frightened grub. Do not be like me. Look up.

After you make the leap, keep moving to the right. You are aiming for the border between Hunter’s March and Far Fields. Eventually, you will unlock a shortcut that connects the two regions together. That shortcut makes future visits much less painful, so take a moment to appreciate it before the game throws another obstacle at you.

The Shortcut That Betrays You in Act 3

Here is the twist nobody warned me about: if you previously unlocked the shortcut between Deep Docks and Hunter’s March, do not expect to use it in Act 3. It will be closed, and you will stand there pressing buttons like a confused mosscreep.

To get back into Hunter’s March after the Act 3 changes, Hornet has to take the original route from The Marrow. Then, once you are on the Hunter’s March side, smash the boulder that is blocking the way. Yes, this means you have to redo a chunk of the pogo platforming. The saving grace is that Silk Soar lets you skip a large part of that platforming, so it is less “painful flashback” and more “mildly annoying detour.” Spin, leap, pray, and move on.

Far Fields Secret Area: Loot, Quests, and Sweet Rewards

Once you actually enter the Far Fields secret area, it opens up into a surprisingly busy little corner of Pharloom. This is not just a dead end with a single chest. There are real objectives here, and a few of them tie directly into your journey.

Heart of the Wild

The big prize is the Heart of the Wild, one of the hearts required for the main quest. If you are hunting down essential pieces for progression, this is a stop you cannot skip. I recommend grabbing it as soon as you enter the secret area, because it is easy to get distracted by side paths and forget why you came.

Sprintmaster Swift and the Fastest in Pharloom Wish

Take the easternmost route inside the secret area and you will eventually reach the home of Sprintmaster Swift. This is where you can fulfill the Fastest in Pharloom wish in Silksong. It is a nice little side objective that rewards you for exploring every edge of the map. I will not spoil the exact conversation, but let us just say Swift lives up to the name.

Pilgrim’s Rest Connection

The hidden area can also be connected to Pilgrim’s Rest, which opens more routes on top of the existing Pilgrim’s Rest door. This is fantastic if you want to streamline travel across the region. Secret areas are always better when they create new shortcuts instead of just sitting there like a lonely room.

️ The Hidden Hunter Quest

On top of everything else, the Hidden Hunter quest in Silksong also leads Hornet straight into the Far Fields secret area. If you are following that mission, you will end up here naturally, which is a nice bit of design. It turns the secret area from a random hidden nook into a meaningful destination for multiple story threads.

TL;DR for Tired Spiders

Objective
Location / Requirement
Reward or Purpose

Enter secret area
Karmelita statue + Silk Soar in Hunter’s March
Shortcut to Far Fields

Heart of the Wild
Far Fields secret area
Main quest heart

Fastest in Pharloom wish
Sprintmaster Swift’s home, easternmost route
Side quest completion

Pilgrim’s Rest connection
Hidden route inside secret area
Opens extra routes

Hidden Hunter quest
Leads Hornet to the secret area
Quest progression

At the end of the day, the Far Fields secret area is one of those Act 3 surprises that makes Pharloom feel bigger than it should. Just remember: check the statue, use Silk Soar, go right, and do not trust the Deep Docks shortcut. Good luck out there, fellow wanderer.

Exploring every hidden corner of Pharloom takes patience, but the payoff is always worth it — and that same mindset applies outside the game. Whether you’re looking for a new controller, Silksong merchandise, or a better gaming setup, the thrill of finding a great price feels a lot like uncovering that secret room behind the statue. So before you hit that checkout button, take a moment to [find the best deal]( and make your coin stretch a little further. After all, saving a few bucks in the real world is its own kind of hidden treasure.

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The 8 Best Soulslike Games With the Most Diverse Enemy Variety

These Soulslike action RPGs feature exceptional enemy variety, elevating gameplay and ensuring each region feels fresh and challenging.

In the sprawling universe of Soulslikes, few design choices shape a journey as deeply as the enemies prowling each region. A game can refine its parry timings, polish its stamina management, and craft a haunting world, yet if its bestiary dresses the same creature in three different shaders, the experience slips toward monotony like sand through an hourglass with a cracked base. Enemy variety is not simply a quantitative flourish; it is the whetstone against which every combat system sharpens itself. The titles gathered in this article recognize that a wide bestiary functions like a kaleidoscope, each rotation of the region revealing a new shape, demanding fresh tactics and resetting the player's rhythm. From tear-soaked islands to hallowed underground kingdoms, these eight games prove that a roster of disparate threats can turn a good action RPG into an enduring masterpiece.

8. Death’s Door

In Death's Door, a diminutive crow wielding a blade journeys through a world deliberately built to test patience and reflexes. Each map functions as a small theater of threats, populated by mages hurling glowing projectiles, leaping beasts springing from every corner, bell-ringing enemies that restrain movement, and shield-bearing titans lobbing explosives from impossible distances. The game transforms its modest scope into a dense ecosystem of danger, where every combat sequence demands that the player monitor multiple sources of pressure at once. The result is a tight, expressive loop in which clearing a horde produces a surge of mastery. The rogues' gallery may not rival larger productions in raw numbers, but Death's Door demonstrates how efficiently variety can energize a compact adventure.

7. Lords of the Fallen (2023)

Lords of the Fallen (2023) arrives with a dual-realm mechanic that splits its world between the mortal plane and the shadowed realm of Umbral. This interdimensional gimmick doubles the bestiary's impact, presenting different oppositions depending on which layer the player stands. Sparrows and spectral sentinels populate the Umbral side, while the living world offers its own brutalized champions. The enemy designs often outshine their mechanical behavior, yet the range of antagonists remains among the title's strongest feats. There is a theatrical cruelty to the roster, as if each new encounter were plucked from a Gothic bestiary bound in rusted iron. Though not every player will warm to its punishing pace, the game's comeback after a shaky franchise history is impossible to ignore.

6. Another Crab’s Treasure

Another Crab's Treasure dives beneath the waves and returns with one of the most imaginative enemy lineups in the genre. The ocean floor becomes a carnival of pollution-inspired combatants: lobsters jousting with plastic straws, pufferfish strapped to discarded bags, and crabs swinging bottles like cudgels. Each opponent forces a distinct response—parrying, dodging, platforming, or retreating—so the game repurposes marine biology and environmental debris to produce both laughter and suffering. The bosses join the pageantry, smashing players with microplastic-laced fury while maintaining the title's sharp satirical edge. In a sea of grim Soulslike imitators, this crab's adventure gleams like a pearl wrapped in seaweed.

5. Blasphemous 2

Blasphemous 2 takes the solemn religious horror of its predecessor and sharpens it into something far more varied. Every region is not only distinguished by its stunning art and audio but also by how enemies reinforce those spatial contrasts. The bestiary becomes a narrative device, aligning each mob with the visual and thematic texture of its biome. The game's Metroidvania skeleton means platforms and adversaries are designed around newly acquired abilities, so the challenges remain in constant flux. Players rarely repeat the same tactics twice, as each corridor introduces a fresh permutation of pressure. This cohesion between aesthetics, story, and combat makes Blasphemous 2 feel like an illuminated manuscript whose pages keep turning into darker, stranger chapters.

4. Lies of P

Lies of P has often been hailed as one of the finest Soulslikes ever made, and its enemy design is a significant reason. The game learns from Bloodborne's arc, gradually shifting from mechanical puppets to celestial abominations as the narrative deepens. Early regions pit players against clockwork soldiers and carnival horrors, while later stages unveil corrupted bears, monstrous clowns, spider creatures with aristocratic flourishes, and shambling undead. This gradual mutation of the bestiary operates like a tide that washes away the familiar and deposits something alien. Each enemy introduces its own mechanical identity, forcing players to retool their approach as the story warps the world. By the final chapters, the game feels almost like a different title than the one that opened it—a testament to its dramatic variety.

3. Salt and Sanctuary

Salt and Sanctuary remains a towering achievement among early Soulslike indies. Its 2D world stretches across a desolate, seemingly endless shoreline of suffering, where each region peels back another layer of hellish threats. Movement abilities unlock increasingly hidden zones, transforming encounters from shambling undead to beings that recall Lovecraftian nightmares. A giant eye trailing a scorpion's tail can emerge from the dark with a soundscape designed to disturb. Playing Salt and Sanctuary feels like descending through rings of an underworld where every circle grows more turbulent and concealed than the last. The sheer volume of enemy types across its campaign remains startling, and the game's ability to sustain dread through variety keeps it a genre masterpiece.

2. Nine Sols

Nine Sols marries precise side-scrolling combat with an absurdly diverse cohort of enemies. While its boss count is deliberately restrained to preserve quality, the lesser mobs are legion and distinctive. Over a hundred specimens populate the world, ranging from robotic guardians and laboratory test subjects to undefined biological horrors, further split into warriors, mages, flying creatures, statues, archers, assassins, worms, and even a boar. Each biome presents a unique ecosystem of threats, turning navigation itself into a sequence of small duels. The game fuses Metroidvania exploration with Soulslike parry-centric combat, and the bestiary supplies a ceaseless stream of opportunities to test both. In Yi's journey, no two encounters feel alike.

1. Hollow Knight

Any discussion of Souls-adjacent greatness eventually arrives at Hollow Knight. From the earliest hours, its bestiary compiles an enormous list of creatures inhabiting the fallen kingdom of Hallownest. Each biome introduces enemies that reflect its identity and mechanical demands, from buzzing sentries in overgrown ruins to spectral warriors in sunken depths. The game replicates the core formula of the genre but pushes depth and detail to an extraordinary degree. Variety here is not decoration; it is the pulse of exploration, pulling players through caverns with the promise of new adversaries around every bend. Even its successor Silksong looms on the horizon with promises of even greater scale, but the original adventure remains a benchmark. Hollow Knight's bestiary is less a list of enemies and more a living encyclopedia of a dying world's last inhabitants.

Rank
Game
Enemy Variety Highlight

8
Death's Door
Compact but dense theaters of simultaneous threats

7
Lords of the Fallen (2023)
Dual-realm bestiary split between two planes

6
Another Crab's Treasure
Pollution-inspired marine combatants

5
Blasphemous 2
Enemies as narrative extensions of each biome

4
Lies of P
Gradual mutation from puppets to cosmic horrors

3
Salt and Sanctuary
Hellish descent through increasingly hidden zones

2
Nine Sols
Over 100 distinct specimens across biomes

1
Hollow Knight
A sprawling living encyclopedia of Hallownest

For players who measure a Soulslike not only by its boss quality but by the breadth of threats between those bosses, these eight titles offer a masterclass in enemy design. Each one proves that when a bestiary refuses to repeat itself, the entire adventure becomes sharper, stranger, and far more memorable. Whether through comedic pollution-fueled crabs or somber gothic horrors, the lesson remains the same: in a genre built on overcoming adversity, the adversaries themselves must never stop surprising.

For anyone inspired to dive into these rich worlds, building a wishlist is only half the journey—securing the best deal for each adventure is the other. With so many titles spanning different genres and platforms, prices can vary dramatically across stores and seasons, making a little research well worth the effort. Savvy players know that patience often pays off, and the right discount can turn a budget-friendly purchase into an excuse to try two games instead of one. That’s where a quick visit to a reliable price comparison hub can save both money and time.

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Silksong’s PlayStation Trophy List Drops Steel Soul and Steel Heart

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s PlayStation trophy list omits Steel Soul permadeath and Speed Completion, making its platinum easier than Steam/Xbox.

In the sprawling kingdom of Pharloom, a PlayStation 5 owner named Mara finally reached the final challenge after thirty hours of careful platforming and brutal combat. Like many players, she had been drawn to Hollow Knight: Silksong when it launched on September 4, 2025. The game immediately earned a reputation for punishing early areas. Yet Mara also noticed something strange while scrolling through the trophy list. The PlayStation version felt shorter than what she had seen in online guides. The reason was not a glitch. It was a deliberate absence.

Hollow Knight: Silksong contains a semi-secret permadeath mode called Steel Soul. When a player dies in this mode, the save file is deleted. It is one of the most demanding features Team Cherry has ever created. On Steam and Xbox, the game asks players to overcome that fear. On PlayStation, however, the associated trophies are nowhere to be found.

The Missing Permadeath Trophies

The omissions were first highlighted by TheGamer. Two achievements tied to Steel Soul are absent from the PlayStation Network trophy list. The first is Steel Soul, which requires finishing the game in Steel Soul mode. The second is Steel Heart, which demands 100% game completion and a finish in Steel Soul mode. Additionally, PlayStation does not include Speed Completion, a trophy that asks players to achieve 100% completion and finish the game in under 30 hours.

That last exclusion is particularly interesting because PlayStation still features Speedrunner, a far more extreme trophy requiring a five-hour run. So the platform does not shy away from intense challenges entirely. It simply omits the permadeath and moderate speed goals.

As a result, PS4 and PS5 owners have a significantly easier time platinuming Silksong compared to their peers on other platforms. The mode itself remains available on both PlayStation consoles. But the risk no longer carries a trophy reward.

A Comparison Across Platforms

The difference in trophy totals is stark. Steam and Xbox each list 52 achievements for Hollow Knight: Silksong. PlayStation offers only 34. Most of the absent trophies are smaller challenges, but the Steel Soul omissions stand out.

Trophy / Achievement
Requirement
PS4 / PS5
Steam / Xbox

Steel Soul
Finish the game in Steel Soul mode

Steel Heart
Achieve 100% completion and finish in Steel Soul mode

Speed Completion
Achieve 100% completion and finish in under 30 hours

Speedrunner
Finish the game in under 5 hours

This table reveals a strange balance. PlayStation players are spared the permadeath grind, but they still face one of the most demanding speedrun trophies in the game. The Platinum trophy remains a serious challenge, yet its path is shorter and less psychologically punishing.

Why the Lists Differ

Team Cherry has not commented on the missing trophies. The pattern is not unprecedented. The original Hollow Knight also had fewer trophies on PlayStation. It offered 35 trophies compared to 63 on other platforms.

Once upon a time, Sony imposed strict achievement restrictions on non-full-priced games. Those games were not even allowed to include Platinum trophies. The policy was so rigid that it affected high-profile developers. Hideo Kojima once explained that this was why Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes had a smaller PlayStation trophy list than other versions.

That policy, however, belonged to an earlier era. As of 2026, shorter PlayStation trophy lists are more likely explained by design philosophy than by old platform rules. Silksong's PlayStation achievement list emphasizes major progression milestones. Each trophy may therefore feel more meaningful, even if the total number is lower.

An Easier Platinum, Not an Easy Game

Make no mistake: Hollow Knight: Silksong is still exceptionally difficult. Players must master precise movement, learn aggressive boss patterns, and survive long stretches without rest. The PlayStation trophy list simply removes some of the most brutal optional peaks.

Some community members are relieved. Others argue that a Platinum should represent the complete experience, including Steel Soul. For now, trophy hunters on PlayStation can celebrate a slightly softer climb. The Pharloom kingdom remains dangerous, but at least the save file will not erase itself on the road to Platinum.

For players weighing which version to buy based on the trophy list they prefer, the decision often comes down to more than just achievement counts. Console releases and Steam keys frequently launch at different prices, and seasonal sales can shift the value equation dramatically. Checking where the game is cheapest before committing to a platform is a smart way to make the choice easier.

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Silksong Is Real, and It's a Masterpiece Worth the Seven-Year Wait

Hollow Knight: Silksong on PS5 delivers a challenging, agile adventure with new Crest tools and stunning hand-painted visuals.

After what felt like an eternity—and a running joke about the heat death of the universe—Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here. By 2026, players who fire it up on a PS5 know that surreal feeling of pausing in Bellhart or Shellwood, soaking in the hand-painted backdrops, and thinking, 'Good grief, this is actually happening.' It may have taken a hot minute longer than anyone expected, but the game is real, and it is absolutely glorious.

A Different Flavor of Hollow Knight

Silksong is not merely Hollow Knight with a fresh coat of paint. Hornet cuts through Pharloom like a completely different creature. She is quicker and more agile than the Knight—able to sprint, float from great heights, and wield a grappling hook right out of the gate. That faster tempo can make the opening hours feel humbling, even for folks who breezed through the original.

Once the controls click, though, exploring Pharloom becomes a joy. Winding hallways and bug-filled biomes hide secrets behind nearly every corner, and each new traversal ability makes old areas feel brand new. There is a constant sense of momentum as Hornet starts off moving slowly from place to place, then gradually unlocks sprints, climbs, jumps, and glides that send her rocketing through spaces that once felt impossible.

The Charm system from Hollow Knight also takes a back seat. Instead, players find various tools scattered around the world that can be equipped based on their current Crest. Each Crest has a set number of slots for specific tool types, so builds are less flexible than before, but the twist is worth it: Crests change Hornet’s primary attacks. That alone keeps experimentation alive without copying the old system beat for beat.

Key differences stand out right away:

• Hornet can sprint, float, and use a grappling hook from early on.

• The Charm system is gone, replaced by tools equipped via Crests.

• Each Crest changes Hornet’s primary attacks.

Yes, Silksong Is Difficult, But That’s Okay

No cap, the difficulty discourse has been loud since launch. A chunk of it is a little overblown. Hollow Knight was never a walk in the park—Path of Pain still haunts plenty of nightmares—but Silksong’s status as one of gaming’s white whales means more casual players are jumping in to see what all the buzz is about. To its credit, Team Cherry has been rolling out updates to smooth over a few overtuned early-game spots.

Even so, enemies in Silksong hit like freight trains. Multiple foes can swipe two masks of health at once, and whenever a player only has five masks for a long stretch, mistakes become brutally expensive. Some boss fights are even nastier because simple contact can take two points of health. It sounds rough, and honestly, it can be.

Still, Team Cherry walks the tightrope between challenging and unfair for most encounters. Early bosses like Lace, Sister Splinter, and Widow will toss players around, but beating them feels earned. Learning attack patterns and finding counters turns each fight into a proper obstacle rather than a wall. Widow in particular has made plenty of players spend hours retrying, but rarely does it feel unbeatable—just spectacularly tough, like watching Hornet take another giant bell to the skull while a huge grin refuses to leave the player’s face.

Pi Na So Mi Ma Ni Se, Da Na Fun Su Low Ba

It is hard to keep a straight face through the punishment when the supporting cast is this lovable. Team Cherry has a gift for crafting weird little personalities that players cannot help but adore, and Silksong is stuffed with them. Sherma, a tiny bug who sings and hammers away on his chime, has basically been adopted by the community already. Hearing Shakra’s song echo through a brutal corridor is enough to spark joy—and not just because she usually has a new map for sale.

Then there is the fleamaster who wants help recovering his lost fleas, the nosy spa owner who peeks while Hornet bathes and can be given a well-deserved smack, and the timid pilgrim too frightened to begin his trek to the Citadel. These characters make Pharloom feel like a mysterious, living world rather than a hallway simulator funneling players toward the next boss arena. Their brief moments of levity are the secret sauce that elevates an already excellent metroidvania.

Pharloom’s Economy Is In Shambles

On top of the main path, Silksong introduces the Wish system, which works like a collection of side quests. Players can gather items, rescue stranded bugs, hunt specific enemy types, and earn extra goodies along the way. These tasks are not especially deep and can be skipped if someone just wants to gun it down the main route, but they add solid reasons to backtrack.

The only real gripe is currency. Many Wish rewards should include more Rosaries, the game’s main money. Fast-travel stations, benches, and extra tools all demand Rosaries, and there are not many natural ways to stock up outside of grinding certain enemies. Worse, Rosaries can be lost if the player dies and fails to recover their body, which stings especially hard in the early game. Pharloom’s economy could charitably be described as rough around the edges.

Verdict: A Triumphant Metroidvania

Minor quibbles fade when the finished game is this magnificent. Team Cherry has crafted an absolute triumph. Seven years of sky-high expectations would crush most projects, but Silksong somehow exceeds them. The boss fights are exhilarating and tough, the world is a gorgeous marvel, the art direction is unpredictable in the best way, and every visual and audio detail lands. This is not just a great sequel—it cements itself as a high watermark that other metroidvanias will chase for years to come. ️

For anyone who has just finished reading this and feels the itch to explore Pharloom for themselves, the next logical step is grabbing a copy—and smart players know that paying full price is not always necessary. Steam keys regularly fluctuate in price across legitimate storefronts, and a quick price check can save enough to cover a future DLC or another indie gem. After all, the only thing better than a masterpiece is a masterpiece bought at a bargain.

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How to Trigger Fatal Resolve in Silksong and Find the Pinstress

Master the Fatal Resolve quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong with this exact route to find the Pinstress and claim the Pin Badge reward.

I'm going to walk you through exactly how I triggered and finished Fatal Resolve in Hollow Knight: Silksong. When I reached Act 3 in the current 2026 build, I made a beeline to Bellhart and checked the Wishing Board. The Fatal Resolve wish was sitting there like a needle left in a pincushion, just waiting for me to pull it. I accepted it, and Hornet was told to find the Pinstress twice, then beat her in a final duel. The reward is the Pin Badge, which decreases the charge time of Needle Strike.

Quest at a Glance

Detail
Info

Quest name
Fatal Resolve

Quest type
Wayfarer

Act
3

Starting point
Bellhart Wishing Board

Pinstress stops
Blasted Steps, Mount Fay

Reward
Pin Badge

Blasted Steps: The Pinstress's Empty House

After taking the wish, my first job was to find the Pinstress's house in Blasted Steps. It sits at the west-most edge of Blasted Steps, near the Sands of Karak entrance. I started from the Blasted Steps Bellway and moved right. I glided down past the hanging cages until a blue flag with pins appeared on my left. From there, I used the platforms to continue in the same direction until I reached an area with a heavy storm. The balloons are key here: I rode them upward to reach the Pinstress house. Inside, I found a bench and a note explaining that she had moved to Mount Fay.

Mount Fay: Tracking a Trail of Pins

The route up to her perch felt like threading a needle through a sandstorm, every platform a thread that wanted to snap. The Pinstress waits on a cliff near the top of Mount Fay's first vertical area. To track her, I interacted with bodies impaled by pins along the way. They are grisly but effective markers.

Here is the path I used:

• From the bottom, double jump to the left wall and climb the platform.

• Hop right and quickly use the temporary platforms to go higher.

• Harpoon the enemy to reach the ring, then cling to the left wall and climb to the upper platform with silk flowers.

• Jump to the left wall as leverage to reach the ring on the right.

• Hop onto the temporary vertical platform and turn to the left wall, using it to climb to the platform with a warming light.

• Look left and cling to the wall while climbing up.

• In the next area, stay on the wall and avoid spikes to reach the other side.

• Glide down to a warming light and hop to the right side.

• Go up the vertical platform carefully to avoid spikes, then use Clawline on the enemy to gain height.

• Repeat for the next enemy and land on a metal platform with a pin.

• Use the upper enemy to reach the left wall and climb to the top.

• Proceed forward and jump onto the upper platform.

• Harpoon the enemy to the right to reach the ring.

• Double jump to the higher ring, then use the enemies to grab the upper ring.

• Follow the path that leads up and inspect the body to continue tracking her.

• Go left and rest at the bench if needed.

• Jump high and use Clawline into the ring, then use the left wall to reach the nearby enemy.

• Use the wall again to reach the ring and go left.

• Climb carefully to the warming light, then harpoon the needle to the spikes on the right to land on top of the platform. If that timing feels too tricky, glide down instead and use enemies and temporary platforms to go higher.

• Double jump left to find a blue body covered in snow. Hit it a few times to find out it is the Pinstress taking a nap.

The Duel and the Pin Badge

Speak with her, accept the challenge, and the fight begins. The Pinstress jumps around a lot and uses ranged attacks, so her fight cadence is less like a duel and more like a sewing machine in a hurricane. I stayed mobile, used Clawline to close distance, and punished her after ranged volleys. Once the fight is over, Fatal Resolve completes and Hornet receives the Pin Badge tool, which decreases the charge time of Needle Strike.

That is the whole quest. If you have already cleared Act 3 and are hunting for Wayfarer tasks, this one is absolutely worth the climb.

Completing this quest is a true test of traversal mastery, and the Pin Badge reward makes every subsequent needle throw feel snappier, which pays off in the harder gauntlets ahead. If you are playing on PC and found yourself coming back to this guide after finally grabbing the game, you likely already know how valuable a good deal can be on release week.

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How I Felt Watching Someone Beat Every Silksong Boss Flawlessly

Hollow Knight: Silksong player CrazyTemplar completes an impeccable no-hit run against all 36 bosses, including permadeath-mode exclusives.

Man, when it comes to Hollow Knight: Silksong, the community never ceases to knock my socks off. I have been deep in the weeds with this game since it finally launched back in September 2025, and just when I thought I had seen it all, a player comes along and pulls off something that makes my own playthrough look like a walk in the park. We are talking about defeating every single boss in the game without taking one point of damage. Not a scratch. Zip. Nada. I was honestly gobsmacked when I saw the footage floating around.

I have been playing Metroidvanias for ages, and Team Cherry really outdid themselves with the difficulty spike in this sequel. The original Hollow Knight was already a tough cookie, but Silksong cranks that dial up to eleven. We are dealing with a grand total of thirty-six different bosses here. I have spent hours banging my head against the wall with some of the more aggressive encounters. Enemies like Trobbio and Groal the Great have become household names in the community, and honestly, some of their attack patterns still give me nightmares. The idea of taking down all of these maniacs in a row without taking a hit is the kind of challenge that usually makes me want to throw my controller through the window.

But hey, someone actually did it. I was scrolling through my feed when I saw the report about a YouTuber named CrazyTemplar. This absolute legend posted a nearly two-hour-long video showcasing a perfect run of every single boss. Two hours of flawless gameplay. I can barely keep my focus for a twenty-minute boss rush, let alone two hours of perfect dodging and punishing. And this mad lad didn't just stop at the main roster; he also cleared several hidden bosses, including the ones exclusive to the game's brutal permadeath mode. Talk about going the extra mile. I remember watching his uploads chronicling the journey, where he would break down the fights into different groups. It is one thing to master a single pattern, but stringing them all together without a single slip-up is a different beast entirely.

The skill ceiling in this game is just astronomical. I like to think I am a pretty decent player, but watching this run gave me a serious reality check. It is like watching a ballet where the choreography involves a needle and a whole lot of spite. The precision required to avoid chip damage from some of the more chaotic bosses is unreal. The fact that he included the permadeath mode bosses is the cherry on top. I do not even want to think about the anxiety of doing a no-hit run on a mode where one mistake means starting the whole save file over. That is a level of mental fortitude I simply do not possess.

Of course, this is exactly the kind of energy that has made the Silksong community so vibrant since day one. Even though we are well into 2026 now, players are constantly finding new ways to interact with the game. I have seen people pointing out weird trophy discrepancies, like the fact that a pair of achievements exclusive to permadeath mode are missing from the PlayStation Network. Honestly, that is a bit of a relief for me because I might actually have a shot at the Platinum Trophy on my PS5 without having to put myself through that specific kind of torture. The modding scene has also been absolutely popping off. I have messed around with a few skin mods for Hornet, and seeing a full co-op mod hit the scene so quickly was wild. It really keeps the game fresh.

It is funny to think back to the release window. The hype was so real that other games were scrambling to move their release dates out of the way, and the player count for the original Hollow Knight spiked like crazy because everyone wanted a taste of that atmosphere before diving into the sequel. Silksong wasn't just a game; it was a cultural event. And now, months down the line, we are seeing the fruits of that obsession. Perfect runs, dedicated modders, and a community that shares every little secret.

Seeing the Bell Beast lose its marbles in that screenshot above reminds me exactly why I love this game. The fights are emotional, the world is grim, and the sense of accomplishment is unmatched. But even with all that love, you will not catch me trying to replicate this no-hit run. I will leave the perfection to the crazy talents. I am just happy to sit back, watch the two-hour masterpiece, and cheer from the sidelines. It is inspiring, sure, but it is also a humbling reminder that there is always a bigger fish in Pharloom.

If you have not seen the video yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It is a masterclass in patience. Just be prepared to feel a little bad about your own skills afterward. I know I did. But in the best way possible, because it shows just how deep this game really goes.

Watching runs like this always makes me want to dive back into the game myself. Whether you are a veteran looking to replay with the co-op mod or a newcomer finally ready to see what all the fuss is about, there is no wrong time to jump into Pharloom. For anyone inspired to experience the game for themselves, it is always worth keeping an eye out for the [best game deals]( if you want to pick up Silksong or the original Hollow Knight without burning a hole in your pocket.

And with the modding scene constantly adding new ways to play, having the game on hand means you will never run out of fresh challenges. A quick stop at DealNest might just save you a few bucks before you start your own journey—just maybe do not aim for a no-hit run right away.

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How to Trigger and Complete the Ecstasy of the End Quest in Silksong

Master Hollow Knight: Silksong's Ecstasy of the End quest by returning all fleas, then beat Flea Juggle, Dodge, and Bounce champions to win.

For players working through Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026, the Flea Caravan can seem like a modest errand at first. It asks Hornet to round up scattered fleas across Pharloom, but the activity sits much closer to the main path than its cheerful presentation suggests. Returning all the lost fleas to the Caravan is necessary to advance into Act 3, and tracking down every flea location also points toward an exclusive tool and one Pale Oil. The payoff, however, is not automatic. Hornet still has to win the Flea Festival by claiming the grand champion title in the Ecstasy of the End quest.

How to Trigger the Ecstasy of the End Quest

The quest becomes available only after the full flea hunt is completed. Once all fleas have been found, players should speak to the Fleamaster to receive the Egg of Flealia. This item is the key that opens the next step.

After obtaining the Egg of Flealia, Hornet should return to Bellhart's Wishwall. A new wish called the Ecstasy of the End will now be available there. Promise the wish, then travel back to Fleatopia in the Putrified Ducts area. Doing so begins the Festival of the Flea and unlocks the three required flea games.

The full trigger sequence can be summarized as follows:

• Find every lost flea in Pharloom.

• Speak to the Fleamaster and obtain the Egg of Flealia.

• Return to Bellhart's Wishwall.

• Locate and promise the Ecstasy of the End wish.

• Go to Fleatopia in the Putrified Ducts to start the Festival of the Flea.

Completing the Ecstasy of the End Quest

Finishing the quest requires Hornet to achieve the highest score in all three flea games: Flea Juggle, Flea Dodge, and Flea Bounce. Beat every champion and Hornet earns the grand champion title.

Flea Juggle

Flea Juggle asks Hornet to keep falling fleas from touching the ground by hitting them upward. The game ends if three fleas land, and stepping off the stage also causes an immediate failure. Upward hits are preferred, but a normal sideways hit can be useful when a flea drifts too far outside the stage to reach with an upward strike. The score to beat is held by Grishkin at 30 points.

Flea Dodge

Flea Dodge places Hornet on two wooden platforms while fleas fly in from any direction. At times, one of the two platforms will fall, leaving less space to stand. The champion Vog has a high score of 65 points, meaning players must dodge a significant number of fleas. A useful detail is that a flea flying over Hornet's head still awards points as long as it passes by, so close dodges are not always necessary.

Flea Bounce

Flea Bounce is the final aerial challenge. Hornet must stay in the air and bounce over fleas to earn points. Touching the ground will end the game, so players should use all available abilities to maintain an airborne position. Vog is also the champion of Flea Bounce, with a high score of 42 points.

A quick reference for the three high scores is shown below:

Flea Game
Champion
Score to Beat

Flea Juggle
Grishkin
30

Flea Dodge
Vog
65

Flea Bounce
Vog
42

After all three high scores are beaten, Hornet earns the grand champion title. Completing the Ecstasy of the End quest is essential for players who want to secure the Pale Oil and continue deeper into the story. Because the Flea Caravan is tied to Act 3 progression, it is worth handling the flea search early so the Wishwall and Festival of the Flea are ready when needed.

Mastering the Ecstasy of the End quest is a rewarding milestone, but it also highlights how much content Hollow Knight: Silksong packs into every corner of Pharloom. For players who have yet to begin Hornet's journey or are looking to gift the game to a friend, finding a good price on the title can make the adventure even more enjoyable. Keeping an eye on current promotions and discounts is a smart way to grab games at the right moment.

Whether you're chasing the grand champion title or simply exploring Fleatopia for the first time, picking up the game at a fair price is always worth the effort. That's why many players regularly check [DealNest game deals]( to stay updated on discounts for Hollow Knight: Silksong and other popular titles. With a little patience, you can secure the game at a bargain and dive into all the flea-filled challenges waiting in the Putrified Ducts.

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Pharloom Kept These Silksong Secrets From Me Until My Third Run

Hollow Knight: Silksong's hidden mechanics include taunting enemies, a haunted Bellhart bench cutscene, thieving ants, and musical pauses.

After Hornet’s needle finally cut through the last pale thread of Pharloom in early 2026, I was certain I had wrung every drop of silk from Hollow Knight: Silksong. I was not even close. The game had been hiding tiny mechanical threads beneath its already dense map, and I only found them through accident, rumour, and stubborn backtracking. Some secrets are as quiet as a bell’s last harmonic fading into moss.

I watched the player count spike after the long-awaited release, so I assumed the community would surface every mystery within a week. But Pharloom keeps its secrets needle-thin, slipping through your awareness unless you press your ear to the wall.

️ You Can Taunt Instead of Poking

The first hidden trick I learned saved me from countless cheap hits. By pressing down on the right stick, Hornet spends one spool of silk to taunt and draw nearby enemies toward her. It is like using a moth’s wingbeat to call predators rather than chasing them through brambles. Against climbing or flying enemies that hit as hard as Silksong’s nastiest bosses, this ability is a quiet lifesaver. I went an entire playthrough without realising it existed.

️ The Bellhart Bench Cutscene

Bellhart already feels like a town stitched together with bad dreams, so I treated its bench as a safe pocket of air. I was wrong. There is a small chance, when loading a save at the Bellhart bench, that Hornet gets sealed in the same haunting webs that plague the town. It is a blink-and-you-miss-it scene, easy to miss depending on how quickly you beat the Widow. The moment felt like a nightmare slipping between the stitches of an otherwise ordinary rest.

Ants Carry More Than Bodies

The ants in Hunter’s March are not just background dressing. I first noticed them dragging corpses away for food, which was unsettling enough. Then one of them stole a Rosary I had knocked loose and carried it off like a tiny hearse driver with no respect for my loot. They can also snatch placeable tools or useful shards you leave behind. It is comedic and infuriating in equal measure, and it taught me not to trust Pharloom’s smallest citizens.

Enemies Listen When Hornet Plays

The Needolin is more than a mirror of Hollow Knight’s Dream Nail. If you play it near hostile bugs, many of them pause their attacks and briefly sing with you. It is a strange, almost tender reminder that something human remains in their ruined minds. Revisiting empty boss arenas can also uncover hidden NPC interactions. Characters like Nuu and the Chapel maid have new dialogue after their nearby battles end, and I never would have heard it if I hadn’t wandered back out of nostalgia.

The Bells Are Singing a Funeral Hymn

Once I activated a few Rosary benches, I noticed a familiar tune beneath the chime. It turns out the bell motif is drawn from Dies Irae, a Latin hymn for the dead. Pharloom is already a vertical graveyard of infected pilgrims, so the choice fits like a shroud. It also means the game hides its meaning in audio as often as it hides rooms behind breakable walls.

Rumble Points the Way

I played much of Silksong on keyboard and missed vibration clues entirely. On a controller, the rumble grows stronger as you approach Bell Beast fast-travel stations. It is an invisible compass, helpful before the map fills in but easy to overlook if you play on PC without Big Picture mode. This is not a visual secret at all; it is a pulse in your palms.

🧭 The Starting Area Is an Inverted Mirror

I had played Hollow Knight several times, yet I still missed how deliberately opposite Silksong’s opening is. Hornet arrives in Moss Bottom against her will, while the Knight entered Hallownest by choice. Their journeys move in opposite directions: one descending into a kingdom’s depths, the other climbing toward the ancient beings at Pharloom’s peak. It is a quiet structural rhyme that recontextualises the entire climb.

Stardew Valley’s Creator Is Hiding in the Cast

One cameo broke my brain after the credits. Eric Barone, the developer of Stardew Valley, provided additional voices for Silksong. He has not confirmed which character he plays, but the theories have been running hot since release. It sounds like an odd pairing until you remember Barone had already contributed to Hollow Knight merchandise. Now every weirdly cheerful bug I meet sounds suspicious.

Steel Soul Without Finishing the Story

Steel Soul mode is still brutal, but you do not have to beat Silksong once to unlock it. A riff on the Konami code in the extras menu opens the permadeath mode immediately. I tried it after learning the trick, and Pharloom responded by killing me in the first hour. At least the secret is easy to find, even if survival is not.

Quick Field Notes

• Taunt: right stick, costs one silk spool, draws enemies.

• Bellhart bench: rare load-in cutscene with webs.

• Ants: steal corpses, Rosaries, tools, and shards.

• Needolin: can make enemies sing, not just NPCs.

• Boss arenas: revisit for Nuu and Chapel maid dialogue.

• Bells: Dies Irae funeral motif.

• Controller rumble: points to Bell Beast stations.

• Starting area: Hornet’s climb mirrors the Knight’s descent.

• Eric Barone: hidden voice cameo.

• Steel Soul: unlock early from the extras menu.

Pharloom is not just another map: it is a vertical instrument that keeps playing long after you think the song is over. I am on my third run now, and I have stopped assuming I have seen everything.

Every playthrough seems to surface another detail, and the community is still peeling back layers months later. That kind of longevity makes Silksong an easy recommendation, especially for players who enjoy chasing secrets long after the credits roll. But jumping into Pharloom on multiple platforms — or hunting down the physical edition and its extras — can get expensive, which is why smart shoppers keep an eye on price drops before committing.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong - Every Simple Key Location and Locked Door Guide

Find every Hollow Knight Silksong Simple Key location and door reward, from Bone Bottom's merchant key to the Sands of Karak key, with exact costs.

I still remember the first time I saw the Simple Key in Bone Bottom. Five hundred rosaries for a key felt like a scam. After dozens of hours in Hollow Knight: Silksong, I can tell you it is not. These keys unlock some of the most valuable rooms in Pharloom, from powerful tools to story moments you do not want to miss. There are four Simple Keys in the game. Each one is tied to a specific area, and each one opens a specific door. I will walk you through every location and every lock.

Quick Reference

️ Simple Key
Area
Cost / Requirement

#1
Bone Bottom
500 Rosaries from merchant

#2
Songclave
650 Rosaries after Wandering Merchant quest

#3
Sinner's Road
Defeat chain-wielding enemy, need Cling Grip

#4
Sands of Karak
Need Clawline, reach far east bench

Door
Area
Main Reward / Note

#1
Wormways
Sharpdart, Plasmium Phials

#2
Sinner's Road
Green Prince story

#3
Deep Docks
Flintslate, Act 3 path

#4
High Halls
Rosary Cannon, many Rosaries

Simple Key #1: Bone Bottom

The first Simple Key is sold by the merchant in Bone Bottom. It costs 500 rosaries. That price is brutal when you first arrive. I tried to grind early and quickly realized it was not worth it. My advice is to continue the adventure and return later. By the time you clear a few areas, 500 rosaries feels much more manageable. The key is always there waiting.

This key pairs perfectly with the Wormways door above Bone Bottom. I used my first key there and immediately got a good return.

Simple Key #2: Songclave

The second key is also sold by a merchant, but she is not available immediately. You need to complete the Wandering Merchant quest. Grab the quest from the Wishboard. Once Jubilana returns to Songclave, she will sell you the key for 650 rosaries.

This price is higher than the first key. Luckily, Songclave is next to the long Citadel corridor. I used that spot to farm rosaries quickly. After a short loop, I had enough cash without too much pain.

Simple Key #3: Sinner's Road

The third key is different. It is not bought. It is dropped by a large chain-wielding enemy in Sinner's Road. Before you try this, make sure you have the Cling Grip from Shellwood. Without it, you cannot reach the arena.

I climbed a massive shaft full of spikes. At the top, the enemy dropped from above. The fight was tough but fair. Take him out and he drops the key. This one felt earned.

Simple Key #4: Sands of Karak

The fourth and final Simple Key is in the Sands of Karak. You can only reach this area once you have the Clawline ability from the Underworks in Act 2. The area is harsh. I died several times to environmental hazards.

You need to platform across vine puzzles from the left side all the way to the right. It does not take too long to find the key. At the far east, there is a bench. Rest there and grab the key. It is a quiet reward after a stressful trip.

Door Location #1: Wormways

This is probably the first locked door you will find. It sits just below the Wormways entrance, above Bone Bottom. I headed west from Mosshome, crossed the gap, and went through the cave with the acid spitter. The door is right there.

Opening it reveals more of the Wormways area. You can find the Sharpdart and the Plasmium Phials inside. For me, this was the best early use of a Simple Key.

Door Location #2: Sinner's Road

While exploring Sinner's Road, I noticed the Green Prince sitting in a cell. He does not beg you to open the door. I opened it anyway. It is absolutely worth it.

Later, the Green Prince appears in the Citadel. You learn much more about his story there. This door is not about loot. It is about lore. I still think it is one of the most memorable unlocks in the game.

Door Location #3: Deep Docks

This door is familiar from the Deep Docks. But do not be fooled. This is not an early game area. The enemies will shred you without proper tools and preparation.

If you are prepared, the area offers great tools like the Flintslate. The area is necessary for Act 3 progression. However, you can also reach it through the Far Fields once you have the Clawline. So this Simple Key door ends up being a little redundant. I would not prioritize this key unless you want a shortcut or extra challenge.

Door Location #4: High Halls

The final locked door is easy to find in the High Halls area. It is just left of the bench and before the dreaded Forum fight. I remember the panic of that fight.

Inside the room, you can find a huge number of rosaries and the Rosary Cannon tool. This tool is fantastic. If you can grab it before the Forum fight, it can make a noticeable difference.

My Recommended Order

Not every Simple Key has the same value at every stage of the game. This is the order I would follow in 2026:

• Simple Key #1 from Bone Bottom — buy it after you have a comfortable rosary supply.

• Open the Wormways door for Sharpdart and Plasmium Phials.

• Complete the Wandering Merchant quest and buy Simple Key #2.

• Grab Simple Key #3 from Sinner's Road and free the Green Prince.

• Save Simple Key #4 for later, then decide between Deep Docks and High Halls.

Simple Keys may look like a money sink at first. But every single one opens something worthwhile. I learned the hard way that ignoring them only made backtracking more painful. If you are still exploring Pharloom, keep an eye out for these keys. They are small. They are expensive. They are worth it.

Finding the right path in Pharloom often comes down to knowing where to spend your limited resources. The same logic applies outside the game. Whether you are hunting for a new metroidvania to scratch that same itch or simply want to stock up on titles without breaking your budget, a little research goes a long way. After all, a well-spent rosary is no different from a well-spent dollar.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong Tops 92 On OpenCritic In Tight GOTY Race

Hollow Knight Silksong's 92 OpenCritic score tops the original and ties Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as 2025's best-reviewed game.

I’ve kept a close eye on Hollow Knight: Silksong’s post-launch reception, and after nearly two weeks of reviews filtering in, the picture is remarkably clear. Team Cherry’s long-awaited Metroidvania sequel currently sits at a 92 on OpenCritic across 45 critic reviews, including our own Josh Robertson’s 4/5. That score is two full points higher than the original Hollow Knight and ties it with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a game many considered the frontrunner for 2025’s Game of the Year before Silksong finally emerged.

That 92 is not just a number. It places Silksong at the top of an unusually crowded year while also outperforming one of the most beloved indie breakthroughs of the last decade. I’ve seen plenty of sequels struggle under expectation, but Silksong has managed to turn years of anticipation into critical validation.

What Critics Are Saying

Our own review captured the consensus well: “Its boss fights are exhilarating and challenging, its world is a gorgeous marvel to explore, its unpredictable art design is impeccable, and everything else about it looks and sounds stunning.” Robertson’s only real criticism was that Silksong’s punishing difficulty can sometimes feel “obnoxious,” which kept it just short of a perfect five.

That difficulty conversation has become one of the most debated points of the launch. VGC handed the game a 3/5 and argued that Silksong’s challenge sometimes becomes tiring rather than exciting, with spikes that hurt overall pacing. It is an interesting split: some reviewers see those same spikes as part of the game’s identity, while others think they go too far.

Outlet
Score
Key Takeaway

TheGamer
4/5
Exhilarating boss fights, gorgeous world, occasional obnoxious difficulty

VGC
3/5
Difficulty spikes feel tiring and disrupt pacing

Screen Rant
10/10
Masterful bosses and a high skill ceiling

Eurogamer
5/5
Mean-spirited at times, but charmingly so

Screen Rant gave Silksong a 10/10 and framed its controversial difficulty as a “high skill ceiling,” praising the boss encounters as masterful. Eurogamer was similarly unmoved by the difficulty complaints, awarding a 5/5 and describing the game as mean-spirited, but charmingly so. For me, that tension is exactly why the review spread feels so healthy: Silksong is demanding enough to produce radically different experiences depending on player temperament.

A Tight Race At The Top

The race for best-reviewed game of 2025 has shifted several times. Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction, and Blue Prince all led at various points earlier in the year. Now the top of the pile is messier. Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are tied at 92 on OpenCritic, which makes direct comparisons difficult because both games occupy very different design spaces.

There are also two titles with higher aggregate scores worth acknowledging. Shujinkou sits at 94, but that average comes from only seven reviews, making it statistically fragile compared with Silksong’s larger sample. Tears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 edition also holds a 94, though I hesitate to treat that as a brand-new 2025 release. It is a port or enhanced version of a game that already made its own historic mark elsewhere.

So as 2025’s award conversations move into their final phase, Silksong has done exactly what Team Cherry needed it to do. It did not merely match the original; it exceeded its critical standing, anchored itself at the center of the difficulty debate, and forced every other major contender to share the spotlight. Whether it ultimately takes Game of the Year honors depends on how voters weigh punishing challenge against flawless execution — but from where I sit, Silksong has earned its place among the very best of the year.

For players who have been waiting on the sidelines through the Silksong review discourse, the urge to finally dive into Hallownest is understandable. But with so many other major 2025 releases also competing for attention and budget, choosing where to commit your time and money is not always easy. PC players in particular have become savvy about waiting for the right moment to pick up a game, especially when a critical darling like Silksong is still hovering near full price after launch. Keeping an eye on [PC game discounts]( can make the decision much simpler, letting you grab several of this year's biggest contenders without blowing past your gaming budget.

That practical side of the hobby matters more as the calendar fills with heavy hitters. Even if Silksong or Clair Obscur ends up taking the top prize at year-end ceremonies, the conversation around 2025 will stay alive for months—and players will keep looking for ways to experience these games at a reasonable cost. Whether you are chasing the next high-skill boss fight or simply curating your backlog for the holidays, checking a reliable deals hub before you buy is a small move that can stretch your library much further, leaving you free to focus on what actually matters: the games themselves.

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