Silksong is absolutely much, much harder than Hollow Knight. But I was surprised by how many people seem discouraged because they can’t progress due to this difficulty. So it made me question the way people are playing the game if they’re getting so frustrated. Based on a few assumptions, I came to some conclusions about what’s causing the problems—and a possible alternative to make your experience at least more fun.

I’ll start with broader problems and then narrow down to more specific solutions, which may contain some spoilers.

MAP TRAVERSAL

One complaint is that because of the excess of regular enemies that deal a lot of damage or have many moves, the game feels too hard to move around in—unlike the previous one. Interestingly, in my experience, the game felt more dynamic despite the difficulty, so I wondered why so many players felt otherwise.

I figured this might be because people are exploring Silksong’s map the same way they explored Hollow Knight’s, which is not a good idea. In Hollow Knight, it was common to fight every enemy you came across, because they all dropped Geo, which you needed to buy charms and such. But here, only a specific selection of enemies drops rosaries. The rest drop another currency (I forgot the name) that only lets you repair tools.

And that’s the key—there’s no need to kill every enemy in the map in hopes of getting stronger, because that’s not how it works here. Sure, it’s good to collect that other currency because it helps you rebuild useful tools, but if you’re not short on it, there’s no reason to “farm” it constantly. Besides, you don’t lose this currency when you die, which is another reason to avoid enemies that only drop it. Focus instead on those that drop rosaries.

Also, Hornet’s movement was designed specifically for fast traversal with minimal interruptions, especially during backtracking. The diagonal attack, for example, gives you a forward boost that helps you ignore enemies you don’t want to fight—unlike the Knight’s pogo move, which encouraged bouncing on their heads.

BENCH WARPING

Another tip that’s been essential for me in terms of quality of life is a technique already present in Hollow Knight: to avoid unnecessary backtracking, if you quit to the main menu and reload your save, you’ll return to the last bench you sat on—without losing your rosaries. This also works if you’re about to die with a lot of rosaries on hand and don’t want to risk losing them. And if you already died and want to safely recover them, use this trick so you don’t lose them trying to retrieve them.

COME BACK TO BOSSES LATER

Silksong has a lot of tough bosses early on, but what many may not know is that many of them aren’t mandatory to defeat immediately. Especially early in the game, some bosses are far easier to tackle once you have certain upgrades. Even bosses that seem mandatory can often be skipped.

Moorwing:

!If you’re struggling with Moorwing, you can complete the flea caravan quest, which skips the boss entirely. You can come back to fight it later, when you’re stronger.!<

Judge:

!If you’ve reached the gate to the Citadel and can’t get past the Judge, I recommend turning back and taking another route—there is another, much easier entrance to the Citadel.!<

SILKSONG IS NOT HOLLOW KNIGHT

As I said before, regarding map traversal, it’s not a good idea to play this game expecting it to behave exactly like Hollow Knight. The ideal is to learn the new mechanics, items, and systems because they make the game much easier. Many enemies that seem like a major obstacle become trivial once you learn how to use your tools properly. For instance, I’ve seen people complain about flying enemies being annoying, but remember you can always use your tools to clear the most irritating ones.

The “charm” system in this game is more complex, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad or lacks customization. There are many combinations and items that can make a huge difference in certain bosses.

Examples:
– For the Judge, >!using the Magma Bell reduces fire damage to 1.!<
– For the Winged Beast, >!you can use traps, tools, or your silk ability to instantly kill its summons.!<
– In some trials, certain upgrades are essential.

It’s important to get used to Hornet’s new movement abilities and not limit yourself to Hollow Knight’s style—just dashing along the ground and pogoing.

IF YOU HATE THE DIAGONAL ATTACK

Many already know this, but the game has a C>!rest system that can drastically change Hornet’s playstyle, including speed, attack range, and even her downward attack.!<

!One of the first and easiest you can get is the Reaper’s Crest, found in the Gray Swamp. It makes pogo attacks much easier to land. It might take a bit to obtain, but it can be a game-changer if you’re struggling with the diagonal strike. Whenever I encounter platforming sections, I use this crest.!<

!If you don’t mind looking up spoilers for location and map online and want to ditch the diagonal strike as soon as possible, I recommend searching for this Crest.!<

IF YOU HATE TAKING 2 DAMAGE

Sadly, there isn’t much to do here except get used to it. You take 2 damage, but in exchange, you can heal 3 health. This becomes easier later in the game when you have more freedom to explore and some charms to deal with it. Some upgrades help with silk gathering, which makes this part smoother. While there isn’t a direct fix, the advice above might help you handle this better.

LONG BOSS RUNS

This tip is for those who really can’t stand this feature. I didn’t mind it because I enjoy the game’s parkour, but I get that some players don’t—or just don’t have the time and end up frustrated. If Team Cherry doesn’t balance this in some future update release, I recommend looking into the Marika Mod. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but it apparently lets you respawn in the last room where you died instead of at the bench. It might improve the game’s quality of life for players with limited time to deal with long boss runs.

SILKSONG IS KINDA A SOULSLIKE
Maybe many here aren’t very familiar with this genre, and Silksong, just like Hollow Knight, brings several soulslike elements—losing resources when you die, higher difficulty, and enemies with tough attack patterns. Because of that, players who are used to this type of game tend to handle it more calmly, as they’re already used to dealing with enemies blocking their path without getting too frustrated. So, I think the mindset of realizing the problem isn’t just you—that other people also struggled, but you’re also capable of overcoming the challenge—is something players of this genre naturally develop over time. And remember to take breaks. Our brain processes a lot of information in the background, so it’s important to hit reset when you start feeling too frustrated. You can go do something else in the game, or just step away for a bit and come back to the boss later.

My main language isn’t English, and I translated the names of some bosses directly from my language, so I hope that doesn’t cause any confusion. I also hope this way of playing the game can make things more enjoyable for those who are struggling