Guide
Hollow Knight: Silksong beginner guide: tips for Pharloom's early hours
How to get through the opening stretch of Hollow Knight: Silksong: managing silk, using the map and benches, and dealing with tough enemies.
Silksong is challenging from the start, and a few habits go a long way toward making the early game less punishing.
Understand silk
Silk powers healing and special skills, and it is gained by landing hits. Aggressive play that keeps up pressure tends to refill it faster than cautious play, so healing is usually best done when an enemy has just been staggered.
Buy the map
Mapmakers sell sections of the world, and a map makes backtracking far less confusing. Marking benches and points of interest helps in a game where retracing steps is common.
Rest at benches
Benches restore health and set the respawn point. Resting often costs nothing and shortens the runs back after a death.
Learn enemy patterns
Early enemies telegraph their attacks clearly. Backing away from a new enemy for a few seconds to watch how it moves is usually better than rushing in.
Explore side paths
Optional areas hold upgrades and tools that make later sections easier. When a boss feels too hard, exploring elsewhere for improvements is often quicker than repeated attempts.
Do not hoard currency
Rosaries and shards are more useful spent on tools and upgrades than kept for later, especially given how easy it is to lose some on a death.
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