Hades II vs Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hades II layers witchcraft and crafting onto the run loop; Silksong refines Hollow Knight's pogo combat into a 40-hour map crawl.
Updated 26d ago
Supergiant's hardest swing in years — Hades II isn't a remix, it's a deeper, weirder game that still respects the original's perfect run-based loop.
Hornet's pogo-and-dash silk kit moves better than the original's, and 40 hours at $20 is absurd value — unless you bounce off punishing boss timing.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 7.
| Measure | Hades II | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
|---|---|---|
| Value Hollow Knight: Silksong wins on value | ||
| Price now | $29.99 Microsoft Store | $19.99 Microsoft Store |
| All-time low | $20.99 | $14.99 |
| Cost / hour | $0.98/hr $29.99 · 31 h main story | $0.71/hr $19.99 · 28 h main story |
| Off its low | +43% low was Jun 2026 | +33% low was May 2026 |
| Main story | 31 h | 28 h |
| Health Hades II wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 96% 123k reviews | 89% 423k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 95% 963 votes · vs 96% lifetime | 91% 4k votes · vs 89% lifetime |
| Peak players | 7,334 Aug 2026 · ↓ 19% MoM | 12,305 Aug 2026 · ↓ 10% MoM |
| Launch peak | 7% of Sep 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | 3% of Sep 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 112,300 Sep 2025 | 462,134 Sep 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 8 weeks ago | 6 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 1 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Hades II
The sheer variety of weapon builds, boon combinations, and engaging narrative drive players to return for hundreds of hours.
from our May 2026 verdict
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hornet's silk-tool kit—pogo, wall-cling, and the needling dash—keeps veterans experimenting well past hour 100, with the movement system called smoother than the original.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Hades II if
- You've done 64+ heat runs in the original Hades and want deeper systems.
- Greek myth characters and a cast of dozens reward 30+ hours of investment.
- You accept a slower, stance-based combat rhythm over dash-and-strike.
Pick Hollow Knight: Silksong if
- Metroidvania map-reading is a hobby and you loved Hollow Knight's charm.
- You want a 40-hour exploration epic on a budget under $1 an hour.
- Boss fights with clear telegraphs but punishing punishes are your preferred difficulty.
Bottom line
Pick Hades II for its denser run-based systems, but it takes longer to click; pick Silksong for pure exploration and movement — its 28-hour story is shorter to finish.