Silksong Guide: How to Reach Sands of Karak and Find Shakra's Map

Reach the Sands of Karak in Hollow Knight: Silksong with this route guide: get Clawline, beat Great Conchflies, meet Pinstress, and climb up.

Reaching the Sands of Karak in Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of those late-Act 2 milestones that feels equal parts triumph and test of patience. The area sits behind a demanding platforming route, a duo boss, and a few ability checks, so players who rush in without Clawline or a healthy supply of Rosaries will likely find themselves backtracking. The good news is that the path becomes much clearer once players understand the intended sequence: obtain Clawline in the eastern Underworks through Whiteward, travel to the Bellway Station in Blasted Steps, float down near the left wall, defeat the Great Conchflies, meet the Pinstress, and then use Needle Strike and Clawline to climb into the Sands of Karak. As of 2026, this route remains one of the most memorable and mechanically demanding stretches in Silksong's second act.

Quick Route at a Glance

Step
Action
Important Detail

1
Acquire Clawline
Found in eastern Underworks, accessed through Whiteward

2
Reach Blasted Steps Bellway Station
Head right, then down

3
Descend carefully
Float throughout the fall and stay near the left wall

4
Enter first left passage
Leads to the Great Conchflies duo boss

5
Defeat Great Conchflies
Dodge both bosses and attack when they pop up

6
Head left after arena
Glide right to the Pinstress hut

7
Talk to Pinstress
Grants Needle Strike

8
Head left for grapple point
Harpoon and use Clawline to climb

9
Take top-left passage
Continue upward while avoiding wall bugs

10
Arrive in Sands of Karak
Hit yellow balls, use corals, find Shakra

Prerequisites and Preparation

The first hard requirement is the Clawline ability. It is located inside the eastern part of the Underworks, which players can access through Whiteward. Without Clawline, the later harpoon points and vertical traversal in this route simply cannot be completed. Players should also prepare for a boss fight, because the path to the Sands of Karak passes directly through the Great Conchflies arena.

Rosaries are another consideration. Shakra sells the Sands of Karak map for 90 Rosaries, and players who arrive with an empty purse may feel stuck. Fortunately, the area is not a dead end. There are quite a few shortcuts that lead to different locations, as well as a Bellway Station. Players can use the Bellway Station to travel to an area where farming is easier, collect a substantial purse, and then return to buy the map. That makes the journey less punishing than it first appears, especially for explorers who like to bank resources before committing to a long platforming run.

The Route to the Sands of Karak

Once Clawline is in hand, players should make their way to the Bellway Station in Blasted Steps. From there, the route begins by heading right and then down. The fall is long, and control matters more than speed. Players should float throughout the fall and stay near the left wall. The first passage they come across on the left will lead them to an area where they will face the Great Conchflies.

This is a duo boss fight, so awareness is everything. Players need to watch where both bosses are coming from and dodge them while finding windows to attack whenever they pop up. Greedy hits are dangerous here; the fight rewards patience, positioning, and clean dodges more than raw aggression. After the Great Conchflies are defeated, players should head left of the boss arena.

The next section is a small but satisfying traversal challenge. Players can basically glide all the way to the right and reach the hut where the Pinstress resides. Talking to the Pinstress grants the Needle Strike ability. From there, players should head left to find a grapple point they can harpoon at. By repeatedly using Clawline to make their way up, they will eventually need to go through the passage on the top left.

The climb continues upward, and this is where the wall bugs become a serious threat. They deal two mask damage, so trading hits is a bad idea. Players should keep their movement deliberate and avoid panicking when the platforming tightens. As they progress further, they will finally reach the Sands of Karak.

Inside the Sands of Karak

The Sands of Karak introduce a new layer of platforming built around yellow balls and coral. Players should hit the yellow ball in the area, which causes platforms to appear in front of them, as well as corals that they can down slash to make their way forward. After the second yellow ball, the platforms begin forming to the right and to the top left corner as well. The top left corner leads to a Memory Locket that players can pick up to increase the slots on their Crest. That reward alone makes the detour worthwhile, especially for players who want more flexibility in their build.

After grabbing the Memory Locket, players should head right. They will need to jump, float, and then harpoon to the wall, where they will find the yellow ball on top. Hitting the ball and going down causes platforms to form on the left. Players should then harpoon across the spikes and head up, then through the right passage. Here they will spot a new enemy. Towards the left, above them, is a room where Shakra is sitting at the end. Talking to Shakra allows players to buy the map for 90 Rosaries.

Tips for a Smoother Run

• 🧗 Use Clawline patiently. The route is built around it, and rushing often leads to unnecessary falls.

• ️ Respect two-mask damage. The wall bugs in the climb are not worth trading hits with.

• 🪙 Farm Rosaries before the final stretch if the purse is light. The Bellway Station makes this practical.

• ️ Buy the map from Shakra for 90 Rosaries. It makes later exploration in the Sands of Karak far less confusing.

• Grab the Memory Locket. Extra Crest slots are a long-term benefit.

• ️ Learn Needle Strike. The Pinstress grants it before the hardest climbing begins.

Final Thoughts

The Sands of Karak is not just another map room in Silksong. It is a test of the movement vocabulary that Act 2 keeps expanding: Clawline, floating, harpooning, down slashing, and boss dodging all come together in one route. Players who prepare properly, defeat the Great Conchflies, speak with the Pinstress, and keep an eye out for Shakra will walk away with a new map, a Memory Locket, and a stronger understanding of Silksong's vertical design. For completionists and explorers alike, it is a journey worth taking.

Once you've conquered the Sands of Karak and are ready to dive deeper into Pharloom, you might find yourself looking for the best deals on the game, its DLC, or even a controller that can handle the precise platforming. DealNest gathers offers from across the web so you can [compare prices here]( and ensure your next gaming purchase doesn't break the bank.

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How I Became a Homeowner in Hollow Knight: Silksong (And You Can Too)

Pharloom Bellhome offers bug warriors a cozy, customizable sanctuary; unlock your dream abode with quests and Rosaries in Bellhart.

Listen, I've spent countless hours in Pharloom, dodging spiked balls and getting my silk handed to me by giant bugs. But nothing—and I mean nothing—prepared me for the sheer domestic bliss of owning a Bellhome. It's like finding a warm cup of tea in a hurricane of hostility. So here's my tale of how I became the proud owner of a cozy bell-shaped abode, and how you can too without losing your mind or your Rosaries.

Unlocking the Bellhome: A Homeowner's Odyssey

First things first: you can't just waltz into Bellhart and claim a home. You've got to earn it. Think of it as the world's most dangerous homeowners association. To even start, you need to defeat Widow and complete the Threadspun Town task. That opens up Bellhart, and from there, you'll want to keep exploring Pharloom and returning to the Wish board like a moth to a very quest-heavy flame.

There are three quests you should complete:

• Restoration of Bellhart (required)

• My Missing Courier (recommended)

• My Missing Brother (recommended)

Donating 250 Rosaries kicks off the town's reconstruction. While that's happening, finish those two courier quests—they unlock a courier service that will become your best friend for the Rosary grind ahead. As you build up the town and save its patrons, talk to Pavo. Always make sure he has nothing new to say. Eventually, once you've found more benches and explored more map areas, the construction finishes. If you've been diligent with the Wishes, your next chat with Pavo rewards you with the Bellhome Key.

Your Bellhome is on the third level of the town, above the Pinmaster and Relic Seeker. Use the key, step inside, and bask in the glow of the Resident trophy/achievement. For now, it's just a bed. But oh, the decorating possibilities!

Decorating Your Bellhome: Because Even Bug Warriors Need Throw Pillows

Once you have the key, head to Frey at the Bellhart general goods store. She sells all the decorations, except the Spa, which requires you to buy two other upgrades first. These items are expensive and serve little practical purpose beyond making your home look fabulous. Here's the full list:

Upgrade
Price
What Is It?

Desk
380 Rosaries
Allows you to read Relics you've turned in to the Relic Seeker.

Gleamlights
320 Rosaries
Lights up the home's interior.

Bell Lacquer
520 Rosaries
Paint the outside of the bellhome: Red, Silver, Black, Yellow, or Blue.

Personal Spa
1,100 Rosaries
Adds a second floor with a hot spring that regenerates Silk and Masks.

Most decorations appear immediately after purchase, but the Bell Lacquer takes time to apply—you can watch the paint dry while you adventure, which is oddly satisfying.

Gathering Rosaries Fast: The 45-Minute Money Method

Altogether, all upgrades cost a staggering 2,320 Rosaries. That's like trying to teach a Grub to tap dance—daunting but not impossible. The key is the courier service. With Tipp & Pibb's Courier Service unlocked, you can make deliveries that pay very well.

My go-to is the Pilgrim's Rest run, netting about 239 Rosaries every four minutes. You'll need the Silkshot tool (or similar) and the Pollip Pouch. If Pilgrim's Rest isn't available, Bone Bottom is the next best choice, giving 128 Rosaries if you defeat the fishermen on the way. But Pilgrim's Rest is the safest and most lucrative.

Here's my step-by-step route:

• Go through Greymoor, taking out the scissor bug in the first room.

• Dash right until you reach the room with another scissor bug patrolling above. Destroy him from below if you can.

• In the room with the trident bug, use your trap to defeat it quickly. Kill the other bug beyond it before climbing up.

• Use your trap in the pilgrims room to take out the first three and last two bugs. You can kill the bellbearer between the pilgrim sets from below.

• Dash to Far Fields and fall down on the right side for the first two wind sections.

• Switch to the left side and fall gently onto the left side next to the shortcut.

• Run to Pilgrim's Rest to drop off the package.

• Fall down toward the Bellway Station, but stop by the target practice room to kill both bugs.

• Take the Bellway back to Bellhart to repeat as necessary.

With this method, you can afford every upgrade in under 45 minutes. No Rosary Strings, no risk of losing your hard-earned geo—just pure, efficient capitalism. Before you know it, your Bellhome will be the envy of every bug in Pharloom. And honestly? After all those boss fights, you deserve a spa day.

If there's one thing a long courier grind teaches you, it's the value of patience and a route you can repeat without thinking—and that instinct has a habit of following you out of Pharloom. Holding off on a purchase until the price finally drops is the real-world version of the same discipline, and it pays off just as reliably.

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Silksong Guide: How to Reach Weavenest Atla and Find Its Map

Silksong's Weavenest Atla guide reveals how to unlock the hidden area using Needolin Skill and wall jump in Moss Grotto.

How to Reach Weavenest Atla in Silksong

Weavenest Atla is a hidden area in Hollow Knight: Silksong that many players see within the first hour of play, yet cannot enter until the end of Act 1. Its entrance is a large weaver-shaped door in Moss Grotto, visible from the early game but sealed by a missing ability. This guide explains the prerequisites, the exact route, and the location of the area map, along with the major rewards waiting inside. As of 2026, the process remains tied to story progression, the Needolin Skill, and a few precise movements through Bellhart, Shellwood, and Bone Bottom.

Prerequisites for Weavenest Atla ️

Before the door opens, players must advance the main story until they reach Bellhart. At that point, a new objective appears: The Threadspun Town. This objective sends the player into Shellwood to acquire the wall jump ability. After gaining wall jump, they must continue right and defeat the Widow. The reward for defeating the Widow is the Needolin Skill, which is the key to opening Weavenest Atla. Without Needolin, the weaver-shaped door remains inert, no matter how many times the player interacts with it.

Requirement
Location
Purpose

Story progress to Bellhart
Bellhart
Unlocks The Threadspun Town objective

Wall jump ability
Shellwood
Allows vertical traversal and route access

Defeat the Widow
Shellwood, right side
Grants the Needolin Skill

Needolin Skill
Reward from Widow
Opens the weaver-shaped door

Bellway fast travel
Any Bellway Station
Speeds up return to Bone Bottom

Step-by-Step Route to Weavenest Atla 🧭

• Progress the main story until Bellhart is reached and The Threadspun Town objective appears.

• Travel into Shellwood and obtain the wall jump ability.

• Head right through Shellwood and defeat the Widow to earn the Needolin Skill.

• Go to the nearest Bellway Station and fast travel to Bone Bottom.

• From Bone Bottom, head left and down into Moss Grotto.

• Inside Moss Grotto, move right until a large weaver-shaped door comes into view.

• Stand next to the door and press Triangle or Y on a controller, or D on a keyboard.

• Pass through the door to arrive in Weavenest Atla.

The door itself is impossible to miss for observant players. It has a distinctive weaver motif and sits in a part of Moss Grotto that many people explore early. The trick is not finding the door but returning with the correct skill. Once Needolin is active, the interaction prompt appears and the path opens.

Finding the Weavenest Atla Map

The map for Weavenest Atla is close to the entrance, but it is easy to overlook. After entering the area, the player should keep going straight and then head right. They will find two glowing cylinders. Striking these cylinders activates a mechanism in the room behind them. That mechanism jets the player down to the bottom of the area. However, before taking that downward route, the player should interact with the rune tablet nearby. This rune tablet reveals the map for Weavenest Atla.

Mapping the area early is useful because Weavenest Atla contains several optional collectibles and a boss encounter. The layout is smaller than many other regions in Silksong, but its compact design hides multiple points of interest. A Spool Fragment, a Mask Shard, a boss in one corner, and an NPC who upgrades the Hunter's Crest are all located within this secluded nest.

What to Collect in Weavenest Atla ️

Weavenest Atla may be small, but it is dense with rewards. The most important find is the NPC who upgrades the Hunter's Crest. This upgrade can change the player's combat approach and make certain fights more manageable. The area also holds a Spool Fragment, which contributes to Silk-related upgrades, and a Mask Shard, which increases survivability. A boss waits in one corner for players who want an extra challenge. Because the area is optional in terms of exploration, it is possible to miss these rewards entirely if the player rushes through.

Item or Encounter
Type
Why It Matters

Hunter's Crest upgrade
NPC service
Alters combat style and crest performance

Spool Fragment
Collectible
Progress toward Silk capacity upgrades

Mask Shard
Collectible
Progress toward additional health

Boss encounter
Optional fight
Challenge and possible rewards

Rune tablet
Map unlock
Reveals the Weavenest Atla map

Tips for a Smooth Visit

Players should make sure they have rested at a bench and are prepared for combat before entering. Although the route to Weavenest Atla is not long, the boss in the corner can punish an unprepared traveler. It is also wise to activate the map before dropping down via the cylinder mechanism, because the lower section can be disorienting on a first visit. If the interaction prompt at the weaver-shaped door does not appear, the player has not yet obtained Needolin. In that case, they should return to the Threadspun Town objective and confirm that the Widow has been defeated.

Conclusion 🧵

Weavenest Atla is a memorable example of Silksong's layered exploration. The entrance is visible early, but the area stays locked until the player follows the main story to Bellhart, explores Shellwood, defeats the Widow, and earns the Needolin Skill. From Bone Bottom, the journey through Moss Grotto is short, and the weaver-shaped door opens with a simple button press. Inside, the map is found by hitting two glowing cylinders and using the nearby rune tablet. With the map in hand, players can safely pursue the Spool Fragment, Mask Shard, optional boss, and the NPC who upgrades the Hunter's Crest. For anyone aiming to complete Silksong's secrets in 2026, Weavenest Atla is an essential detour that rewards patience and preparation.

After wrapping up everything Weavenest Atla hides, you might find yourself wanting to track down other deals in the metroidvania genre or even gift a copy of Silksong to a friend. That's where a site like DealNest comes in—it gathers offers in one place so you can quickly [check game prices]( across different platforms. It's a handy tool for any hunter who prefers spending time exploring rather than comparison shopping.

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Silksong Gave Me the Itch: 8 3D Games I’m Playing in 2026

Hollow Knight: Silksong fans seeking Metroidvania and Soulslike adventures will love these unique, action-packed game recommendations.

Hello, my name is a person who has spent an unreasonable amount of time staring at a bug with a needle. It is 2026, and Hollow Knight: Silksong is no longer the shiny new obsession — it is the comfortable old obsession I refuse to put down. Team Cherry's sequel tore through review charts, message boards, and sales charts when it arrived, and for a glorious stretch of September, it felt like every player on Earth was collectively lost in Pharloom. But zeitgeists end. So what is a bug-loving, parry-hungry, map-obsessed player supposed to do when the credits roll and the community slowly logs off?

I could replay Silksong. I have. Twice. But I also want polygons. Is that so wrong? I love 2D Metroidvanias, but sometimes I want to see a weird creature's antennae in glorious 3D. So I went looking for games that scratch the same itch: Soulslike punishment, Metroidvania exploration, action-adventure wonder, and, ideally, a protagonist that is not a standard human with a sword. Here are the ones I recommend in 2026, whether you are mourning Silksong or just need a new labyrinth to get lost in.

Metroid Prime: The Original Bug Hunt

Metroid Prime is one of the best Metroid games of all time, and the Switch remaster made it easier than ever to revisit. The Metroid series is a classic Metroidvania franchise — the genre name did not come from nowhere — and Hollow Knight owes it a huge debt. Like most Metroid entries, Samus is given a vague objective, and she accomplishes it without much complaint. Players travel through sprawling dungeons, unlock powers, fight insect monsters, and generally feel tiny on an unsettling alien planet. If you love Hornet's acrobatics, Samus's morph ball and scan visor will feel like a family reunion.

Another Crab's Treasure: Shells, Souls, and Sea Sickness

Another Crab's Treasure is a Soulslike with a cute edge. It takes place underwater and stars a crustacean. A hermit crab named Kril loses its shell and tries to get it back, but unfortunately, most of the seabed has gone wild with some sort of violent disease. You fight enemies, earn points toward a skill tree, unlock new ways to get around, and — most importantly — find new shells. From pop cans to old tennis balls, Kril can equip them all to gain new benefits while exploring a crumbling undersea kingdom. It is adorable, brutal, and exactly the kind of weird animal protagonist Silksong fans appreciate.

Tunic: A Cute Puzzle Box With Teeth

Tunic is a perfect little top-down adventure for fans who miss older Zelda games and want to get lost in a strange new world. Not just the in-game world, either — the meta-narrative will suck you in. You will have to decipher hidden meanings within the lore to progress past certain parts and unlock new content. It is a big-brain type of experience. Even though it seems like a cute Zelda homage on the surface, there is a lot more to it, and giving specifics would spoil things. Let us just say Hollow Knight: Silksong fans will like the map layout.

Bloodborne: The Gothic Nightmare Sibling

The Hollow Knight franchise undoubtedly pays homage to the Soulslike genre and FromSoftware, who helped create the genre's identity. Among their many games, Silksong players will probably like Bloodborne the most. Bloodborne's gothic city is interconnected through gates and waterways, and depending on the choices made, the world can change, revealing new terrors and hidden pathways. Plus, there is a pivotal moment that is not unlike what happens to Hornet in Silksong regarding The Slab. Saying anything more about either would be a spoiler, but let us just say Bloodborne is a challenging action RPG wrapped in a haunting horror shell.

Cocoon: A Bug, a Ball, and a Big Brain

Cocoon is a top-down puzzle game without much context to its story. Players control a bug-like creature that is attuned to a strange ball. You use that ball to solve physics-based and multidimensional puzzles as you move through a labyrinthine dungeon. While there is not much in the way of combat — although there are boss battles — Silksong fans will appreciate the atmosphere and the bug protagonist. It is different, but it invokes the same vibes of exploring a foreign land without much help.

Hell is Us: No Map, No Mercy, No Markers

Hell is Us was released alongside Hollow Knight: Silksong, and it unfortunately is not getting as much attention, even though the two share a lot in common. Unlike most games out there, Hell is Us does not use quest markers or contain a visually accurate map. Players instead have to navigate this post-apocalyptic world by reading notes and paying attention to context clues, like what playing old-school adventure games was like. It is like the original The Legend of Zelda on the NES with some light Soulslike and Metroidvania elements, and it is perfect for players who wish to get lost in a strange world.

Crypt Custodian: Janitor Cat in the Afterlife

Crypt Custodian takes place in the afterlife, wherein an ordinary house cat becomes a more anthropomorphic creature. After causing some damage to some godly structures, players are then punished and forced to become a janitor. However, that is not where this Zelda-like adventure ends. In this game, brooms are as strong as swords, and players will learn to wield them well. While not fully 3D, the animations help the art pop out more, and overall, it is a game that Hollow Knight: Silksong fans will enjoy.

The Plucky Squire: Out of the Book, Into the Desk

The Plucky Squire is the best of both worlds, with stellar hand-drawn animations and stunning 3D visuals. The narrative is about a character from a book who soon gains the power to leave his story. As the titular hero, players will have to climb around a child's desk and interact with the real world to progress back into the storybook world. It is another example of an action-adventure game, but one with an interesting puzzle structure. It also often tips the genre on its head with oddball gameplay surprises, from a boxing game to a turn-based RPG.

Quick Comparison Table

Game
Why Silksong Fans Will Like It
Creature Factor

Metroid Prime
Alien dungeons, insect monsters, power unlocks
Samus and bugs

Another Crab's Treasure
Soulslike combat, shell swapping, underwater decay
Hermit crab

Tunic
Zelda-like exploration, meta puzzles, map secrets
Small hero

Bloodborne
Gothic interconnected world, brutal action, hidden paths
Beastly horrors

Cocoon
Bug protagonist, physics puzzles, eerie atmosphere
Bug-like creature

Hell is Us
No quest markers, note reading, lost-world exploration
Post-apocalyptic weirdness

Crypt Custodian
Broom combat, afterlife cleaning, Zelda-like adventure
Cat turned janitor

The Plucky Squire
Hand-drawn 2D and 3D, genre-bending surprises
Storybook hero

Final Thoughts: The Itch Never Really Dies

So, what do you do when the Silksong zeitgeist fades? You find another strange world, another impossible boss, another map that makes you mutter, 'wait, where am I?' The games above are not all identical to Silksong — some are 3D, some are top-down, some are puzzle boxes — but they share the same DNA: exploration, challenge, atmosphere, and a love of the weird. In 2026, the backlog is endless, and the community is still here. So pick a shell, sharpen a needle, or grab a broom. The next obsession is only a few deaths away.

Of course, part of the fun of chasing down these hidden gems is the hunt itself — tracking down a copy, waiting for the right moment, and making sure you're not overpaying for a game you might have skipped two years ago. Between sprawling backlogs and constant sales across Steam, console storefronts, and key resellers, it's easy to lose track of what a title is actually worth right now.

That's where a little bit of comparison shopping saves both time and money. Sites like [game price comparison]( let you check current listings across multiple stores in one place, so you can grab that next obsession without paying full price — leaving more room in the budget for the one after it.

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How To Buy A Home In Hollow Knight: Silksong (And Why It Costs So Many Rosaries)

Hollow Knight Silksong house guide: Hornet buys Bellhart's home for 650 Rosaries, then installs Materium and Farsight.

Pharloom is not a home. It is a hostile, bug-infested obstacle course with benches that look like they were assembled by a blind carpenter. In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet is a traveller, a wandering knight, a creature of perpetual motion. Rest is a bench. Safety is a rumour. And yet, after defeating the Widow, an empty house in Bellhart sits there like a tiny, roofless promise. As of 2026, this fixer-upper remains one of the game's strangest and most endearing side projects: a chance for a homeless warrior to become a homeowner, assuming the rosaries are available and the local landlord is in a good mood.

The Key To The House

Real estate in Pharloom is not cheap. Just like in real life, houses do not come with a complimentary jar of honey. The main requirement is completing every single quest on Bellhart's Wishboard, including the two restoration quests on offer. Those quests are:

Quest
Cost

Restoration of Bellhart
250 Rosaries

Bellhart's Glory
400 Rosaries

That is 650 rosaries before the player even thinks about curtains. The smarter approach is to wait until the knight has at least reached the Citadel. The Citadel opens up excellent rosary farming spots, and it also contains a special item found only in the Memorium area. Once every Bellhart quest is complete and all the rosaries have been donated, the player should speak to Pavo. He will recognise the effort and reward the knight with the key. If Pavo refuses to hand it over, leaving the area and coming back usually fixes his sudden case of forgetfulness.

Achievement Gallery

The house is not just a place to store extra shells and regrets. It also becomes a small gallery for two interesting installations, both of which offer more insight into the game itself.

Materium

The Materium is relatively easy to find, tucked away near the top of Memorium in the Citadel. Exploring that area requires the Faydown Cloak, so players should not expect to grab it on a casual stroll. When installed in the house, the Materium displays the following objects that the knight has found and used throughout the adventure:

• Quest Objects

• Relics

• Psalm Cylinders

• Mementos

Realistically, the Materium does not do anything mechanical. It is a museum of memories, a way to look back on every strange trinket and forgotten favour that shaped the journey. In a game about constant violence, that is almost disgustingly wholesome.

Farsight

The Farsight is an object that can be picked up in the Abyss at the beginning of Act 3. The image above shows the exact location. Once installed, it reveals many things related to total completion of the game. For example, looking at the save file just above the time played will show a completion percentage. It also displays missing slots in the tool display, so the player knows how many more tools still need to be found. Again, the Farsight is not particularly useful in combat, but it is a nice quality-of-life feature for completionists who enjoy staring at numbers and feeling judged by them.

Home Refurbishments ️

After obtaining the key, the shop in Bellhart will stock a bunch of items that can be used to improve the humble dwelling. Are these things really worth buying? Probably not. Many players learn that the hard way, usually after spending a small fortune on decorative nonsense while their actual combat tools remain tragically underpowered. But if the knight is swimming in rosaries and has nothing else to buy, there is no harm in splashing some cash.

The house does not make Pharloom less dangerous. It does not make the bosses fairer. It does not stop the benches from being placed at the exact opposite end of a difficult platforming section. What it does provide is a rare moment of belonging. In 2026, long after the initial chaos of release, that tiny Bellhart home still stands as a reminder that even a wandering knight deserves somewhere to hang her needle. And if the decorations are overpriced? Well, that is just Pharloom's version of a homeowner's association.

Spending rosaries around Bellhart is one kind of shopping, but the real-world version — tracking down games without paying full price — is a different beast entirely. Whether it is Silksong itself or another metroidvania waiting to fill the gap between boss attempts, launch prices rarely stay that way for long, and knowing where the discounts actually surface saves both money and the small indignity of buying something the week before it goes on sale.

That is where a resource like [DealNest game deals]( earns its keep: a quick scan of current offers before committing, so chasing the next adventure costs a little less than a fully upgraded needle. Pharloom's shopkeepers may never mark anything down, but the storefronts outside it occasionally do.

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How to Snag the Architect Key in Silksong (and Not Die Trying)

Get the Silksong Architect Crest: find the Architect Key, White Key, and Clawline in Act 2, then solve the lever puzzle in the Chapel.

So, you've made it to Act 2 of Silksong, and you've heard whispers about a fancy new Crest that lets you craft tools mid-combat like some kind of silk-powered MacGyver. That's the Architect Crest, and to get it, you first need the Architect Key. I spent an embarrassing amount of time wandering the Underworks, getting dunked in lava, and arguing with a lever, so you don't have to. Here's my step-by-step guide, peppered with my own tears and occasional triumph.

Step 1: Get the White Key (Because Everything Needs a Key)

After you leave the Underworks and reach the Coral Chambers in Act 2, your first order of business is finding the White Key. This shiny little rectangle unlocks the elevator that takes you down into Whiteward and eventually to the eastern section of the Underworks. Where is it? Top right of the Citadel, inside the Songclave. I know, I know—the Citadel is huge. Just hug the right wall and pray. Once you grab it, haul yourself back and make your way to the Underworks. You'll eventually hit a bench where you can hear some NPC yapping away. That's your target, but you can't reach him yet. Of course you can't. Why would anything be simple?

Step 2: Detour for the Clawline Ability (Because You're Not Spider-Man Yet)

Frustrated? Good. Now go left from the bench, then down to the bottom where the lava is. Yes, actual lava. Head right and prepare for a platforming section that made me question my reflexes, my controller, and my life choices. This hellish gauntlet leads to the central part of Eastern Underworks, where you'll find the Clawline ability. Grab it, and suddenly you can grapple like a silken Indiana Jones.

Step 3: Return to the Bench and Harpoon Your Way to the NPC

With Clawline in hand, head back up to the bench. Jump up and look for a grapple point. Harpoon it and swing your way into the NPC's room. Inside, you'll meet the Twelfth Architect—a charming fellow who sells various Tools and, more importantly, the Architect Key for 110 Rosaries. Yes, 110. I hope you've been hoarding your Rosaries like a dragon. If not, go farm some enemies and come back. He'll wait. He's very patient.

Step 4: The Lever Puzzle (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hit Everything)

With the key in your pocket, head right of the NPC. There's a lever—hit it. A door opens. Go up and turn left to find a second lever. Hit that too. Now you're in an area above the Twelfth Architect. Jump and dash to the left side, and hit the third lever. Congratulations, you've activated a passage that leads to a locked gate bearing the Architect's symbol. Use your key, and step into the Chapel of the Architect. Unlike other chapels that throw bosses or enemy waves at you, this one is blissfully empty. No enemies. Just you, your key, and a shiny new Crest. Walk over and claim the Architect Crest using your Bind.

What Does the Architect Crest Actually Do?

The Architect Crest has a unique slot layout: 3 Red, 2 Blue, 2 Yellow, and 0 White. Here's a quick table for you visual learners:

Slot Color
Number

Red
3

Blue
2

Yellow
2

White
0

Press up + Circle/B on your controller to spend Silk and craft new tools on the fly. It's like having a tiny workshop in your pocket. The normal and charged attacks are also different—they look like screws that can shred foes. I'm not kidding. Hornet literally attacks with spinning screws. It's absurd and I love it.

Final Tips (From Someone Who Suffered)

• ️ Don't forget the White Key. You'll feel silly.

• The lava platforming section is brutal. Take breaks. Hydrate.

• Save up 110 Rosaries before visiting the Twelfth Architect. He doesn't haggle.

• The Architect Crest is fantastic for tool-focused builds. Experiment!

• The levers are not hidden, but they are easy to miss if you're panicking. Breathe.

And that's it! Now go forth and craft tools mid-air like the chaotic silk warrior you were meant to be. If you see me in the Underworks, still stuck on that lava jump, please don't laugh. Too loudly.

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Silksong: How Long to Beat It Without Crying (Too Much)

Hollow Knight: Silksong game length varies—main story takes 20-25 hours, while completionists may spend up to 50 hours exploring.

I've been playing Hollow Knight: Silksong since it dropped, and let me tell you, this game is a time vortex. One minute you're casually exploring a mossy cave, the next you've lost an entire weekend to a boss that looks like an angry pillow. But how long does it actually take to beat? Well, that depends on whether you're a "just here for the story" type or a "I must find every single secret or I will perish" type. Let me break it down for you, based on my own painful, beautiful experience.

First, let's get one thing straight: Silksong is a Metroidvania, which means the game's length is as flexible as a gymnast made of rubber. You can sprint through the main story in about 20 to 25 hours, assuming you don't get stuck on a boss for three hours like I did with that one in the late game. (Seriously, that boss had more phases than a moody teenager.) But if you want to explore a bit more freely, expect 27 to 30 hours. And if you're a completionist? Buckle up, buttercup, because you're looking at 45 to 50 hours.

The Main Story: A Sprint Through the Pain

If you're like me and you want to see the credits without selling your soul to every optional side quest, you can beat the main path in about 20 to 25 hours. That's just Acts 1 and 2, by the way. The catch? Focusing on the main path makes the game harder because you're skipping power-ups and tools that would make your life easier. It's like trying to assemble IKEA furniture with a spork—you might get there, but you'll be sweating and questioning your choices.

And here's the thing: your mileage may vary wildly. If you're a platforming god, maybe you'll breeze through. If you're like me and you spend 45 minutes trying to nail a single jump, add a few hours. Boss fights are the real time sinks. Some you'll one-shot, others will make you question your entire gaming career.

The Completionist Run: Where Time Goes to Die

Now, if you're a completionist, Silksong is a buffet of content. We're talking 45 to 50 hours, and that's if you're efficient. If you're like me and you get distracted by every shiny object, add another 10 hours. The checklist for a full completion is intense:

• Unlock the map of every biome (all 28 of them, because why not?)

• Acquire all Silk Skills, Tools, and Ancestral Arts

• Find every hidden area and claim all important items like Spool Fragments and Mask Shards

• Finish all wishes, which unlocks a secret third act with The Abyss biome

• Find and complete every achievement, including the hidden ones

That last one is a doozy. It's like trying to collect every grain of sand on a beach—noble, but slightly insane.

The Biomes You Can't Avoid (Unless You're a Wizard)

If you're sticking to the main story, you'll still visit a bunch of biomes. Here's the exact order, in case you want to plan your suffering:

• Moss Grotto

• The Marrow

• Deep Docks

• Far Fields

• Greymoor

• Bellhart and Shellwood

• Blasted Steps

• Grand Gate (only for a moment)

• Underworks

• Choral Chambers

• Cogwork Core, Whispering Vaults, High Halls

• The Cradle

That's 12 areas, but the game has 28 biomes total. So you're skipping a lot. It's like reading a choose-your-own-adventure book but always picking the same page—you'll still get a story, but you're missing the wild twists.

So, How Long Should You Take?

Honestly, it depends on what you want. If you just want to experience the story, 20-25 hours is fine. If you want to explore without going full completionist, 27-30 hours. If you're a glutton for punishment and want every achievement, 45-50 hours. And if you're like me, you'll probably fall somewhere in between, spending way too long trying to find that one hidden room because you're convinced there's a secret there. (There wasn't.)

In the end, Silksong respects your time if you respect its challenges. Just don't expect to speedrun it on your first try. That's like trying to teach a goldfish to juggle—technically impressive, but ultimately futile.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a third act to unlock and a therapist to schedule. Happy gaming!

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Silksong's Secret Nerfs Are Proof Team Cherry Has a Heart

Hollow Knight: Silksong's brutal difficulty hides secret nerfs: cogs and fans now deal one mask damage instead of two after launch complaints.

After seven years of waiting, I finally sat down with Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026, and my hands were sweating before the title screen even finished glowing. Seven years! I have changed jobs twice, my houseplants have died and been replaced, and yet Hornet still fights like she just learned I insulted her mother. I love it. I also kind of hate it, because Silksong launched with a difficulty curve shaped like a brick wall covered in saw blades.

My first ten hours were less a heroic adventure and more a series of polite funerals for my own confidence. Compared to the original Hollow Knight, Silksong shipped with way more enemies and environmental hazards that deal double damage. That means one stupid mistake stops being a lesson and starts being a full health bar disappearing into the ether. Unsurprisingly, unhappy players flooded the internet. The launch complaints got so loud that Silksong racked up more than double the negative reviews Hollow Knight ever received. That is an achievement, just not the kind Team Cherry wanted.

When Team Cherry announced its first patch, I read the notes like they were a love letter. The official list promised a slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter, plus a reduction in damage from Sandcarvers. They also mentioned various additional fixes and tweaks, which I assumed was polite developer language for changing the font on a menu.

Turns out, the patch notes were hiding secrets. A sharp-eyed player on Reddit named TomNook5085 noticed that some hazards got quieter nerfs than the official notes suggested. After reading that, my buddy Luke and I did our own follow-up testing, because clearly neither of us had anything better to do than get smacked by machinery in the name of science.

Here is the part that made me gasp: the cogs in the Choral Chambers and the fans in the Grand Citadel both had their damage reduced from two masks to one. Two masks to one! That is not a small tweak. That is the difference between walking out of a room with a story to tell and walking out of a room as a ghost.

Even better, this means Team Cherry apparently decided to quietly make the game slightly easier without putting every change in the spotlight. Are there more secret nerfs hiding out there? Probably. I would not be surprised if some random thorn bush somewhere now does half a mask instead of a full one, and nobody noticed because we were all too busy crying.

I made a quick table for my own sanity:

Hazard
Old Damage
New Damage
My Feeling

Cogs in Choral Chambers
2 masks
1 mask
Cautious optimism

Fans in Grand Citadel
2 masks
1 mask
I might actually enter that room

Sandcarvers
Double trouble
Reduced
Thank you

Moorwing
Early game pain
Slightly less pain
Still a jerk

Lava
Lava
Still lava
Zero trust

Notice that lava is still lava. Team Cherry did not nerf the concept of molten rock, and honestly, I respect the commitment. I will continue playing conservatively around every glowing orange puddle because my reflexes are not built for 2026 speedrunning standards.

Speaking of those maniacs: some speedrunners have already beaten the entire game in a little over an hour. I have spent longer than that trying to get out of a single optional room. The fact that they can route around newly nerfed hazards while I still panic over one-mask damage says more about me than the patch. Meanwhile, platinum trophy hunters are probably thrilled. Every hazard change makes the no-hit or low-damage runs slightly less nightmarish. I might even chase the platinum myself, assuming I can stop falling into the one pit that has not changed at all.

In the end, I just think it is funny that Team Cherry made extra changes and let the community detect them like cryptozoologists finding evidence of a friendly Bigfoot. Seven years of waiting, a launch that felt overtuned, a wave of criticism, and then a patch with hidden mercy. That is very Hollow Knight. The game still wants to hurt me, but now, barely, it also wants me to survive.

If you are the type of person who studies patch notes before committing to anything, that instinct probably follows you into the rest of your purchases too. Controllers whose sticks have started drifting, a monitor that turns every dark corridor into a smeared grey soup, a spare memory card because you refuse to delete anything — it all adds up, and nothing drains the fun out of a difficult game faster than fighting your own setup. I have learned, repeatedly and painfully, that five minutes of checking before clicking "buy" saves an entire evening of regret.

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Where to Find the Grand Gate Map in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Grand Gate Map in Hollow Knight: Silksong guides players through Citadel’s vertical pathways, benches, and hidden challenges efficiently.

Hornet’s journey in Hollow Knight: Silksong reaches a significant turning point after the Blasted Steps and the Last Judge fall behind her. The Grand Gate is not just a colossal architectural barrier; it is the threshold into the Choral Chambers and the official entry point to Act II. For players stepping into this towering section of the Citadel, securing the Grand Gate Map early can make the difference between a confident descent and a disoriented scramble through mechanical depths.

Immediate Map Purchase After the Last Judge

Unlike many earlier areas in Silksong where tracking down Shakra is a requirement before any map is available, the Grand Gate offers an immediate purchase. After the Last Judge is defeated, the path forward leads directly into the Grand Gate. From the site of the battle, Hornet should continue moving to the right until a pressure-sensitive platform appears.

Standing on that platform opens a door to the right. Passing through brings the player face-to-face with the monumental gate itself. Just inside, a machine displaying a model of the Citadel can be inspected. This is where the Grand Gate Map can be purchased for 40 Rosaries. The process is straightforward: interact with the machine, insert the Rosaries, and the map is added to the inventory.

So what makes this purchase worth the 40 Rosaries? The Grand Gate Map provides immediate orientation within the Citadel’s layered pathways, benches, and hidden challenges. Without it, players may still find their way, but they lose the ability to plan routes through one of the game’s most vertical and mechanically complex regions.

Step-by-Step Route to the Grand Gate Map

Step
Action

1
Defeat the Last Judge at the Blasted Steps

2
Move right from the battle site

3
Step onto the pressure-sensitive platform to open a door

4
Enter the Grand Gate and inspect the machine with the Citadel model

5
Purchase the Grand Gate Map for 40 Rosaries

Descending Into the Underworks

With the Grand Gate Map in hand, players can safely push deeper into the Citadel. Continuing to the right after the purchase leads to an elevator. Activating the switch drops the lift downward, but the descent is far from smooth. The elevator jolts a couple of times and requires repeated hits on the switch. Eventually, the mechanism breaks, sending Hornet falling into the Underworks.

The Underworks is a dangerous mechanical area located below the Citadel. It is filled with hazards that punish hesitation, but the map reference from the Grand Gate can help players recognize key landmarks even as the environment shifts from ornate citadel halls to grinding industrial depths.

Unlocking the Clawline in The Cauldron

Deep within the Underworks, players will eventually reach a new area called The Cauldron. This is where Hornet can unlock the Clawline, a grappling hook-like power that is widely considered an absolute must-have for exploring the rest of the game. The Clawline opens access to new shortcuts and allows traversal through areas that are otherwise unreachable.

Does the Grand Gate Map directly reveal The Cauldron’s location? Not always. However, having the map earlier means players can recognize the transition points and avoid unnecessary backtracking as they navigate the Underworks toward this essential ability.

For those pushing through Act II, the sequence is clear: defeat the Last Judge, enter the Grand Gate, buy the map for 40 Rosaries, ride the breaking elevator, survive the Underworks, and claim the Clawline. Each step builds on the last, and the Grand Gate Map is the first key to keeping that journey from becoming a blind drop into the Citadel’s depths.

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How Many Acts Are in Hollow Knight: Silksong and How Long to Beat It?

Hollow Knight: Silksong spans two main acts plus a secret Act 3, and a 100% run takes far longer than 30 hours.

Hollow Knight: Silksong can feel surprisingly gentle during its first hour. Hornet tumbles into Moss Grotto, a green and peaceful region populated by harmless caterpillars and slow-moving flying bugs. But that sense of safety is temporary. If a player chooses to enter Hunter’s March, one of the hardest early regions, they will face a hand-numbing pogo challenge and two difficult boss fights that guard progress. This contrast sets the tone for the entire adventure, and it naturally raises two questions: how many acts are there in Silksong, and how long does the journey actually take?

How Many Acts Are There in Hollow Knight: Silksong?

Silksong does not use a traditional chapter select screen. Instead, its story unfolds across two main acts and one secret Act 3. A player who wants the full experience will therefore be playing three acts in total.

Act
Name
When It Begins
When It Ends

Act 1
Pharloom
Hornet falls into Moss Grotto
Hornet enters the Grand Gate of the Citadel

Act 2
Citadel of Song
After entering the Citadel
Hornet defeats the Monarch of Pharloom

Act 3
Abyss
After meeting hidden requirements
Hornet defeats the Act 3 final boss

Act 1 begins when Hornet falls on Moss Grotto and continues until she enters the Grand Gate of the Citadel. Act 2 then runs until players defeat the Monarch of Pharloom. Defeating the Monarch is considered beating the game for the Speedrunner achievement, regardless of whether the player continues to Act 3 or not. But is the adventure really finished at that point? For a first playthrough, it is highly recommended to take the time to fulfill the requirements needed to reach Act 3.

How Long Does It Take to Beat Silksong?

Because Silksong is a Metroidvania, a single hour count can be misleading. The total time depends heavily on three personal factors:

• Experience playing a Metroidvania game

• Platforming expertise

• Boss fight skills

For a normal playthrough, a 100% completion will take far longer than 30 hours. There are two speedrunner achievements in the game, and the Speedrunner achievement is tied to defeating the Monarch of Pharloom. A player who ignores optional content can finish sooner, but a first blind run still demands repeated attempts at bosses and platforming gauntlets.

Completion Goal
Expected Commitment

Defeat the Monarch only
A focused first run, though still demanding

Reach and finish Act 3
A longer journey that can exceed 30 hours

100% completion
Far longer than 30 hours

Why Some Areas Make the Game Feel Longer

Hunter’s March is a perfect example of Silksong’s difficulty curve. Its pogo section asks for precise aerial control, while the two bosses guarding the area punish careless movement. Not every biome is required, however. Some regions can be skipped entirely if players do not wish to explore them. For a first playthrough, skipping may save time, but it also means missing upgrades, lore, and the requirements needed to reach the secret Act 3. Should a new player ignore those optional zones? Probably not, because Act 3 contains some of the most memorable moments in the game.

Final Thoughts on Silksong’s Acts and Completion Time

At its core, Silksong asks a simple question: how far is a player willing to go? The two main acts deliver a complete story, but the secret third act transforms the ending. As of 2026, the game’s structure remains a favorite topic among players, and community guides have made the requirements for Act 3 easier to understand. Even so, no guide can erase the hours spent learning boss patterns or mastering Hornet’s movement. A player who stops after Act 2 can claim a win, but the true size of Silksong only becomes clear when the Abyss is finished.

Whether you're chasing the Speedrunner achievement or simply savoring every secret in Pharloom, the time you spend with Silksong is an investment. And like any investment, it's natural to want to maximize the return—not just in satisfaction, but in value. After all, the world of Metroidvanias is vast, and the next challenging adventure is always waiting.

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How I Unlocked Every Major Ability in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong Ancestral Arts and upgrades unlock new Metroidvania exploration abilities, transforming traversal and progression.

I have spent the last few weeks digging into Hollow Knight: Silksong, and I can tell you that exploration is both freeing and quietly locked behind some crucial upgrades. If you are used to Metroidvania rules, you know the drill: you wander, hit a dead end, and realize you need a permanent ability to move forward. In Silksong, the big gates are called Ancestral Arts. These are not something you equip. Once you unlock them, they are simply yours forever. Below, I want to share exactly how I got each one and what they actually do.

Ability
Type
Key Use

Swift Step
Ancestral Art
Fast run and midair dash

Cling Grip 🧗
Ancestral Art
Jump along vertical walls

Needolin
Ancestral Art
Play music to open special doors

Clawline 🪡
Ancestral Art
Throw needle and pull yourself

Faydown Cloak ️
Permanent ability
Double jump

Swift Step

My first Ancestral Art came after I cleared two full biomes and finally reached the Deep Docks. I did not find it by accident. There is a statue on the top part of the map, but getting there took a little detour. I went to the right first, then followed a path up that looped me back to a lava area on the left. When I reached the statue, Swift Step unlocked automatically. This ability gives you a burst of speed, and while running, you can perform a higher jump that covers much more distance. I also learned that you can trigger it in midair. It acts a bit like a midair dash, though you will drift slightly downward during the dash instead of moving in a perfect straight line. That nuance took me a while to stop messing up.

Cling Grip 🧗

After I defeated Moorwing in the Greymoor biome, I entered Haunted Bellhart and then Shellwood. That path eventually threw me into the Sister Splinter boss fight. Once I beat the boss, I exited from the left and got near a statue. The route was not obvious. I had to drop down slightly on the left and then use a downward strike on a bunch of flowers to get back up. That little sequence felt very Metroidvania. Cling Grip changed how I looked at vertical spaces because it lets you constantly jump along any vertical wall. Scaling high walls suddenly became a puzzle of timing instead of a hard block. It also made backtracking in old areas feel much smoother.

Needolin

Not long after getting Cling Grip, I entered Bellhart again and fought the Widow. That fight was fast and aggressive, but beating it automatically unlocked Needolin. This one is a little different from the movement tools. Needolin lets you perform music at any place by using up some Silk. At first I thought it was just a flavor ability, but it is absolutely required to reach The Cradle area after you collect the three melodies in the Citadel. It can also open side paths in specific spots, like the bottom of Moss Grotto. To spot doors that respond to Needolin, look for a harp in the background and small holes in the doors. That visual language helped me stop wasting time on doors that looked special but were not.

Clawline 🪡

Clawline is one of the most important late-game tools I found. To get it, I had to beat the Trobbio boss in the Whispering Vaults, which led me back into the Underworks area. This time I could reach the Cauldron from a different side. The Cauldron was tough. It is a lava-filled area full of enemies that throw bombs, and the platforms disappear under you. I fell more times than I care to admit. Eventually I reached the spot where Clawline unlocks. The ability lets you throw your needle with a thread forward and then pull yourself to the needle. It covers massive gaps instantly, and it quickly became one of my favorite movement tools in the entire game.

Faydown Cloak ️

Faydown Cloak is not exactly an Ancestral Art, but it is one of the permanent abilities you do not want to skip. It is essentially the double jump, and it helps a lot in late-game fights and opens numerous new areas. The journey to get it was anything but easy. I entered Mount Fay through The Slab, then climbed to the top through some genuinely treacherous parkouring. My best tip is to use Clawline on the suspended lifeform you see while climbing. It boosts you upward and gives back the Silk you used, which saved my run more than once.

Overall, these permanent upgrades reshaped my whole playthrough. Some are hidden behind boss fights, others behind platforming routes that demand calm timing. The key is to watch for visual clues and not assume a dead end is truly dead. Once you have the right ability, a huge chunk of the map opens up.

If you've conquered the toughest challenges in Silksong and are hungry for another adventure, hunting down your next game at a reasonable price can feel like a quest of its own. That's where DealNest comes in. It's a handy resource for gamers looking to save, and I've often used it to discover [where to buy cheap games]( before adding to my backlog. Whether you're after another metroidvania or something entirely different, it's worth checking out.

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How to Beat Sprintmaster Swift and Complete the Fastest in Pharloom Quest in Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong's Fastest in Pharloom quest sends Hornet to Sprintmaster Swift for three silk-smooth races that reward clever hooks.

After Hornet picked up the Fastest in Pharloom quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong, I immediately realized this was not going to be a simple footrace. The quest log points toward Sprintmaster Swift, but the actual path to reach them is its own puzzle, and the three courses that follow demand a level of movement control that makes the rest of Pharloom feel like a slow promenade. I had to retrace my route through Act 3 several times, and by the end I understood why the quest is called Fastest in Pharloom: it is a test of momentum, patience, and the willingness to bend the rules just enough to survive.

Where to Find Sprintmaster Swift

Fastest in Pharloom marks the target on the far eastern side of Far Fields. However, reaching that location is not as simple as walking east across the map. Before I could even think about racing, I needed the Silk Soar skill. This Ancestral Art arrives in Act 3, and without it the Super Jump remains locked, leaving several obstacles unscalable.

Once Silk Soar was equipped, I approached from Hunter's March. Because Act 3 shortcuts can be blocked, the only reliable route was to enter Hunter's March from the Marrow, using the first-time path. From the bench, I found the statue and used Silk Soar to reach a secret route above it. That moment felt like peeling back a bandage from a wound that had already scarred over; the hidden passage was always there, but the game had disguised it as scenery. Heading right opened a shortcut into a hidden Far Fields passage. From there, I kept pushing east until a skull-shaped entrance appeared. Inside the skull lay Sprintmaster Swift.

How the Sprintmaster Swift Races Work

Once I entered, Sprintmaster Swift presented three challenges across three different courses. The difficulty ramps up after each victory, and the course geometry shifts from open sprints to tight, vertical navigation. During the race, Hornet cannot use any tools or items that increase her speed; the competition strips away artificial advantages like a straitjacket on a cheat. It is just Hornet against the master, with no extra acceleration. However, there is a small loophole: Hornet can still attack Sprintmaster Swift or hook in their direction. A single strike or well-timed hook makes the sprintmaster stutter for about a second, which gave me just enough room to slip ahead. I found this especially useful on the third course, where Sprintmaster Swift moves like a drop of mercury rolling across a tilted mirror, always threatening to escape through the smallest gap. The most important rule is smooth movement. The more silky Hornet is with her jumps, pogo strikes, and aerial adjustments, the better the chance of winning. This is not a race that rewards brute force; it rewards the player who can thread a needle through a keyhole during an earthquake without losing the thread.

Rewards for Winning Each Race

After each race win, Sprintmaster Swift rewards Hornet with an item. The rewards are fixed, so even if the race itself can be approached in different ways, the payout is consistent.

Race
Reward

First race
Rosary Necklace

Second race
Beast Shard

Third race
Mask Shard

The Rosary Necklace felt like a gentle nod after the first race, while the Beast Shard and Mask Shard made the later victories feel genuinely valuable. In my 2026 playthrough, I did not need to beat all three races in one sitting; the quest recognized each individual win, but the final Mask Shard only came after the third course.

Final Tips for the Fastest in Pharloom Quest

If you are struggling, remember that the race is not a pure speed test. Learn the course layout first, because some obstacles require vertical Silky movement rather than forward sprinting. Use attacks or the hook to interrupt Sprintmaster Swift at key moments, but do not rely on them as a crutch. The third course punishes hesitation, so keeping your aerial rhythm is more important than watching the sprintmaster. I treated each failed attempt like a practice pass, and after a few runs the movement started to feel less like memorization and more like an extension of Hornet's silk.

Chasing clean runs against Sprintmaster Swift has a way of sharpening your appetite for other skill-driven challenges, whether that means revisiting old favorites or finally trying a game you skipped. That itch often collides with the reality of a growing wishlist and a shrinking budget.

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Silksong’s Passing of the Age: How I Found Every Mister Mushroom Location

Passing of the Age quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong guides players step-by-step to secret endings and achievements.

I still remember the exact moment I stumbled into the Passing of the Age quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong. I was deep in the Putrified Ducts, roaming east of Fleatopia, when a faint golden glow caught my eye. At first I thought it was just another piece of environmental polish, but no—Hornet had found something much stranger. If you're like me and you want that secret ending and achievement, this guide will walk you through my own journey, step by step.

How I Triggered the Passing of the Age Quest

The trigger is shockingly easy to miss. From Fleatopia, I kept heading east until I found a route going upward. Wall jump was enough to reach a cliff, but when I looked up, there it was: a golden glow above me. I used the Silk Soar ability to enter the hidden opening. At the end of that tunnel, Hornet can inspect a golden tablet. The game asks if you want to promise the wish. Say yes, and the Passing of the Age quest officially begins.

If you miss that tablet, you could wander Pharloom for hours without ever understanding why Mister Mushroom never appears. Ask me how I know.

The Seven Mister Mushroom Locations

To complete the quest, I had to find Mister Mushroom in seven different locations. The game gives you riddles, not map markers. At each correct spot, I saw blue mushrooms with yellow circles on the ground. Then I played the Needolin, and Mister Mushroom popped out of the ground.

Here is the full list of locations and the clues that worked for me:

Order
Location
How I Found It

1
Moss Grotto
The spot between the bench and the snail shaman's home

2
Bone Bottom
Where Shakra used to appear in Bone Bottom camp, before entering Act 3

3
Far Fields
The edge of Far Fields, where lava is present in the area

4
Greymoor
Climb the Greymoor tower, then find a route up to the Wisp Thicket near the surgeon Yarnaby

5
The Slab
To the left of the First Sinner's cage, where the Rune Rage skill is found; the Key of Apostate is required

6
Mount Fay
Climb to the bird's nest; Silk Soar can skip a huge chunk of the platforming

7
The Cradle
Reach the peak and pass the parkour test of fitness

The order matters. I tried to skip ahead to The Cradle early, and Mister Mushroom simply refused to appear. The riddles must be solved in sequence, one location after another.

Reaching The Cradle

The final location is the hardest to reach. From the room to the right of the Cogwork Core, I looked upward until I found an opening. Silk Soar let me enter the gap, and I was transported to a side area of the Cogwork Core. From there, I kept climbing.

Along the way, I had to remember three key spots:

• In the room where the Architect Melody puzzle once was, I had to find the correct spot to stand and lift myself upward.

• At the place where I fought Lace for the second time, I again needed the super jump, but the light from above made the spot easy to find.

• After the platform where I fought Grandmother Silk, I claimed the Pale Nails Silk Skill, then found the small opening above.

At the top of The Cradle, there is a cave. Inside, I faced a platforming challenge—a true test of fitness. After passing it, I played the Needolin one last time. Mister Mushroom finally spoke with Hornet, then soared upward and disappeared.

The Surface and Nameless Town

After Mister Mushroom vanished, I arrived on the surface in a place called Nameless Town. I whacked some cockroach-like bugs for the Hunter's Journal, then played the Needolin at the big skull cave to receive a Surface Memento. The surface was beautiful, but I still had a job to do. I headed back left toward the spikes, found a cave, and descended into The Cradle. From there, I returned to Pharloom to finish the catastrophe.

Getting the Passing of the Age Achievement

Here is the part that surprised me: completing the quest does not immediately pop the achievement. You must defeat the final boss of Act 3 after finishing the Passing of the Age quest. Defeating that boss unlocks a secret ending in addition to the normal ending. That means you can earn both endings and their achievements at once.

So, if you are hunting the achievement, do not wait until after the final boss. Complete the mushroom herald's journey first, then face the end of Act 3. Trust me, seeing that secret ending makes the entire strange mushroom hunt feel worth it.

After all, that age may pass—and this shroom its witness.

Hunting down seven hidden mushroom locations is the kind of obsessive, rewarding detour that reminds me why I keep coming back to games built around secrets. The catch is that games like this tend to send you looking for more of them — and with new releases rarely getting cheaper, filling a library with titles worth exploring can get expensive fast.

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Where Hollow Knight: Silksong DLC Could Go Next

Hollow Knight: Silksong post-launch support may include free updates or paid expansions, offering fans exciting new content and gameplay modes.

In 2026, Team Cherry has remained quiet about exactly how Hollow Knight: Silksong will be supported after launch, but the studio's stated plan to keep expanding the game for years has left fans poring over the possibilities. Months after release, players have had time to finish their first playthroughs and begin asking a familiar question: will Silksong receive free updates, paid expansions, or both? The original Hollow Knight was famously supported with substantial DLC, and the sequel offers even more room to experiment. Here are some directions Team Cherry could take if additional content moves forward.

Returning to Hollownest

One of the most beloved surprises in video game history came from Pokémon Gold and Silver, when players returned to Kanto after completing Johto. A similar move in Silksong would be just as striking. Hornet was taken from Hollownest to the distant kingdom of Pharloom, and a post-game or DLC campaign could finally let her make the journey back. The base game includes a surprise connected to Act 3, but it does not send players to the original game's decaying kingdom. Team Cherry could revisit that location through a paid expansion or a free content drop, giving longtime fans the emotional payoff of seeing Hollownest again.

The Road Between Worlds ️

Any return to Hollownest would need a road, and that road could become an entire region. The trip to Pharloom was not short, so the route back could match either kingdom in size. Team Cherry could also introduce outdoor environments beyond the main game's limited selection. Silksong already tests players with Mount Fay, but a bridge zone between Pharloom and Hollownest could feature new biomes, shifting weather, and strange bug fauna. While the world is small in scale because every character is a bug, new anthropomorphic creatures or even tiny mammals could be added to expand the feel of a wider world.

A Boss Rush Mode ️

Not every game gets a boss rush, but Silksong is an ideal candidate. Players who want to relive encounters with the Last Judge and the Savage Beastfly would welcome a dedicated mode from the main menu. Others would use it to practice the Widow or the Fourth Chorus without the frustration of the run back to the arena. Because Silksong includes a harder mode, a boss rush would also serve as practical training. Bosses are among the best parts of the game, and a focused replay option would highlight that design.

New Playable Characters

Silksong began life as DLC for Hollow Knight, with Hornet planned as a second playable character. That expansion eventually grew into a full sequel, proving how much potential a character-focused update can have. For future content, Team Cherry could add Shakra, who already has combat abilities and aids Hornet multiple times. Garmond and Zaza are also natural picks because they help during the journey. A new playable campaign could use the existing map or a separate area, with each character offering different movement and combat options.

A Stealth Roguelike with Jubilana

Team Cherry could also lean into the roguelike trend. God of War Ragnarok added a well-received roguelike mode after launch, and Silksong already features randomness in areas like The Mist. A separate dungeon mode would not be out of place. Rather than starring Hornet, the mode could follow Jubilana, the shopkeeper who disappears while searching for new wares. Since Jubilana cannot fight, a stealth-focused roguelike could work well. Players could move through randomized dungeons, collect loot, and sell it back to pilgrims, similar to Moonlighter's action-shopkeeping loop.

Indie Crossovers and Cameos

Hollow Knight has a long history of indie collaborations. Dead Cells received items, The Binding of Isaac added cards, and Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes even included a wearable shirt. Silksong will likely appear in other indie games, but Team Cherry could also return the favor. Mina the Hollower, starring a small mouse named Mina, would fit neatly into Pharloom's bug-sized world. Mina could appear as an NPC offering quests, a boss, or a source of crossover weapons. Cosmetics, items, and cameo characters are all low-risk ways to keep the game feeling alive between larger expansions.

Concept
Inspiration
Potential Hook

Return to Hollownest
Pokémon Gold/Silver Kanto
Post-game journey home

New playable characters
Silksong's Hornet DLC origin
Shakra, Garmond, Zaza

Boss rush mode
Fan tradition
Practice harder mode

Stealth roguelike
Moonlighter, God of War Ragnarok
Jubilana dungeon runs

Indie crossovers
Dead Cells, Isaac, Travis
Mina the Hollower cameo

The Next Step

Team Cherry has not confirmed which approach it will take, and the studio is known for working in silence. The original Hollow Knight proved that even free updates can dramatically expand a game, while Silksong's scale makes a full expansion feel like a natural next move. Whether the team chooses a return to Hollownest, new playable characters, a boss rush, a roguelike, or a roster of indie cameos, the world of Pharloom has plenty of room to grow.

Speculation about what comes next is only half the fun; the other half is making sure the base game is already sitting in your library, ready for whenever Team Cherry decides to drop something new. Between the original Hollow Knight, its soundtrack bundles, and Silksong itself, the cost of catching up on the series can add up quickly, especially for players who prefer to own their games on a specific storefront or platform. That is exactly the kind of situation where a little price comparison goes a long way, and it is worth checking a dedicated deals aggregator before committing to a full-price purchase.

DealNest keeps an eye on discounts across major storefronts, so you can see at a glance whether a title is currently cheaper on Steam, GOG, the Nintendo eShop, or elsewhere. For anyone planning to replay Hallownest before the next expansion lands, or hoping to gift a copy to a friend who has not yet experienced Pharloom, it is a practical way to find [where to buy cheap games]( without refreshing a dozen store pages by hand. Saving a few coins on the base game leaves more room in the budget for whatever paid content the studio eventually announces.

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How to Reach Heart of the Wild and Claim the Hunter's Heart in Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong Act 3's Heart of the Wild quest challenges players with new Far Fields routes and blocked Hunter's March shortcuts.

Hornet's journey through Act 3 of Hollow Knight: Silksong is a hidden extra gameplay layer that only begins after players select a specific ending. Far from a simple epilogue, this route packs a surprising amount of story and combat, and one of its most demanding objectives is the Heart of the Wild quest. To claim the Hunter's Heart, Hornet must travel to the far east of the Far Fields region, a newly opened area that cannot be reached before Act 3 begins.

For players returning in 2026, the route can still catch veteran explorers off guard. Shortcuts that once made Hunter's March feel manageable are now sealed, and the area seems to remember Hornet's first visit all too well. The long way around is the name of the game, so players should prepare for a lengthy backtrack with a few extra enemies eager to interrupt the trip.

Act 3 Unlock and the Far Fields Route

The Heart of the Wild quest location is locked behind the Act 3 story progression. Once Hornet reaches the relevant point in the questline, the far east of the Far Fields opens up. The most reliable starting point is the Marrow. From there, players should enter Hunter's March through the only available entrance, because every shortcut is blocked.

The path pulls no punches on this second visit. In the first run, players may have relied on careful pogo timing, but this time Hornet has better tools. The Silk Soar skill can skip several troublesome spots, and a crest with a downward hit can turn the plunge attack into a reliable movement option. Don't sleep on the Silk Soar here—it is the key to reaching the eastern statues without losing too much health.

Crossing Hunter's March Without Shortcuts

Inside Hunter's March, the goal is to keep moving east until the statues on the eastern side come into view. Earlier in the campaign, that area was blocked. Now that Hornet has Silk Soar, she can super jump into the next section and continue exploring Hunter's March from the opposite side.

Eventually, Hornet will open a bridge that leads her out of Hunter's March and back into the Far Fields. From that exit, players should continue east until reaching a dead end. The route is not over, however. Hornet must drop down and take a much longer road beneath the obvious path. This lower route winds toward the Heart of the Wild arena, and it is easy to miss if players assume the dead end means the search is over.

Step
Route Action

1
Start from the Marrow and enter Hunter's March through the only available entrance.

2
Head east through Hunter's March, using Silk Soar or a downward-hit crest to bypass tricky spots.

3
Reach the eastern statues and super jump into the newly accessible area.

4
Open the bridge to exit into Far Fields, then continue east to a dead end.

5
Drop down and follow the longer lower path to the Heart of the Wild arena.

Skarrsinger Karmelita Boss Fight

Once Hornet arrives at the quest location, she can challenge Skarrsinger Karmelita. The fight does not begin quietly. Multiple smaller enemies attack in waves before the boss herself makes an appearance, turning the arena into a loud, chaotic test of positioning.

Players should treat the opening waves as a warm-up, but not a free one. The smaller enemies can drain health quickly if Hornet stands still. A good approach is to keep circling the arena, clear the waves with downward strikes or sweeping attacks, and save healing for the gap between waves. When Skarrsinger Karmelita enters, the tempo shifts. Her attacks punish greedy movement, so landing a few hits and retreating is safer than trying to end the fight in one long combo.

After the boss falls, Hornet receives the Hunter's Heart and completes the Heart of the Wild quest in Silksong.

Final Tips for the Heart of the Wild Quest

• ️ Start from the Marrow: Shortcuts are blocked, so this is the cleanest route into Hunter's March.

• Use Silk Soar aggressively: It opens the eastern statues and skips older pogo sections.

• ️ Bring a downward-hit crest: The plunge attack helps with both traversal and wave clearing.

• 🧭 Check the dead end carefully: The real route goes down, not forward.

• Heal between boss waves: The opening adds can be more dangerous than they look.

The Heart of the Wild quest is a compact but memorable piece of Silksong's hidden Act 3. It rewards players who revisit old territory with fresh eyes, and the Hunter's Heart is a worthy trophy for those who survive the detour.

Once the Hunter's Heart is secured, the natural next step for many players is to see what else is worth playing—or to finally pick up a title that's been sitting on their wishlist. Steam sales come and go quickly, and keeping track of the best prices can be a chore.

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Why Silksong Hype Has Players Reconsidering Animal Well

Animal Well and Hollow Knight: Silksong, two indie Metroidvania games, evoke lasting intrigue and unique emotional responses in players.

Plenty of players have a weird relationship with Animal Well. It launched in 2024 as the debut title from Dunkey's Bigmode, the publisher created with a bold promise: only release good games. For a while, it was the indie Metroidvania everyone had to have an opinion about. But then the conversation moved on, as it always does. Now, in 2026, with Hollow Knight: Silksong hype once again turning every corner of the internet into a bug-infested fever dream, a strange side effect has appeared - unfinished Animal Well save files are calling back to their owners.

Let's be real - Hollow Knight: Silksong is an absurdly big deal for a game primarily made by four people, priced at twenty bucks, and belonging to the most stereotypically indie genre: the 2D Metroidvania. Every so often one of these explore-em-ups breaks out in a huge way, and the original Hollow Knight did exactly that in 2018, exploding on the Switch a full year after launch. Seven years later, the sequel is following the same outsized footsteps, even though 2024 belonged to Animal Well.

The Pressure Behind Animal Well

Part of what made Animal Well such a lightning rod was Dunkey's claim that he could pick winners because he plays a ton of games and knows what good looks like. That pitch sounded a little too simple to a lot of people, so the pressure was on. Then the reviews landed, and they were glowing. The game delivered, and Dunkey's talk was backed up.

🧠 When a Game Asks for Space

One ordinary player picked up Animal Well on the strength of that chatter, expecting to get lost in its world. Instead, after five or six hours of puttering around, hitting a wall with puzzle after puzzle, getting annoyed, wandering off to explore elsewhere, and running straight into another stumper, they closed the game with the intention of giving their brain some time to process. That happened across several sessions, until eventually the coming back stopped. The experience was decent, but it left the opposite emotional footprint of Hollow Knight. With Hollow Knight, sessions end with excitement to get back and play more. With Animal Well, sessions ended because a little space was needed before the game could be enjoyed again.

Why Bouncing Off Is Not a Verdict

That same player is currently working through Hollow Knight - a game they initially reacted to exactly the same way, playing for several hours and then neglecting it. Seven years later, though, the experience has changed. Now there is a full-blown compulsion to explore every inch of that bug-riddled world. And thinking back on Animal Well, there are plenty of aspects that still intrigue: the big pixelated animals standing around in certain chambers, the opaque items that were still fun to use, the pure focus on puzzle-solving with combat completely removed, and the blobby main character's ballsy refusal to look remotely interesting. Riding around on a frisbee, for what it's worth, was genuinely great fun.

Here are a few Animal Well details that keep nagging:

• The oversized pixelated animals loitering in hidden chambers, silent and strange.

• The opaque items that somehow stayed satisfying to use, especially the frisbee.

• The no-combat puzzle philosophy, a rare move that trades action for pure thought.

• The stubbornly unremarkable blob protagonist, a design choice that feels like a dare.

️ The Bottomless Well of Secrets

Every review hinted that if a player pushed long enough, the game would transform from a straightforward Metroidvania into a bottomless well of secrets. That deeper layer never got reached, and as it stands, Animal Well remains a mildly interesting 2D action-adventure game - and there are plenty of those to go around.

But the itch is real. No one wants to be the miner who gives up in frustration right before reaching a cache of diamonds, and there is a sneaking suspicion that leaving Animal Well felt exactly like that. Maybe the game was abandoned one puzzle too early.

Getting back to it won't happen immediately. After Hollow Knight, Silksong is obviously next on the docket. But Animal Well's world still has something to offer, and it might make the perfect palette cleanser between Silksong boss attempts.

With that kind of lineup on the horizon, plus the lingering pull to give Animal Well another proper shot between Silksong boss attempts, game libraries have a funny way of growing faster than the time available to actually play them. It helps to be selective about what gets bought at full price, especially when a whole backlog of half-finished adventures is already waiting patiently for attention.

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The Most Punishing Mechanics in Modern Hard Games

Difficult video games like Demon's Souls and Hollow Knight challenge players' patience, precision, and resilience with risk-reward mechanics.

As of 2026, the conversation around difficult video games has only grown louder. Fans who grew up with the brutal NES era remember how challenging titles like Battletoads, Ninja Gaiden, and even Super Mario Bros. could be. Back then, that difficulty was often seen as a frustrating requirement rather than a selling point. Today, however, a hardcore group of players celebrates games that demand patience, precision, and resilience. Yet not every difficult mechanic feels fair. Some systems add challenge through risk and reward, while others seem needlessly rough. What makes a game hard but fair? Why do certain design choices push players away instead of pulling them deeper into the experience?

The modern hard game owes much of its identity to Demon's Souls. FromSoftware's action RPG did not invent difficulty, but it reframed it. The most infamous mechanic is the loss of progress upon death. Defeating enemies grants Souls, which can be used for leveling up or buying items. When a player dies, those Souls remain at the death spot. If the player dies again before reclaiming them, the currency vanishes forever. This loop creates a powerful emotional pull. Spending hours grinding only to lose everything can be disheartening, but for others, that risk-reward trial is invigorating. The 2020 remake made the experience slightly more accessible, yet the core tension remains.

The Weight of Lost Progress

XCOM: Enemy Within carries a similar philosophy into the strategy genre. Permadeath means that a customized soldier with hours of investment can disappear in a single bad turn. Players can reload saves to try to undo a fatal mistake, but that process becomes its own tedious ritual. Like a Soulslike, losing a carefully built character can feel like losing a piece of progress that was earned over countless battles.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter pushes this idea toward a looping structure. The game moved the series from fantasy to sci-fi on the PS2, but it also introduced a harsh timer called the D-Counter. Everything the player does, from fighting to moving, adds percentages to that timer. At 100 percent, the game is over. The only real solution is to restart with carried-over progress. This design forces players to accept repeated failure as part of the journey. How many restarts can one player endure before frustration replaces satisfaction?

The Long Walk Back

Hollow Knight: Silksong has become a major talking point because of its difficulty spike. The boss fights are already demanding, but the routes back to those bosses make them even more taxing. Savage Beastfly and Last Judge are two of the hardest bosses in the game, yet the trial between bench save points can be just as punishing. Is the journey back to a boss part of the challenge, or is it simply busywork? Some players enjoy the process, but others find it like adding insult to injury. A checkpoint before each major encounter could reduce the frustration without lowering the boss's difficulty.

Cuphead suffers from a similar problem. The hand-drawn visuals are gorgeous, but the boss fights are relentless. Most levels focus on elaborate encounters filled with dense projectile patterns. What makes them especially cruel is the absence of checkpoints. The game does offer Simple Mode, but beating a boss in that mode does not count toward story progress. Why include a simpler option if it does not actually help the player advance? It may as well not even be there.

Systems Piled on Systems

Death Stranding was Hideo Kojima's first game after leaving Konami, and it was significantly harder than any Metal Gear title. The premise is straightforward: Sam delivers packages across a post-apocalyptic United States. But the mechanics stacked on top of mechanics turned a simple courier game into a constant balancing act. Players cannot move too fast without risking a fall, which damages packages and causes Sam's partner, a baby called BB, to cry. Mysterious entities can stalk players without an easy way back. The sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, streamlined many of these systems. That change suggests Kojima learned from the original's friction.

Monster Hunter: World is another game where multiple systems can overwhelm newcomers. Hunts have time limits and group death counts. If the group faints too many times, the quest fails even if the monster is about to die. The lack of visible enemy health bars adds another layer of uncertainty. In multiplayer, one player's mistake can doom the entire team. Between the timer, shared death limits, and hidden health information, the series can feel like one of the hardest to enter.

Abrupt Spikes and Restarts

Jak 2 is a classic example of a sequel that ramped up difficulty too quickly. The first game, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, was an inviting 3D platformer. Its sequel added guns, a Grand Theft Auto-like mission structure, timers, and strange conditions. Many missions require near-perfect execution under pressure. The leap in difficulty is so abrupt that some fans of the original felt alienated. It is still a cool and more mature game, but the spike is hard to ignore.

Across these games, a pattern emerges. Difficulty can be thrilling when it respects the player's time. When mechanics erase progress, remove checkpoints, or force unnecessary restarts, the line between challenge and punishment becomes blurred. Yet for every player who walks away, another embraces the struggle. Perhaps that is the strange beauty of hard games in 2026: they are not meant for everyone, and that is exactly why they endure.

Summary Table

Game
Punishing Mechanic
Emotional Toll

Demon's Souls
Lost Souls on repeated death
Disheartenment and risk-reward tension

Hollow Knight: Silksong
Long boss run-backs
Fatigue

Death Stranding
Balance, package damage, BB stress
Overwhelm

Cuphead
No checkpoints and a useless Simple Mode
Frustration

Monster Hunter: World
Timers, group faint limits, hidden health bars
Group pressure

XCOM: Enemy Within
Permadeath
Loss of investment

Jak 2
Timed GTA-style missions
Abrupt difficulty spike

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
D-Counter leading to forced restarts
Restart loop exhaustion

The hardest games are not necessarily bad games. They simply ask players to adjust to rules that can feel unnecessarily rough. In an era where many titles smooth over every rough edge, these games stand out because they refuse to compromise. The question is not whether they are difficult, but whether that difficulty feels earned or forced.

That divide is personal. What feels unfair to one player might feel like a perfect test of skill to another. The only way to know is to actually sit down with a game and experience its systems firsthand, which means taking a chance on something that might not click. With new releases carrying higher price tags, that gamble becomes riskier than the in-game stakes ever were.

Fortunately, fewer players need to pay full price to find out whether a punishing challenge is worth their time. By keeping an eye on [PC game discounts]( anyone can pick up the titles from this list for a fraction of their launch cost. That turns the question of earned difficulty into a simple experiment, one where the main investment is patience rather than money.

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How to Get the Pale Nails Skill in Silksong Without Losing Your Mind

Find the Pale Nails Silk Skill in Hollow Knight: Silksong by returning to The Cradle, binding Grand Mother Silk's hand after the Act 2 boss.

Let me paint you a picture.

It is 2026, and I just spent two hours bouncing around Pharloom like a sugar-fueled acrobat. My target? The Pale Nails Silk Skill. My problem? The game refused to put a neon sign over The Cradle, so I had to earn this shiny little murder projectile the hard way. If you want to avoid my exact brand of confusion, grab your needle and follow along.

What Exactly Is the Pale Nails Skill?

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silk Skills are Hornet's flashy special moves. They drain her Silk meter, which is also what she needs for healing, so spamming them is a great way to turn a bad fight into a funeral. The Pale Nails skill is one of the best chase tools in the game. It launches a projectile of three pale nails that actively seek out an enemy, which is perfect for those annoying mobile opponents who think they can backstep out of your range. Grand Mother Silk uses a very similar trick against you, and I can confirm it stings.

Where to Find Pale Nails

You will not find this skill in a cozy little shop. No, you have to go back to The Cradle, specifically the arena where you fought Grand Mother Silk at the end of Act 2. After the boss fight is over, climb back up to that arena and look for the boss's hand resting on top of a rock. It is a bit ominous, but that is Silksong for you. Interact with it and choose to Bind. Boom, Pale Nails is yours. This is also the final Silk Skill you need for the Woven achievement, so now you can flex that completionist progress.

How the Pale Nails Skill Actually Works

Yes, the nails are homing, but they are not psychic. If an enemy leaves the screen before the nails connect, the projectiles will hit nothing. They do not hover forever waiting for a target to come back. That behavior is more like the Cogfly tool, which floats around and does its own thing. Pale Nails is more hit-and-run: fire, let them chase, and reposition. Do not waste it on an enemy about to teleport across the map.

Here is a quick comparison to keep your Silk budget honest:

Skill / Tool
Best For
Weird Detail

Pale Nails
Chasing mobile enemies
Nails stop if the target leaves the screen

Rune Rage
Crowds of enemies
Great for clearing annoying hordes

Cogfly
Passive support
Hovers around instead of disappearing

The Exact Route to The Cradle

You cannot just stroll to this skill. You need the Silk Soar ability, because Pharloom loves putting important passages in stupidly high places. If you already have it, here is the path:

• Walk to the right side of the Choral Chambers, next to the Cog Core entrance.

• Look up. There is an opening in the ceiling, and you will need a high jump or Silk Soar to reach it.

• Once you reach the Architect Melody room, go right and try to Silk Soar upward again. You should spot a passage and can adjust your jump from there.

• Eventually, you will land on the platform where Hornet fought Lace before the Grand Mother Silk encounter.

• From that platform, use Silk Soar on the light to reach the boss arena above.

That last jump feels illegal the first time. I fully expected to clip into a wall. Instead, I landed directly in the arena where I had already won the fight, which felt a little anticlimactic until I saw that disembodied hand waiting for me.

A Few Warnings From My Mistakes

Make sure you have actually cleared Act 2 and beaten Grand Mother Silk. The binding spot is in the boss arena after the fight, so if you are still banging your head against her, you are not going to get the skill yet. Also, do not forget that Pale Nails uses Silk. If you blow all your Silk on these shiny homing nails, you will not have any left for healing. I learned that the hard way during a hallway brawl, and my ghost is probably still judging me.

Final Thoughts

The Pale Nails skill is absolutely worth the detour. It turns mobile enemies from aggravating pests into target practice. The route to The Cradle is a little vertical, but with Silk Soar you can manage it in a few minutes. Claim the hand, bind with it, and enjoy your new homing death needles. Now if only Pharloom would give me a map that does not look like abstract art.

Stay sharp, and keep some Silk in reserve.

While you are waiting for the next patch, DLC, or the eventual avalanche of Silksong-adjacent metroidvanias to land on your wishlist, it helps to know when Steam actually drops its prices. Store pages rarely make that obvious, which is why tools that watch prices for you are worth keeping bookmarked. One I have been using lately is [steam sale tracker]( from DealNest, which keeps an eye on discounts so you do not have to refresh the store every Tuesday evening hoping for a surprise.

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I Claimed the Heart of Might in Silksong: My Coral Tower Route

Hollow Knight: Silksong Heart of Might (Encrusted Heart) guide: cross Sands of Karak to Coral Tower and survive its brutal memory arenas.

In my 2026 playthrough of Hollow Knight: Silksong, I quickly realized that the Abyss cannot be survived without proper protection. That forced me to hunt down three ancient hearts from mighty warriors. The first one I decided to claim was the Heart of Might, also known as the Encrusted Heart. To get it, I had to cross the scorching Sands of Karak, reach the eastern Coral Tower, and then survive a brutal chain of arena fights inside a memory. Here is exactly how I did it.

Reaching Coral Tower from the Sands of Karak

I started at the Blasted Steps and kept moving to the right. The environment itself becomes part of the challenge: several hanging branches react when struck, growing just enough for Hornet to use them as platforms. The first major vertical room contains a hidden shortcut that leads directly to the upper level, but it can only be opened from above. If you want to skip some jumps, you can try using Silk Soar from the middle of the eastern vertical room. To open the shortcut properly, though, I dropped all the way to the bottom of that vertical shaft.

At the bottom, I hit the branch and quickly platformed upward. The timing can be tight, but each growth gives you just enough height to continue. Once I reached the top, I moved left and destroyed a rock above the bridge. That opened the shortcut back to the entrance, which is incredibly useful if you fall or need to retreat to a bench.

Continuing left required a mix of tools. The final branch led me to a wall, where I had Hornet cling and then jump to a higher wall. From there, Clawline carried me safely to the left platform.

Inside the building, I found a slumbering warrior surrounded by enemies. Before doing anything else, I turned right and went through a hidden passage to find a bench. That bench is essential because the upcoming sequence is long and merciless. After resting, I approached the warrior and played the Elegy of the Past with the needle. This transported Hornet into Coral Tower's memory, where the true trial begins.

What to Do Inside the Coral Tower Memory

Once inside Coral Tower, there are no puzzles or collectibles to chase. The entire sequence is a combat gauntlet: multiple arena fights, waves of enemies, and platforming under pressure. I used Silk Soar immediately to reach the top of the first room.

Then I went left and jumped up to trigger the first boss fight. This arena is all about endurance, because enemies arrive in waves. A large white jellyfish-like creature will sometimes appear during the fight. Striking it restores silk, which I saved for healing between waves. Having tools like the Cogfly equipped was extremely helpful. They attack enemies automatically, and if laced with venom, they deal extra damage while I focused on staying alive.

From there, I went up and turned left into a second arena. Midway through the battle, red spikes began covering parts of the floor. They stayed until near the end, when a larger enemy appeared and broke them. I found it safest to keep moving and not commit to long ground combos.

The third arena was the most punishing in my run. Almost immediately, the ground was covered in spikes, leaving no safe space to stand. Hornet had to stick to the walls and attack enemies without falling. This is where the Ascendant's Grip made a huge difference, because it prevents Hornet from sliding down walls. I had already purchased it from the Wandering Merchant after completing her quest. If you do not have it yet, I strongly recommend returning to get it before attempting this gauntlet.

After clearing that room, I ran to the top and destroyed a rock, which created a shortcut back to the Coral Tower entrance. It is a welcome safety net if you die later.

The fourth fight changed the arena completely. Instead of a wide floor, only three platforms were available. At some point during the fight, one platform broke and then reappeared later. I had to juggle positioning carefully while avoiding enemies. Once that fight ended, I used Silk Soar one last time to fly high into the final arena.

Facing the Crust King, Khann

At the top, the Crust King Khann waited. This boss likes to jump around frequently and can summon spikes from every corner of the arena. I found that patience was more important than aggression. I waited for his landing animations, landed a few hits, and immediately repositioned when the spikes began forming. Healing was risky, so I only used silk after creating distance. Defeating him rewarded me with the Encrusted Heart, completing the Heart of Might quest.

Quick Reference: Abilities and Tools

Tool / Ability
Why It Helps

Silk Soar
Reaches high platforms and the final boss arena

Clawline
Crosses wide gaps on the way to Coral Tower

Ascendant's Grip
Prevents wall sliding during the spiked third arena

Cogfly
Automatically attacks enemies, especially with venom

Now that I have the Heart of Might, I only need to defeat the other two mighty warriors to continue deeper into the Abyss. If you are stuck on this section, remember to open the shortcut early, use the hidden bench, and bring wall-control tools. Coral Tower is not about clever puzzles; it is a test of combat consistency, patience, and silk management.

The climb through Coral Tower may feel overwhelming at first, but every tool you invested in beforehand pays off in these tight, multi-wave encounters. That preparation-first design is what makes Silksong so satisfying, and it rewards players who pause to upgrade, explore optional areas, and return with the right kit. Whether you’re chasing the Abyss ending or simply clearing every quest, taking the time to ready yourself before a challenge can make all the difference between another corpse run and a clean victory.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong Savage Beastfly Quest Guide

Use Sting Shard, Curveclaw, and Pollip Pouch to beat the Savage Beastfly rematch in Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Bellhart quest in under a minute.

When I first faced the Savage Beastfly inside the Chapel of the Beast, I had a rough time simply because it tracks your movement while flying and immediately calls in three extra enemies to pile on pressure. In 2026, with the latest Hollow Knight: Silksong build, the rematch tied to the Bellhart quest still surprises many players, and the arena is honestly worse than the first encounter. I have tested this route several times, and the good news is that a specific loadout can end the fight in under a minute if you set up properly.

Prerequisites and Quest Start

Before you can accept the rematch wish, I recommend confirming three things:

• You have defeated the Savage Beastfly inside the Chapel of the Beast.

• You have progressed through the second Act.

• You have defeated the Cogwork Dancers.

Once those requirements are met, head to Bellhart and check the board for the Wish. Accept it. Then travel to the Far Fields Bellway Station. Tracking the beast from here is possible, but it takes time and offers no extra rewards, so I always skip the tracking step.

Reaching the Rematch Arena

From Far Fields Bellway Station, take the left passage. Then head down, and after that move right. You will eventually enter the same section as the Four Chorus. That is where the Savage Beastfly rematch takes place.

The arena here is more dangerous than the Chapel because lava surrounds the sides, and the boss can destroy platforms when it performs its slam-down attack. Keep this in mind before you trigger the fight, because losing a platform at the wrong moment can push you into a very bad position.

Recommended Loadout

This is the setup I use after many failed attempts with other tools. Bring the following:

Tool
Why It Works

Sting Shard
You can lay these out before the fight begins. If the boss touches them, the burst damage is huge.

Curveclaw
This gives you a safe long-range option while the Beastfly is flying around.

Pollip Pouch
It adds Venom to your tools, so every Sting Shard and Curveclaw hit becomes much more effective.

The key is preparation before the fight starts. With the Pollip Pouch adding Venom, your placed Sting Shards can deal so much damage that the encounter ends in less than a minute. I usually place several Sting Shards near the centre before triggering the boss, then immediately switch to Curveclaw for follow-up hits.

Fight Strategy

• 🪤 Pre-place Sting Shards: Before the boss activates, scatter a few traps around the safe platform area. The venom bonus makes a huge difference.

• Stay mobile: The Beastfly tracks your position while flying, so standing still is a death sentence. Keep moving toward undamaged platforms.

• Watch the lava: Since lava covers the sides, never dodge blindly toward the edges. Try to keep the fight near the centre until a platform breaks.

• Punish the slam: When the boss goes for the slam-down attack, it can destroy a platform. Wait for the animation to end, then counterattack quickly before it returns to the air.

• 🧹 Clear the adds: The boss summons three enemies at once. Kill them quickly with Curveclaw so you do not get surrounded while trying to avoid lava.

After the Beastfly dies, pick up the Horn Fragment. Then return to the Bellhart quest board. Completing the Wish will reward you with a Mask Shard, which is required to increase your maximum health.

This is one of those Silksong quests that feels unfair at first, but the right tools completely change the fight. I have not found a faster or safer method than the venom-backed Sting Shard opening. Even if you miss a trap or two, the Curveclaw gives you enough range to finish the job without standing in the lava. Good luck with the rematch, and keep moving.

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