Beginner's Guide to Hollow Knight
New to Hollow Knight? This guide covers movement, charms, Geo management, maps, and early-game progression.
Basic Movement & Combat
- 1Attack with your nail, heal with Focus (hold the heal button while standing still).
- 2You gain Soul by hitting enemies - this is used to heal and cast spells.
- 3Learn to pogo (downward attack while in air) early - it is essential.
- 4Your shade appears where you died - kill it to recover your Geo.
- 5If you die again before recovering your shade, that Geo is lost forever.
Exploration Tips
- 1Buy the Wayward Compass charm from Iselda first - it shows you on the map.
- 2Buy maps from Cornifer (humming sound) in each new area.
- 3Benches save your game and refill your health.
- 4Break walls that look different - many secrets are behind breakable walls.
- 5Talk to NPCs multiple times - they often have more dialogue.
Geo Management
- 1Geo is the currency - collect it from enemies and breakable objects.
- 2Spend Geo on maps, charms, and upgrades before exploring dangerous areas.
- 3The Gathering Swarm charm automatically collects nearby Geo.
- 4Use the bank in Fog Canyon to save large amounts of Geo.
- 5Fragile charms break on death - only buy them when you can afford to repair.
Charm System
- 1Charms provide passive abilities and can be equipped at benches.
- 2You start with 3 notch slots and can find more throughout the game.
- 3Experiment with different charm combinations for different playstyles.
- 4Soul Catcher + Shaman Stone is great for spell-focused builds.
- 5Quick Slash + Unbreakable Strength is the best melee damage combo.
Early Game Progression
- 1Forgotten Crossroads -> Greenpath -> Fungal Wastes -> City of Tears is the main path.
- 2Get Mothwing Cloak (dash) from Greenpath by defeating Hornet.
- 3Get Mantis Claw (wall jump) from Fungal Wastes.
- 4Get Vengeful Spirit (spell) from the Shaman in Forgotten Crossroads.
- 5Upgrade your nail at the Nailsmith in City of Tears whenever possible.