Steam reviews
548,546 of 566,024 Steam user reviews are positive (96.9%) and Steam's own label is “Overwhelmingly Positive”, according to Steam's review summary for Hollow Knight at the last data refresh.
What Steam reviewers mention
19 of the 20 sampled reviews recommend it. Detailed texts praise demanding but fair combat, memorable bosses, a large world, art, music, lore and a low price; reservations are steep difficulty, getting lost, and grind or burnout. Several texts are memes or one-word verdicts, including the lone negative review.
Sample: 20 reviews from Steam's English filter (10 most helpful, 10 most recent, ), 19 recommending · how Claude counts topics
- Difficulty and Boss Fights (praised in 8, criticised in 4 of 20): Reviewers call the challenge hard but mostly fair and deeply satisfying, praising tight combat and memorable bosses, while warning that casual players may struggle, some platforming feels unfair, and late fights can be draining.
- Exploration and Content Amount (praised in 6, criticised in 1 of 20): Reviewers praise a large, non-linear world packed with secrets, long playtime and free content updates, though one warns that heavy roaming can leave players lost about where to go.
- Price and Value (praised in 5 of 20): Reviewers consistently say the game offers a lot of content for a low price, with some saying they would have paid more.
- Art, Music and Atmosphere (praised in 4 of 20): Reviewers praise the hand-crafted art, atmospheric soundtrack and detailed areas such as the City of Tears.
- Story and Lore (praised in 6 of 20): Reviewers enjoy the cryptic lore and gradually revealed story, with one saying that finishing the game sparked an urge to look up wikis and videos.
- Pacing and Grind (praised in 4, criticised in 6 of 20): Reviewers describe stretches that feel grindy, slow to start or draining, including getting stuck for hours or burning out near the end, though several say pushing on made it rewarding.
Good for
- Metroidvania fans who value atmosphere, world density, and exploration over mechanical flashiness
- Players who want a large, content-rich experience at a low price
- Those who enjoy seeking optional challenge content beyond the critical path
- Players drawn to melancholy, hand-drawn art direction with orchestral score
Avoid if
- You want frequent fast travel or clear map markers — Hollow Knight's navigation is intentionally opaque at first
- The lack of explicit quest tracking and dialogue may be frustrating if you prefer guided progression
- You find the combat demanding with limited attack options early — the skill ceiling is high but the early floor is also significant
- You want a game with a clear, expository narrative — Hollow Knight's lore requires active piecing together
Is Hollow Knight an indie game?
Yes. Steam lists Hollow Knight under the "Indie" genre, and its publisher is not on this site's major-publisher list.
- Steam genre tags on record: Action, Adventure, Indie — includes "Indie".
- Developer: Team Cherry.
- Publisher: Team Cherry — same as the developer, i.e. self-published; not on this site's major-publisher list.
The rubric, its limits and the publisher list: methodology.