Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Sword of the Sea
Punishing action or meditative traversal — choose your kind of challenge.
Six years late and worth the wait — Silksong is faster, meaner, and bigger than Hollow Knight, even if its early-game wall is taller than its predecessor's.
Giant Squid's at the height of their flow-state powers — Sword of the Sea is sand-surfing as meditation, and Wintory's score makes every dune feel monumental.
Steam popularity
Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Apr 2026 peak CCU 13,459 ↓ 8% MoM
All-time peak 462,134
Sword of the Sea
Apr 2026 peak CCU 26 ↓ 53% MoM
All-time peak 493
Key differences
Combat depth
Hollow Knight: Silksong has punishing-but-fair difficulty with complex boss battles.
Sword of the Sea has minimal combat, focusing on traversal and exploration.
World navigation
Silksong's map gates are less generous, requiring more exploration to unlock areas.
Sword of the Sea features open, flowing environments with minimal navigation challenges.
Game length
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a long, challenging experience with high replay value.
Sword of the Sea is a short, 5-6 hour 'experience over mechanics' game.
Which one is for you?
Pick Hollow Knight: Silksong if
- You enjoy punishing action games with deep combat mechanics
- You're looking for a long, challenging experience with high replay value
- You're a fan of Metroidvanias with complex world design
Pick Sword of the Sea if
- You prefer meditative, atmospheric experiences with minimal combat
- You're looking for a short, relaxing game with a beautiful soundtrack
- You value exploration and traversal over complex gameplay mechanics
Bottom line
Choose Silksong for a challenging action game, or Sword of the Sea for a meditative experience — the choice depends on your preferred type of engagement.