Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 414 sampled Steam reviews (399 positive / 15 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing15% mention it
- Music & audio13% mention it
- World & exploration7% mention it
- Combat7% mention it
- Visuals & art5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing20% mention it
- Visuals & art20% mention it
- Difficulty & balance20% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
94%
48 reviews
5-15h
91%
70 reviews
15-40h
98%
82 reviews
40-100h
98%
126 reviews
100h+
98%
88 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 89 | 22 |
| Creator reviews (3 tracked) | – | 94 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 92 | 1748 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 94 | 105 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 96% | 90 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Mar 27, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 31259 total reviews in window · weighted 248.2 up / 13.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (82)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
“Hollow Knight is an outstanding game about exploration that's a joy to play, look at, and listen to. Offering tens of hours of superb gameplay, this release is easily worth the asking price and I encourage anyone who enjoys exploration to buy it, with the only exception being those who are particularly deterred by challenging games.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“"Stylish Metroidvania introduces new gameplay elements."”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A true masterpiece, near-perfect game. Fans of the genre will surely put it on a par with Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Hollow Knight can be considered the king of its genre. If you’re looking for something better, believe me, you’ll have a hard time finding it. When I was trying to think of a single downside to the game, I spent hours exploring the world, searching for even the smallest flaw. There is one, however, that you might not notice right away because it’s hidden behind the great experience, a slight sense of repetition. Simply put, you navigate each location by always having to find the cartographer and then go look for the boss, who will unlock a new ability that lets you access the next location.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Hollow Knight is a big, beautiful, forbidding Metroidvania that's absolutely thick with detail. From its punchy combat system to its charming art and sound design, this is one of the finest adventures you can have on Nintendo Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Charming and challenging, Hollow Knight sets the bar for upcoming metroidvanias.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Hollow Knight: A 2D metroidvania that blends action and adventure against the backdrop of a vast ruined kingdom populated by strange creatures.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“An excellent and challenging Metroidvania style game that is ultimately limited by its difficulty. If you can tackle its challenges, you'll find one of the most exciting games.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Another one of the titles I didn't originally review for the system, this is another one of those games that would be criminal not to include on top lists, especially given its difficult-but-addictive nature...”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Hollow Knight in its original PC form was exemplary, but now it has landed on Nintendo Switch, complete with all the bells and whistles that have been laden upon the gorgeous adventure since launch, as well as fresh post-release content. This proves to be the perfect antidote for those suffering from Super Metroid withdrawal symptoms. Team Cherry's ode to Nintendo's great may well have edged past its original inspiration. It truly is the game that just keeps on giving; absolutely sublime, in every sense of the word.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Hollow Knight won’t be an easy game to pick up. In fact, once you start it you’ll probably spend the first couple of hours just figuring out how to play it more than anything else. You’re thrust right into the action with minimal instructions. The map needs to be fully discovered by yourself, and can’t even be marked until you find a certain character in each zone. Even when you have the map, you still need to purchase an upgrade so you can see where you are on it in real time. The deck seems quite stacked against you, but the more you play, you’ll see just how great the reward is. What Team Cherry has given us is one of the greatest Metroidvania games to grace our systems, and it’s availability on the Switch now makes it even more exciting. Believe me when I say you do not want to miss out on this title.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Hollow Knight is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful 2D games and metroidvania style that has been released so far.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Fintendo
GameMAG
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
Hu3br
Indie Games Devel
Kinglink Reviews
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
The Switch Effect
Zoomg…and 70 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch Version 1.5.12620 Now LiveMar 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Version 1.5.12459 Now LiveFeb 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Cross-platform Cloud SavesAug 11, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Update notes for v1.5.78.11833Oct 21, 2021
- Update notes for v1.5.75.11827Jun 28, 2021
- Update notes for v1.5.72.11824Jun 25, 2021
- Update notes for v1.5.68.11808Jun 7, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Hollow Knight: Lifeblood has now launched for all Windows, Mac & Linux players!Apr 20, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Happy Holloween! The Grimm Troupe has Arrived!Oct 26, 2017
- Happy Holloween! The Grimm Troupe has Arrived!Oct 26, 2017
- Hollow Knight 1.0.1.4 is now live!Mar 14, 2017
- Hollow Knight 1.0.1.4 is now live!Mar 14, 2017
- Hollow Knight 1.0.0.7 is Now Live!Mar 9, 2017
- Hollow Knight 1.0.0.7 is Now Live!Mar 9, 2017significant · resets scoring window