My Missing Courier Wish: Finding Tipp in Hollow Knight Silksong Silksong My Missing Courier Wish guide: track Tipp in Lower Shellwood, free Bellhart, unlock Multibinder, Spool Fragment, Memory Locket. During my latest pilgrimage through Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026, I finally resolved the My Missing Courier Wish—a side quest that had been taunting me from Bellhart’s wish board like a half-remembered melody. I had put it off for weeks, distracted by the game’s sprawling map and brutal bosses, but the promise of new shop inventory was too tempting. So I sharpened my needle, stocked up on silk, and set out to find a courier named Tipp who had vanished somewhere in Lower Shellwood. Before I could even accept the wish, I had to free Bellhart from its curse. That meant breaking the town’s grim spell so its townsbugs could walk freely, open their shops, and speak with me again. Once Bellhart breathed easy, the wish board appeared, and My Missing Courier became available. The description pointed me toward Lower Shellwood, and I felt the familiar itch of a trail gone cold. Tracking Tipp: A Trail of Four Clues The hunt for Tipp unfolded like a silk thread snagged on a bramble—each clue a knot I had to untie. The tracking nodes were not marked on my map, so I relied on environmental hints. Here is how the trail broke down for me: Location Hint #1 — I found the first clue almost exactly in the middle of Lower Shellwood, with fragments lying on the ground. Inspecting them triggered a prompt to track Tipp. The trail pulled me west and up into a dead-end corridor, where the second node waited. Location Hint #2 — From that first drop, I headed further west, still in the bottom section of the map, until I reached the exit toward Bone Bottom. At the end of that area, the third hint glimmered. Location Hint #3 — This one led me into the western portions of the map, into the bench room leading to Bone Bottom. It was a shorter tracking hint, guiding me downward into a small corner where several bugs skittered around the final hint. Final Hint — For the last node, I descended the vertical shaft to its middle section. Tipp’s location was on the left-hand side, on a cliff facing inward toward the drop. Two bugs surrounded him. I killed both to free him, and he spoke with me before making his way back to Bellhart. The vertical shaft swallowed me like a hollow reed drinking rain, and for a moment I wondered if I had missed a turn. But the final clue was unmistakable: a courier trapped, not by chains, but by the quiet menace of Shellwood’s fauna. What Tipp Unlocks in Bellhart Once Tipp returned to Bellhart, I headed back to see what the shop now offered. The inventory had expanded with a few expensive but powerful items. If you are short on rosaries, you may need to grind, but these are worth the effort: Item Effect Multibinder Tool Extends the act of binding to gain greater healing. Spool Fragment Adds extra silk to your reserves. Memory Locket Expands your Crests. With Tipp saved and the town inventory stocked, I felt my kit grow sharper. Greater healing, extra silk, and a memory locket to expand my Crests—each upgrade felt like adding a new verse to a song I was still learning to sing. The Multibinder Tool alone changed how I approached boss fights, letting me bind longer and recover more health in tight spots. Final Thoughts from a 2026 Run Even in 2026, with countless patches and community discoveries, My Missing Courier remains one of Silksong’s more humane wishes. It does not demand a boss fight or a pixel-perfect platforming gauntlet. Instead, it asks you to pay attention, to read the land, and to follow a trail that unspools like a spool of silk caught in a thornbush. For me, that quiet detective work was a welcome pause between Hornet’s more violent errands. If you are still wandering Pharloom, I recommend finishing this wish before you push into the game’s later regions. The shop upgrades are practical, the tracking puzzle is satisfying, and Tipp’s return to Bellhart adds a small but meaningful warmth to the town. So grab your needle, free Bellhart if you have not already, and head to Lower Shellwood. Tipp is waiting—and he has been waiting far too long. 🧭️ If you are the kind of player who likes chasing side quests and hidden vendors before moving on, that same patience can pay off when building out your library. I usually keep a shortlist of games I want to try next and check [game deals today]( on DealNest before paying full price—especially useful when a sale lines up with a lull between Silksong sessions. It is not tied to Pharloom or Tipp, but if you enjoy the rhythm of exploring, upgrading, and discovering quiet corners, DealNest is a handy place to spot discounts on similar metroidvanias and indie adventures without breaking your rosary budget. https://dealnesthq.com

How To Buy A Home In Hollow Knight: Silksong (And Why It Costs So Many Rosaries) Hollow Knight Silksong house guide: Hornet buys Bellhart's home for 650 Rosaries, then installs Materium and Farsight. Pharloom is not a home. It is a hostile, bug-infested obstacle course with benches that look like they were assembled by a blind carpenter. In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet is a traveller, a wandering knight, a creature of perpetual motion. Rest is a bench. Safety is a rumour. And yet, after defeating the Widow, an empty house in Bellhart sits there like a tiny, roofless promise. As of 2026, this fixer-upper remains one of the game's strangest and most endearing side projects: a chance for a homeless warrior to become a homeowner, assuming the rosaries are available and the local landlord is in a good mood. The Key To The House Real estate in Pharloom is not cheap. Just like in real life, houses do not come with a complimentary jar of honey. The main requirement is completing every single quest on Bellhart's Wishboard, including the two restoration quests on offer. Those quests are: Quest Cost Restoration of Bellhart 250 Rosaries Bellhart's Glory 400 Rosaries That is 650 rosaries before the player even thinks about curtains. The smarter approach is to wait until the knight has at least reached the Citadel. The Citadel opens up excellent rosary farming spots, and it also contains a special item found only in the Memorium area. Once every Bellhart quest is complete and all the rosaries have been donated, the player should speak to Pavo. He will recognise the effort and reward the knight with the key. If Pavo refuses to hand it over, leaving the area and coming back usually fixes his sudden case of forgetfulness. Achievement Gallery The house is not just a place to store extra shells and regrets. It also becomes a small gallery for two interesting installations, both of which offer more insight into the game itself. Materium The Materium is relatively easy to find, tucked away near the top of Memorium in the Citadel. Exploring that area requires the Faydown Cloak, so players should not expect to grab it on a casual stroll. When installed in the house, the Materium displays the following objects that the knight has found and used throughout the adventure: Quest Objects Relics Psalm Cylinders Mementos Realistically, the Materium does not do anything mechanical. It is a museum of memories, a way to look back on every strange trinket and forgotten favour that shaped the journey. In a game about constant violence, that is almost disgustingly wholesome. Farsight The Farsight is an object that can be picked up in the Abyss at the beginning of Act 3. The image above shows the exact location. Once installed, it reveals many things related to total completion of the game. For example, looking at the save file just above the time played will show a completion percentage. It also displays missing slots in the tool display, so the player knows how many more tools still need to be found. Again, the Farsight is not particularly useful in combat, but it is a nice quality-of-life feature for completionists who enjoy staring at numbers and feeling judged by them. Home Refurbishments ️ After obtaining the key, the shop in Bellhart will stock a bunch of items that can be used to improve the humble dwelling. Are these things really worth buying? Probably not. Many players learn that the hard way, usually after spending a small fortune on decorative nonsense while their actual combat tools remain tragically underpowered. But if the knight is swimming in rosaries and has nothing else to buy, there is no harm in splashing some cash. The house does not make Pharloom less dangerous. It does not make the bosses fairer. It does not stop the benches from being placed at the exact opposite end of a difficult platforming section. What it does provide is a rare moment of belonging. In 2026, long after the initial chaos of release, that tiny Bellhart home still stands as a reminder that even a wandering knight deserves somewhere to hang her needle. And if the decorations are overpriced? Well, that is just Pharloom's version of a homeowner's association. Spending rosaries around Bellhart is one kind of shopping, but the real-world version — tracking down games without paying full price — is a different beast entirely. Whether it is Silksong itself or another metroidvania waiting to fill the gap between boss attempts, launch prices rarely stay that way for long, and knowing where the discounts actually surface saves both money and the small indignity of buying something the week before it goes on sale. That is where a resource like [DealNest game deals]( earns its keep: a quick scan of current offers before committing, so chasing the next adventure costs a little less than a fully upgraded needle. Pharloom's shopkeepers may never mark anything down, but the storefronts outside it occasionally do. https://dealnesthq.com

How I Became a Homeowner in Hollow Knight: Silksong (And You Can Too) Pharloom Bellhome offers bug warriors a cozy, customizable sanctuary; unlock your dream abode with quests and Rosaries in Bellhart. Listen, I've spent countless hours in Pharloom, dodging spiked balls and getting my silk handed to me by giant bugs. But nothing—and I mean nothing—prepared me for the sheer domestic bliss of owning a Bellhome. It's like finding a warm cup of tea in a hurricane of hostility. So here's my tale of how I became the proud owner of a cozy bell-shaped abode, and how you can too without losing your mind or your Rosaries. Unlocking the Bellhome: A Homeowner's Odyssey First things first: you can't just waltz into Bellhart and claim a home. You've got to earn it. Think of it as the world's most dangerous homeowners association. To even start, you need to defeat Widow and complete the Threadspun Town task. That opens up Bellhart, and from there, you'll want to keep exploring Pharloom and returning to the Wish board like a moth to a very quest-heavy flame. There are three quests you should complete: Restoration of Bellhart (required) My Missing Courier (recommended) My Missing Brother (recommended) Donating 250 Rosaries kicks off the town's reconstruction. While that's happening, finish those two courier quests—they unlock a courier service that will become your best friend for the Rosary grind ahead. As you build up the town and save its patrons, talk to Pavo. Always make sure he has nothing new to say. Eventually, once you've found more benches and explored more map areas, the construction finishes. If you've been diligent with the Wishes, your next chat with Pavo rewards you with the Bellhome Key. Your Bellhome is on the third level of the town, above the Pinmaster and Relic Seeker. Use the key, step inside, and bask in the glow of the Resident trophy/achievement. For now, it's just a bed. But oh, the decorating possibilities! Decorating Your Bellhome: Because Even Bug Warriors Need Throw Pillows Once you have the key, head to Frey at the Bellhart general goods store. She sells all the decorations, except the Spa, which requires you to buy two other upgrades first. These items are expensive and serve little practical purpose beyond making your home look fabulous. Here's the full list: Upgrade Price What Is It? Desk 380 Rosaries Allows you to read Relics you've turned in to the Relic Seeker. Gleamlights 320 Rosaries Lights up the home's interior. Bell Lacquer 520 Rosaries Paint the outside of the bellhome: Red, Silver, Black, Yellow, or Blue. Personal Spa 1,100 Rosaries Adds a second floor with a hot spring that regenerates Silk and Masks. Most decorations appear immediately after purchase, but the Bell Lacquer takes time to apply—you can watch the paint dry while you adventure, which is oddly satisfying. Gathering Rosaries Fast: The 45-Minute Money Method Altogether, all upgrades cost a staggering 2,320 Rosaries. That's like trying to teach a Grub to tap dance—daunting but not impossible. The key is the courier service. With Tipp & Pibb's Courier Service unlocked, you can make deliveries that pay very well. My go-to is the Pilgrim's Rest run, netting about 239 Rosaries every four minutes. You'll need the Silkshot tool (or similar) and the Pollip Pouch. If Pilgrim's Rest isn't available, Bone Bottom is the next best choice, giving 128 Rosaries if you defeat the fishermen on the way. But Pilgrim's Rest is the safest and most lucrative. Here's my step-by-step route: Go through Greymoor, taking out the scissor bug in the first room. Dash right until you reach the room with another scissor bug patrolling above. Destroy him from below if you can. In the room with the trident bug, use your trap to defeat it quickly. Kill the other bug beyond it before climbing up. Use your trap in the pilgrims room to take out the first three and last two bugs. You can kill the bellbearer between the pilgrim sets from below. Dash to Far Fields and fall down on the right side for the first two wind sections. Switch to the left side and fall gently onto the left side next to the shortcut. Run to Pilgrim's Rest to drop off the package. Fall down toward the Bellway Station, but stop by the target practice room to kill both bugs. Take the Bellway back to Bellhart to repeat as necessary. With this method, you can afford every upgrade in under 45 minutes. No Rosary Strings, no risk of losing your hard-earned geo—just pure, efficient capitalism. Before you know it, your Bellhome will be the envy of every bug in Pharloom. And honestly? After all those boss fights, you deserve a spa day. If there's one thing a long courier grind teaches you, it's the value of patience and a route you can repeat without thinking—and that instinct has a habit of following you out of Pharloom. Holding off on a purchase until the price finally drops is the real-world version of the same discipline, and it pays off just as reliably. For anyone who'd rather not sit around refreshing storefronts hoping the number moves, a [game price tracker]( like DealNest does the watching for you, surfacing discounts across stores so you can decide when a title is actually worth the spend. Same efficiency mindset, just pointed at your wallet instead of your Rosary count. https://dealnesthq.com

Silksong: How Long to Beat It Without Crying (Too Much) Hollow Knight: Silksong game length varies—main story takes 20-25 hours, while completionists may spend up to 50 hours exploring. I've been playing Hollow Knight: Silksong since it dropped, and let me tell you, this game is a time vortex. One minute you're casually exploring a mossy cave, the next you've lost an entire weekend to a boss that looks like an angry pillow. But how long does it actually take to beat? Well, that depends on whether you're a "just here for the story" type or a "I must find every single secret or I will perish" type. Let me break it down for you, based on my own painful, beautiful experience. First, let's get one thing straight: Silksong is a Metroidvania, which means the game's length is as flexible as a gymnast made of rubber. You can sprint through the main story in about 20 to 25 hours, assuming you don't get stuck on a boss for three hours like I did with that one in the late game. (Seriously, that boss had more phases than a moody teenager.) But if you want to explore a bit more freely, expect 27 to 30 hours. And if you're a completionist? Buckle up, buttercup, because you're looking at 45 to 50 hours. The Main Story: A Sprint Through the Pain If you're like me and you want to see the credits without selling your soul to every optional side quest, you can beat the main path in about 20 to 25 hours. That's just Acts 1 and 2, by the way. The catch? Focusing on the main path makes the game harder because you're skipping power-ups and tools that would make your life easier. It's like trying to assemble IKEA furniture with a spork—you might get there, but you'll be sweating and questioning your choices. And here's the thing: your mileage may vary wildly. If you're a platforming god, maybe you'll breeze through. If you're like me and you spend 45 minutes trying to nail a single jump, add a few hours. Boss fights are the real time sinks. Some you'll one-shot, others will make you question your entire gaming career. The Completionist Run: Where Time Goes to Die Now, if you're a completionist, Silksong is a buffet of content. We're talking 45 to 50 hours, and that's if you're efficient. If you're like me and you get distracted by every shiny object, add another 10 hours. The checklist for a full completion is intense: Unlock the map of every biome (all 28 of them, because why not?) Acquire all Silk Skills, Tools, and Ancestral Arts Find every hidden area and claim all important items like Spool Fragments and Mask Shards Finish all wishes, which unlocks a secret third act with The Abyss biome Find and complete every achievement, including the hidden ones That last one is a doozy. It's like trying to collect every grain of sand on a beach—noble, but slightly insane. The Biomes You Can't Avoid (Unless You're a Wizard) If you're sticking to the main story, you'll still visit a bunch of biomes. Here's the exact order, in case you want to plan your suffering: Moss Grotto The Marrow Deep Docks Far Fields Greymoor Bellhart and Shellwood Blasted Steps Grand Gate (only for a moment) Underworks Choral Chambers Cogwork Core, Whispering Vaults, High Halls The Cradle That's 12 areas, but the game has 28 biomes total. So you're skipping a lot. It's like reading a choose-your-own-adventure book but always picking the same page—you'll still get a story, but you're missing the wild twists. So, How Long Should You Take? Honestly, it depends on what you want. If you just want to experience the story, 20-25 hours is fine. If you want to explore without going full completionist, 27-30 hours. If you're a glutton for punishment and want every achievement, 45-50 hours. And if you're like me, you'll probably fall somewhere in between, spending way too long trying to find that one hidden room because you're convinced there's a secret there. (There wasn't.) In the end, Silksong respects your time if you respect its challenges. Just don't expect to speedrun it on your first try. That's like trying to teach a goldfish to juggle—technically impressive, but ultimately futile. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a third act to unlock and a therapist to schedule. Happy gaming! If you're plotting your own Silksong marathon—or just lining up a few metroidvanias to fill the wait before your next obsession—keeping tabs on game deals can make that backlog a lot less painful. I've started browsing [DealNest]( for discounts on titles I'd otherwise overpay for, and it's been an easy way to stock up on rainy-day adventures without draining my budget. Whether you're after a sale on the base game or hunting for cheap indie gems to tide you over between boss fights, a quick look can save you a few coins. It won't unlock any secret endings for you, but at least your wallet gets a breather. https://dealnesthq.com

The Last 455: Why Pontiac’s 1976 Trans Am Still Steals My Heart in 2026 The 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 HO is an affordable muscle car icon—Pontiac's last big-block V8. I still remember the first time I heard a 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 HO wake up. It was not a polite little starter motor whine. It was a deep, rattling, carb-fed growl that made the windows in my garage buzz. That was five years ago, and now in 2026, that memory still gives me goosebumps. Because here is the crazy part: this final big-block Pontiac is still shockingly affordable. While Hemi Mopars and LS6 Chevelles have become auction royalty, the last 455-powered Trans Am remains the blue-collar hero of the muscle car world. By 1976, Detroit was not exactly having a party. Emissions regulations, rising insurance premiums, and the oil crisis had forced the Motor City to retreat with its tail between its legs. Horsepower ratings fell, compression ratios dropped, and even the mighty muscle car brands had to rethink everything. But Pontiac had one last card to play: the 455-cubic-inch High Output V8. It was not the fire-breathing monster of the early 1970s—factory numbers said 200 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque—but it still had enough twist to shove you back in the seat and make the rear tires beg for mercy. It came almost exclusively with a Super T10 four-speed manual, and the iconic Screaming Chicken hood decal was the chef’s kiss on top. Let me tell you, the 455 HO did not just start. It awakened. It shuddered, snorted, and then settled into a lumpy idle that felt like the car was breathing. Contemporary reviews called it crude, and in 2026 that is probably true. But crude is exactly what I want from a muscle car. Small-displacement engines can be fast, but they cannot replicate that feeling. The 455 was Pontiac’s final big-block in the Firebird, and it carried a symbolic weight that no spec sheet can capture. It was the last time buyers could get Pontiac’s biggest engine before downsizing took over. In hindsight, it was the closing chapter of an American tradition. Production numbers make it even more special. Pontiac built 46,701 Trans Ams in 1976, but only 7,528 were ordered with the 455. The T-top versions are rarer still, and the 50th Anniversary Special Edition came with that now-iconic black-and-gold Smokey and the Bandit paint job, unique stripes, and honeycomb wheels. I am not gonna lie: every time I see one, I get a little weak in the knees. It is a rolling time capsule from a world that no longer exists. But the real story for me is the price. In 2026, Hagerty still values a good-condition 1976 Trans Am 455 HO around the low $30,000s. That is less than a new Volkswagen Golf GTI, which in 2025 started just over $31,000 and has half the displacement, no V8 soundtrack, and none of the retro cool. Let that sink in. You can buy a genuine big-block piece of Pontiac history for the price of a loaded compact hatchback. Here is how it stacks up against other legends: Car Typical value (2026) 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 HO $30,000–$40,000 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 HEMI $200,000–$300,000 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 $100,000+ 1970 Boss 302 Mustang $100,000+ for concours That table is why I call the 455 Trans Am the most undervalued collector car of the 1970s. It is not a garage queen. It is a driver. Pontiac tuned the chassis and gave it a wider stance, so it actually handles with more confidence than many of its rivals. You can take it on a weekend cruise, let the shaker scoop suck in air, and feel the torque push you down the road. It is practical enough for modern traffic, as long as you are willing to feed that big V8. And honestly? That is the point. Pontiac itself is gone. General Motors phased out the brand after the 2008 financial crisis, and by 2010 it was over. In 2026, Pontiac has been dead for more than a decade and a half. That fact makes the 1976 Trans Am 455 HO even more precious. It is not just a cool car. It is the last of its kind: the final Pontiac to feature the 455 cubic inch V8, a big middle finger to a changing industry, and a reminder that the market does not always reward nostalgia in predictable ways. So if you have been dreaming of a big-block muscle car but thought you needed six figures, wake up. The 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 HO is still out there, still affordable, and still ready to rumble. Do not let it sit in an air-conditioned garage. Drive it. Let it shake the parking lot. Let it remind you what American muscle was all about. That is what I plan to do in 2026, and I cannot wait. If you are ready to stop daydreaming and start hunting for a car like this, the search itself can be half the adventure — and half the frustration. Classifieds are scattered across a dozen sites, prices swing wildly depending on region and condition, and by the time you spot a clean 455 HO, someone else has already called dibs. That is exactly the kind of gap [DealNest]( was built to close, pulling deal listings into one place so you spend less time refreshing browser tabs and more time figuring out whether that black-and-gold survivor in the photos is the one worth driving three states to see. Whether you are chasing a Trans Am or just keeping an eye on where the affordable end of the muscle car market is heading, having a single hub for listings and pricing signals makes the whole process feel less like a gamble. The cars are still out there. The trick is knowing where to look before someone else does. https://dealnesthq.com

How to Snag the Architect Key in Silksong (and Not Die Trying) Get the Silksong Architect Crest: find the Architect Key, White Key, and Clawline in Act 2, then solve the lever puzzle in the Chapel. So, you've made it to Act 2 of Silksong, and you've heard whispers about a fancy new Crest that lets you craft tools mid-combat like some kind of silk-powered MacGyver. That's the Architect Crest, and to get it, you first need the Architect Key. I spent an embarrassing amount of time wandering the Underworks, getting dunked in lava, and arguing with a lever, so you don't have to. Here's my step-by-step guide, peppered with my own tears and occasional triumph. Step 1: Get the White Key (Because Everything Needs a Key) After you leave the Underworks and reach the Coral Chambers in Act 2, your first order of business is finding the White Key. This shiny little rectangle unlocks the elevator that takes you down into Whiteward and eventually to the eastern section of the Underworks. Where is it? Top right of the Citadel, inside the Songclave. I know, I know—the Citadel is huge. Just hug the right wall and pray. Once you grab it, haul yourself back and make your way to the Underworks. You'll eventually hit a bench where you can hear some NPC yapping away. That's your target, but you can't reach him yet. Of course you can't. Why would anything be simple? Step 2: Detour for the Clawline Ability (Because You're Not Spider-Man Yet) Frustrated? Good. Now go left from the bench, then down to the bottom where the lava is. Yes, actual lava. Head right and prepare for a platforming section that made me question my reflexes, my controller, and my life choices. This hellish gauntlet leads to the central part of Eastern Underworks, where you'll find the Clawline ability. Grab it, and suddenly you can grapple like a silken Indiana Jones. Step 3: Return to the Bench and Harpoon Your Way to the NPC With Clawline in hand, head back up to the bench. Jump up and look for a grapple point. Harpoon it and swing your way into the NPC's room. Inside, you'll meet the Twelfth Architect—a charming fellow who sells various Tools and, more importantly, the Architect Key for 110 Rosaries. Yes, 110. I hope you've been hoarding your Rosaries like a dragon. If not, go farm some enemies and come back. He'll wait. He's very patient. Step 4: The Lever Puzzle (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hit Everything) With the key in your pocket, head right of the NPC. There's a lever—hit it. A door opens. Go up and turn left to find a second lever. Hit that too. Now you're in an area above the Twelfth Architect. Jump and dash to the left side, and hit the third lever. Congratulations, you've activated a passage that leads to a locked gate bearing the Architect's symbol. Use your key, and step into the Chapel of the Architect. Unlike other chapels that throw bosses or enemy waves at you, this one is blissfully empty. No enemies. Just you, your key, and a shiny new Crest. Walk over and claim the Architect Crest using your Bind. What Does the Architect Crest Actually Do? The Architect Crest has a unique slot layout: 3 Red, 2 Blue, 2 Yellow, and 0 White. Here's a quick table for you visual learners: Slot Color Number Red 3 Blue 2 Yellow 2 White 0 Press up + Circle/B on your controller to spend Silk and craft new tools on the fly. It's like having a tiny workshop in your pocket. The normal and charged attacks are also different—they look like screws that can shred foes. I'm not kidding. Hornet literally attacks with spinning screws. It's absurd and I love it. Final Tips (From Someone Who Suffered) ️ Don't forget the White Key. You'll feel silly. The lava platforming section is brutal. Take breaks. Hydrate. Save up 110 Rosaries before visiting the Twelfth Architect. He doesn't haggle. The Architect Crest is fantastic for tool-focused builds. Experiment! The levers are not hidden, but they are easy to miss if you're panicking. Breathe. And that's it! Now go forth and craft tools mid-air like the chaotic silk warrior you were meant to be. If you see me in the Underworks, still stuck on that lava jump, please don't laugh. Too loudly. If all that Rosary grinding left you thinking about how to stretch a budget, you're not alone—Hornet's economy is harsh, but at least real-world spending doesn't require farming enemies in the Underworks. For anyone who'd rather put that hoarding instinct to better use on actual purchases, DealNest is a handy spot to keep an eye on, especially if you're building out a library of games to play once you finally put Silksong down (assuming that day ever comes). They track [PC game discounts]( across a range of storefronts, which is a lot less tedious than refreshing store pages one by one. Worth a look between boss attempts—just don't blame me if you end up with a backlog longer than your list of unfinished Crests. https://dealnesthq.com

Silksong's Secret Nerfs Are Proof Team Cherry Has a Heart Hollow Knight: Silksong's brutal difficulty hides secret nerfs: cogs and fans now deal one mask damage instead of two after launch complaints. After seven years of waiting, I finally sat down with Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026, and my hands were sweating before the title screen even finished glowing. Seven years! I have changed jobs twice, my houseplants have died and been replaced, and yet Hornet still fights like she just learned I insulted her mother. I love it. I also kind of hate it, because Silksong launched with a difficulty curve shaped like a brick wall covered in saw blades. My first ten hours were less a heroic adventure and more a series of polite funerals for my own confidence. Compared to the original Hollow Knight, Silksong shipped with way more enemies and environmental hazards that deal double damage. That means one stupid mistake stops being a lesson and starts being a full health bar disappearing into the ether. Unsurprisingly, unhappy players flooded the internet. The launch complaints got so loud that Silksong racked up more than double the negative reviews Hollow Knight ever received. That is an achievement, just not the kind Team Cherry wanted. When Team Cherry announced its first patch, I read the notes like they were a love letter. The official list promised a slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter, plus a reduction in damage from Sandcarvers. They also mentioned various additional fixes and tweaks, which I assumed was polite developer language for changing the font on a menu. Turns out, the patch notes were hiding secrets. A sharp-eyed player on Reddit named TomNook5085 noticed that some hazards got quieter nerfs than the official notes suggested. After reading that, my buddy Luke and I did our own follow-up testing, because clearly neither of us had anything better to do than get smacked by machinery in the name of science. Here is the part that made me gasp: the cogs in the Choral Chambers and the fans in the Grand Citadel both had their damage reduced from two masks to one. Two masks to one! That is not a small tweak. That is the difference between walking out of a room with a story to tell and walking out of a room as a ghost. Even better, this means Team Cherry apparently decided to quietly make the game slightly easier without putting every change in the spotlight. Are there more secret nerfs hiding out there? Probably. I would not be surprised if some random thorn bush somewhere now does half a mask instead of a full one, and nobody noticed because we were all too busy crying. I made a quick table for my own sanity: Hazard Old Damage New Damage My Feeling Cogs in Choral Chambers 2 masks 1 mask Cautious optimism Fans in Grand Citadel 2 masks 1 mask I might actually enter that room Sandcarvers Double trouble Reduced Thank you Moorwing Early game pain Slightly less pain Still a jerk Lava Lava Still lava Zero trust Notice that lava is still lava. Team Cherry did not nerf the concept of molten rock, and honestly, I respect the commitment. I will continue playing conservatively around every glowing orange puddle because my reflexes are not built for 2026 speedrunning standards. Speaking of those maniacs: some speedrunners have already beaten the entire game in a little over an hour. I have spent longer than that trying to get out of a single optional room. The fact that they can route around newly nerfed hazards while I still panic over one-mask damage says more about me than the patch. Meanwhile, platinum trophy hunters are probably thrilled. Every hazard change makes the no-hit or low-damage runs slightly less nightmarish. I might even chase the platinum myself, assuming I can stop falling into the one pit that has not changed at all. In the end, I just think it is funny that Team Cherry made extra changes and let the community detect them like cryptozoologists finding evidence of a friendly Bigfoot. Seven years of waiting, a launch that felt overtuned, a wave of criticism, and then a patch with hidden mercy. That is very Hollow Knight. The game still wants to hurt me, but now, barely, it also wants me to survive. If you are the type of person who studies patch notes before committing to anything, that instinct probably follows you into the rest of your purchases too. 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How to Complete the Lost Merchant Quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong Struggling with Hollow Knight: Silksong's Lost Merchant quest? Track Jubilana through Memorium using Faydown Cloak and scent trail to bring her home. Any Hollow Knight: Silksong fan worth their salt knows that exploration is the bread and butter of the game. But every so often, a side quest crops up that makes even the most seasoned players scratch their heads. Enter the Lost Merchant quest, where Jubilana decides to go walkabout for the second time. If you've already wrapped up the Balm for the Wounded quest, you might have noticed that her little shop in Songclave is looking, well, a bit lonely. Don't sweat it though — tracking her down is easier than you'd think, especially once you know where to look. How to Start the Lost Merchant Quest First things first — you can't just waltz into this quest cold. The Lost Merchant side quest only becomes available after completing the Balm for the Wounded quest. Once that's done and dusted, a new request will appear on the Wish Board in Songclave. Take a gander around town, and you'll quickly realize that Jubilana has pulled a disappearing act again. She's gone missing not once, but twice now, with her first vanishing act tied to the Wandering Merchant quest. This time around, it's up to you to play detective and bring her back home. Here's the good news: you won't need to traverse half of Pharloom to find her. She's holed up in a sub-area of the Citadel called Memorium. That said, if you don't know the route, you could easily spend hours wandering around like a headless chicken. How to Find Jubilana in Memorium The route to Memorium starts by heading west from Songclave. Keep pushing through until you reach an area covered in grass with an opening in the ceiling. Here's the catch: you'll need the double jump ability — better known as the Faydown Cloak — to reach that opening. If you haven't snagged it yet, don't panic, but it's a non-negotiable for this quest. Once you've got it, jump up through the ceiling and into Memorium. Now comes the fun part: tracking. Make your way through the rooms that lead east and keep your eyes peeled for Jubilana's items scattered on the ground. Interacting with them will create a scent trail that points you in her direction. It's a nifty little mechanic that makes the search feel a lot less like a wild goose chase. Keep pressing east, and you'll eventually stumble upon a room with a contraption displaying a map of the Citadel. You can spend 70 Rosaries to grab that map if you're feeling flush. But to find Jubilana, you'll want to jump into the opening in the ceiling to access a secret area. It's one of those classic Silksong moments where the path forward is hidden in plain sight. From there, head east once more to reach the outside and drop down to the platform below. Before you can have a proper chinwag with Jubilana, though, a wave of bird enemies will swoop in to ruin the reunion. It's not the toughest scrap in the game, but keep your wits about you. Once you've cleared the feathered fiends, approach Jubilana and exhaust her dialogue to wrap up the Lost Merchant quest. The Lost Merchant Quest Rewards Now for the good stuff. Completing the Lost Merchant quest expands Jubilana's inventory back in Songclave, and she'll have some seriously tempting new wares up for grabs. Here's what's on offer: Item Type Price Description Spider Strings Support Tool 350 Rosaries Resonates with music to amplify a performance. Expands and strengthens the effects of the Needolin. Craftmetal Trade Item 180 Rosaries Can be traded to various merchants in exchange for goods. Spool Fragment Upgrade Material 500 Rosaries Increases the size of the Silk Meter. Choral Commandment Relic 210 Rosaries A relic of Pharloom's past, interesting to collectors. If you're wondering where to splash your hard-earned Rosaries first, the Spool Fragment is the smart money. It boosts your Silk Meter — one of the most impactful quality-of-life upgrades in the game. Just keep in mind that you'll need two Spool Fragments to actually see an increase in your Silk Meter capacity, so don't celebrate too early. The Spider Strings are also a solid pick if you lean on the Needolin, but the Spool Fragment takes the cake for overall utility. All in all, the Lost Merchant quest is a classic Silksong side adventure — a bit of tracking, a bit of fighting, and a whole lot of reward. It's the kind of quest that flies under the radar but delivers some genuinely valuable loot for those willing to go the extra mile. 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How to Unlock All 11 Ancestral Arts in Hollow Knight: Silksong Master every Hollow Knight Silksong Ancestral Art with this guide to all eleven locations and effects, from Swift Step to Needle Strike. In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet's journey through the kingdom of Pharloom introduces a layered progression system built around Ancestral Arts. These permanent abilities are distinct from the six equippable Silk Skills found in the Tools menu. While Silk Skills offer customizable combat and utility bonuses, Ancestral Arts fundamentally reshape movement, traversal, and interaction across the map. Players who track down all eleven Ancestral Arts will move faster, leap higher, strike harder, and unlock paths that were previously inaccessible. Ancestral Arts are distributed fairly evenly across the main story. Five of them become available in Act 1, while the rest appear in later acts, with several in Act 3. Some are optional, but many are mandatory for exploring every region of Pharloom. The following guide describes each Ancestral Art, where to find it, and what it does. Swift Step Players unlock Swift Step by binding the statue located in the northern part of Deep Docks. This Ancestral Art allows Hornet to dash by holding the back right trigger. The dash also creates additional offensive possibilities, making it a foundational movement tool for both combat and platforming. Drifter's Cloak The Drifter's Cloak is obtained by completing the Flexile Spines Wish for the Seamstress in Far Fields. Once unlocked, Hornet can glide gracefully through the air and ride upward on strong gusts of wind. This ability is extremely useful for crossing wide gaps and reaching high ledges during the early acts. Cling Grip Players can unlock Cling Grip by binding the statue in the northern part of Shellwood. Cling Grip enables Hornet to perform wall jumps and temporarily hold onto vertical surfaces. If players equip the Ascendant's Grip tool, she can hold onto walls indefinitely, which opens up many optional exploration routes. Needolin Needolin becomes available after defeating the Widow boss fight in Bellhart during Act 1. This Ancestral Art serves as a special key and a communication tool. It can open special doors around Pharloom and also allow Hornet to interact with certain NPCs, making it essential for narrative progression and side content. Needle Strike Players unlock Needle Strike by agreeing to train with the Pinstress in the Blasted Steps area. This Ancestral Art allows Hornet to perform a charge attack. It is a useful offensive upgrade that adds a powerful charged option to her needle-based combat toolkit. Clawline Clawline is unlocked by binding the Statue in the Cauldron area of the Underworks. It works a bit like a harpoon or grappling hook. Hornet can use it to latch onto walls and enemies alike, which makes traversal more dynamic and also provides new ways to close distance during fights. Faydown Cloak Players can obtain the Faydown Cloak by playing Needolin while standing near the statue at the most northerly point in Mount Fay. This Ancestral Art gives Hornet the ability to double jump. That extra jump dramatically improves platforming flexibility and is required for reaching many upper areas. Beastling Call The Beastling Call is unlocked by beating the Bell Eater boss fight. That encounter becomes available after players attempt to summon the Bell Beast during Act 3. Once obtained, the Beastling Call lets Hornet instantly travel to the Bell Beast, which makes fast traveling across Silksong much easier. Silk Soar Silk Soar is unlocked by binding the statue in the Weavenest Absolom area of the Abyss during Act 3. It functions as a super jump, allowing Hornet to reach previously inaccessible areas. This ability is especially valuable for late-game exploration and for collecting missed items. Elegy of the Deep Players unlock Elegy of the Deep after completing the Spell Seeker main story quest during Act 3. This Ancestral Art allows Hornet to use Needolin to travel into the past when played in certain spots. It is a narrative and exploration ability that reveals new layers of Pharloom's history. Sylphsong Sylphsong is unlocked by binding Eva in Weavenest Atla during Act 3. Before doing so, players must find and fully upgrade all seven Silksong crests. After unlocking Sylphsong, Hornet's Silk is refilled whenever she rests at a bench. This makes long expeditions safer and reduces the need to conserve resources. Quick Reference Table Ancestral Art Location / Requirement Act Main Effect Swift Step Bind statue in northern Deep Docks Act 1 Dash Drifter's Cloak Complete Flexile Spines Wish in Far Fields Act 1 Glide and ride wind gusts Cling Grip Bind statue in northern Shellwood Act 1 Wall jump and hold walls Needolin Defeat Widow in Bellhart Act 1 Open special doors and interact with NPCs Needle Strike Train with Pinstress in Blasted Steps Act 1 Charge attack Clawline Bind statue in Cauldron, Underworks Later acts Grapple onto walls and enemies Faydown Cloak Use Needolin near statue at Mount Fay Later acts Double jump Beastling Call Defeat Bell Eater after summoning Bell Beast Act 3 Fast travel to Bell Beast Silk Soar Bind statue in Weavenest Absolom, Abyss Act 3 Super jump Elegy of the Deep Complete Spell Seeker quest Act 3 Travel into the past with Needolin Sylphsong Bind Eva in Weavenest Atla after upgrading seven crests Act 3 Refill Silk at benches Tips for Collecting Ancestral Arts Focus on the five Act 1 Ancestral Arts early, since they unlock core movement and interaction options. Carry Needolin whenever possible. It is needed to obtain the Faydown Cloak and becomes even more useful after unlocking Elegy of the Deep. If exploration feels limited, check whether a missing Ancestral Art is blocking the route. Several areas in Pharloom require specific abilities like double jump, dash, or the super jump. Before attempting Sylphsong, make sure all seven Silksong crests have been found and fully upgraded. Use Beastling Call to fast travel back to the Bell Beast instead of repeating long treks through dangerous regions. Mastering the full set of Ancestral Arts transforms Hornet's movement into a fluid, almost dance-like flow, and that sense of control often leaves players hungry for more challenges in the same vein. Whether you're chasing a tougher platformer or revisiting classics that reward precise timing, having a way to track down discounts on new titles and gear can make that exploration easier on your wallet. 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How to Get the Pale Nails Skill in Silksong Without Losing Your Mind Find the Pale Nails Silk Skill in Hollow Knight: Silksong by returning to The Cradle, binding Grand Mother Silk's hand after the Act 2 boss. Let me paint you a picture. It is 2026, and I just spent two hours bouncing around Pharloom like a sugar-fueled acrobat. My target? The Pale Nails Silk Skill. My problem? The game refused to put a neon sign over The Cradle, so I had to earn this shiny little murder projectile the hard way. If you want to avoid my exact brand of confusion, grab your needle and follow along. What Exactly Is the Pale Nails Skill? In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silk Skills are Hornet's flashy special moves. They drain her Silk meter, which is also what she needs for healing, so spamming them is a great way to turn a bad fight into a funeral. The Pale Nails skill is one of the best chase tools in the game. It launches a projectile of three pale nails that actively seek out an enemy, which is perfect for those annoying mobile opponents who think they can backstep out of your range. Grand Mother Silk uses a very similar trick against you, and I can confirm it stings. Where to Find Pale Nails You will not find this skill in a cozy little shop. No, you have to go back to The Cradle, specifically the arena where you fought Grand Mother Silk at the end of Act 2. After the boss fight is over, climb back up to that arena and look for the boss's hand resting on top of a rock. It is a bit ominous, but that is Silksong for you. Interact with it and choose to Bind. Boom, Pale Nails is yours. This is also the final Silk Skill you need for the Woven achievement, so now you can flex that completionist progress. How the Pale Nails Skill Actually Works Yes, the nails are homing, but they are not psychic. If an enemy leaves the screen before the nails connect, the projectiles will hit nothing. They do not hover forever waiting for a target to come back. That behavior is more like the Cogfly tool, which floats around and does its own thing. Pale Nails is more hit-and-run: fire, let them chase, and reposition. Do not waste it on an enemy about to teleport across the map. Here is a quick comparison to keep your Silk budget honest: Skill / Tool Best For Weird Detail Pale Nails Chasing mobile enemies Nails stop if the target leaves the screen Rune Rage Crowds of enemies Great for clearing annoying hordes Cogfly Passive support Hovers around instead of disappearing The Exact Route to The Cradle You cannot just stroll to this skill. You need the Silk Soar ability, because Pharloom loves putting important passages in stupidly high places. If you already have it, here is the path: Walk to the right side of the Choral Chambers, next to the Cog Core entrance. Look up. There is an opening in the ceiling, and you will need a high jump or Silk Soar to reach it. Once you reach the Architect Melody room, go right and try to Silk Soar upward again. You should spot a passage and can adjust your jump from there. Eventually, you will land on the platform where Hornet fought Lace before the Grand Mother Silk encounter. From that platform, use Silk Soar on the light to reach the boss arena above. That last jump feels illegal the first time. I fully expected to clip into a wall. Instead, I landed directly in the arena where I had already won the fight, which felt a little anticlimactic until I saw that disembodied hand waiting for me. A Few Warnings From My Mistakes Make sure you have actually cleared Act 2 and beaten Grand Mother Silk. The binding spot is in the boss arena after the fight, so if you are still banging your head against her, you are not going to get the skill yet. Also, do not forget that Pale Nails uses Silk. If you blow all your Silk on these shiny homing nails, you will not have any left for healing. I learned that the hard way during a hallway brawl, and my ghost is probably still judging me. Final Thoughts The Pale Nails skill is absolutely worth the detour. It turns mobile enemies from aggravating pests into target practice. The route to The Cradle is a little vertical, but with Silk Soar you can manage it in a few minutes. Claim the hand, bind with it, and enjoy your new homing death needles. Now if only Pharloom would give me a map that does not look like abstract art. Stay sharp, and keep some Silk in reserve. While you are waiting for the next patch, DLC, or the eventual avalanche of Silksong-adjacent metroidvanias to land on your wishlist, it helps to know when Steam actually drops its prices. Store pages rarely make that obvious, which is why tools that watch prices for you are worth keeping bookmarked. 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Where to Find the Grand Gate Map in Hollow Knight: Silksong Grand Gate Map in Hollow Knight: Silksong guides players through Citadel’s vertical pathways, benches, and hidden challenges efficiently. Hornet’s journey in Hollow Knight: Silksong reaches a significant turning point after the Blasted Steps and the Last Judge fall behind her. The Grand Gate is not just a colossal architectural barrier; it is the threshold into the Choral Chambers and the official entry point to Act II. For players stepping into this towering section of the Citadel, securing the Grand Gate Map early can make the difference between a confident descent and a disoriented scramble through mechanical depths. Immediate Map Purchase After the Last Judge Unlike many earlier areas in Silksong where tracking down Shakra is a requirement before any map is available, the Grand Gate offers an immediate purchase. After the Last Judge is defeated, the path forward leads directly into the Grand Gate. From the site of the battle, Hornet should continue moving to the right until a pressure-sensitive platform appears. Standing on that platform opens a door to the right. Passing through brings the player face-to-face with the monumental gate itself. Just inside, a machine displaying a model of the Citadel can be inspected. This is where the Grand Gate Map can be purchased for 40 Rosaries. The process is straightforward: interact with the machine, insert the Rosaries, and the map is added to the inventory. So what makes this purchase worth the 40 Rosaries? The Grand Gate Map provides immediate orientation within the Citadel’s layered pathways, benches, and hidden challenges. Without it, players may still find their way, but they lose the ability to plan routes through one of the game’s most vertical and mechanically complex regions. Step-by-Step Route to the Grand Gate Map Step Action 1 Defeat the Last Judge at the Blasted Steps 2 Move right from the battle site 3 Step onto the pressure-sensitive platform to open a door 4 Enter the Grand Gate and inspect the machine with the Citadel model 5 Purchase the Grand Gate Map for 40 Rosaries Descending Into the Underworks With the Grand Gate Map in hand, players can safely push deeper into the Citadel. Continuing to the right after the purchase leads to an elevator. Activating the switch drops the lift downward, but the descent is far from smooth. The elevator jolts a couple of times and requires repeated hits on the switch. Eventually, the mechanism breaks, sending Hornet falling into the Underworks. The Underworks is a dangerous mechanical area located below the Citadel. It is filled with hazards that punish hesitation, but the map reference from the Grand Gate can help players recognize key landmarks even as the environment shifts from ornate citadel halls to grinding industrial depths. Unlocking the Clawline in The Cauldron Deep within the Underworks, players will eventually reach a new area called The Cauldron. This is where Hornet can unlock the Clawline, a grappling hook-like power that is widely considered an absolute must-have for exploring the rest of the game. The Clawline opens access to new shortcuts and allows traversal through areas that are otherwise unreachable. Does the Grand Gate Map directly reveal The Cauldron’s location? Not always. However, having the map earlier means players can recognize the transition points and avoid unnecessary backtracking as they navigate the Underworks toward this essential ability. For those pushing through Act II, the sequence is clear: defeat the Last Judge, enter the Grand Gate, buy the map for 40 Rosaries, ride the breaking elevator, survive the Underworks, and claim the Clawline. Each step builds on the last, and the Grand Gate Map is the first key to keeping that journey from becoming a blind drop into the Citadel’s depths. When you’re between runs and thinking about which games to tackle next, it helps to keep an eye on prices rather than paying full fare for every title that catches your eye. DealNest offers a straightforward [steam deal finder]( that surfaces current discounts and historical lows, making it easier to decide whether to buy now or wait for a deeper sale. That’s especially useful for metroidvania fans who want to compare deals on Silksong, similar indie action-platformers, or DLC and soundtracks without bouncing between store pages. If you’d rather spend your budget on more adventures than on full-price impulse buys, DealNest is worth a look before your next purchase. https://dealnesthq.com

How I Unlocked Every Major Ability in Hollow Knight: Silksong Hollow Knight: Silksong Ancestral Arts and upgrades unlock new Metroidvania exploration abilities, transforming traversal and progression. I have spent the last few weeks digging into Hollow Knight: Silksong, and I can tell you that exploration is both freeing and quietly locked behind some crucial upgrades. If you are used to Metroidvania rules, you know the drill: you wander, hit a dead end, and realize you need a permanent ability to move forward. In Silksong, the big gates are called Ancestral Arts. These are not something you equip. Once you unlock them, they are simply yours forever. Below, I want to share exactly how I got each one and what they actually do. Ability Type Key Use Swift Step Ancestral Art Fast run and midair dash Cling Grip 🧗 Ancestral Art Jump along vertical walls Needolin Ancestral Art Play music to open special doors Clawline 🪡 Ancestral Art Throw needle and pull yourself Faydown Cloak ️ Permanent ability Double jump Swift Step My first Ancestral Art came after I cleared two full biomes and finally reached the Deep Docks. I did not find it by accident. There is a statue on the top part of the map, but getting there took a little detour. I went to the right first, then followed a path up that looped me back to a lava area on the left. When I reached the statue, Swift Step unlocked automatically. This ability gives you a burst of speed, and while running, you can perform a higher jump that covers much more distance. I also learned that you can trigger it in midair. It acts a bit like a midair dash, though you will drift slightly downward during the dash instead of moving in a perfect straight line. That nuance took me a while to stop messing up. Cling Grip 🧗 After I defeated Moorwing in the Greymoor biome, I entered Haunted Bellhart and then Shellwood. That path eventually threw me into the Sister Splinter boss fight. Once I beat the boss, I exited from the left and got near a statue. The route was not obvious. I had to drop down slightly on the left and then use a downward strike on a bunch of flowers to get back up. That little sequence felt very Metroidvania. Cling Grip changed how I looked at vertical spaces because it lets you constantly jump along any vertical wall. Scaling high walls suddenly became a puzzle of timing instead of a hard block. It also made backtracking in old areas feel much smoother. Needolin Not long after getting Cling Grip, I entered Bellhart again and fought the Widow. That fight was fast and aggressive, but beating it automatically unlocked Needolin. This one is a little different from the movement tools. Needolin lets you perform music at any place by using up some Silk. At first I thought it was just a flavor ability, but it is absolutely required to reach The Cradle area after you collect the three melodies in the Citadel. It can also open side paths in specific spots, like the bottom of Moss Grotto. To spot doors that respond to Needolin, look for a harp in the background and small holes in the doors. That visual language helped me stop wasting time on doors that looked special but were not. Clawline 🪡 Clawline is one of the most important late-game tools I found. To get it, I had to beat the Trobbio boss in the Whispering Vaults, which led me back into the Underworks area. This time I could reach the Cauldron from a different side. The Cauldron was tough. It is a lava-filled area full of enemies that throw bombs, and the platforms disappear under you. I fell more times than I care to admit. Eventually I reached the spot where Clawline unlocks. The ability lets you throw your needle with a thread forward and then pull yourself to the needle. It covers massive gaps instantly, and it quickly became one of my favorite movement tools in the entire game. Faydown Cloak ️ Faydown Cloak is not exactly an Ancestral Art, but it is one of the permanent abilities you do not want to skip. It is essentially the double jump, and it helps a lot in late-game fights and opens numerous new areas. The journey to get it was anything but easy. I entered Mount Fay through The Slab, then climbed to the top through some genuinely treacherous parkouring. My best tip is to use Clawline on the suspended lifeform you see while climbing. It boosts you upward and gives back the Silk you used, which saved my run more than once. Overall, these permanent upgrades reshaped my whole playthrough. Some are hidden behind boss fights, others behind platforming routes that demand calm timing. The key is to watch for visual clues and not assume a dead end is truly dead. Once you have the right ability, a huge chunk of the map opens up. If you've conquered the toughest challenges in Silksong and are hungry for another adventure, hunting down your next game at a reasonable price can feel like a quest of its own. That's where DealNest comes in. It's a handy resource for gamers looking to save, and I've often used it to discover [where to buy cheap games]( before adding to my backlog. Whether you're after another metroidvania or something entirely different, it's worth checking out. https://dealnesthq.com

How to Reach Heart of the Wild and Claim the Hunter's Heart in Silksong Hollow Knight: Silksong Act 3's Heart of the Wild quest challenges players with new Far Fields routes and blocked Hunter's March shortcuts. Hornet's journey through Act 3 of Hollow Knight: Silksong is a hidden extra gameplay layer that only begins after players select a specific ending. Far from a simple epilogue, this route packs a surprising amount of story and combat, and one of its most demanding objectives is the Heart of the Wild quest. To claim the Hunter's Heart, Hornet must travel to the far east of the Far Fields region, a newly opened area that cannot be reached before Act 3 begins. For players returning in 2026, the route can still catch veteran explorers off guard. Shortcuts that once made Hunter's March feel manageable are now sealed, and the area seems to remember Hornet's first visit all too well. The long way around is the name of the game, so players should prepare for a lengthy backtrack with a few extra enemies eager to interrupt the trip. Act 3 Unlock and the Far Fields Route The Heart of the Wild quest location is locked behind the Act 3 story progression. Once Hornet reaches the relevant point in the questline, the far east of the Far Fields opens up. The most reliable starting point is the Marrow. From there, players should enter Hunter's March through the only available entrance, because every shortcut is blocked. The path pulls no punches on this second visit. In the first run, players may have relied on careful pogo timing, but this time Hornet has better tools. The Silk Soar skill can skip several troublesome spots, and a crest with a downward hit can turn the plunge attack into a reliable movement option. Don't sleep on the Silk Soar here—it is the key to reaching the eastern statues without losing too much health. Crossing Hunter's March Without Shortcuts Inside Hunter's March, the goal is to keep moving east until the statues on the eastern side come into view. Earlier in the campaign, that area was blocked. Now that Hornet has Silk Soar, she can super jump into the next section and continue exploring Hunter's March from the opposite side. Eventually, Hornet will open a bridge that leads her out of Hunter's March and back into the Far Fields. From that exit, players should continue east until reaching a dead end. The route is not over, however. Hornet must drop down and take a much longer road beneath the obvious path. This lower route winds toward the Heart of the Wild arena, and it is easy to miss if players assume the dead end means the search is over. Step Route Action 1 Start from the Marrow and enter Hunter's March through the only available entrance. 2 Head east through Hunter's March, using Silk Soar or a downward-hit crest to bypass tricky spots. 3 Reach the eastern statues and super jump into the newly accessible area. 4 Open the bridge to exit into Far Fields, then continue east to a dead end. 5 Drop down and follow the longer lower path to the Heart of the Wild arena. Skarrsinger Karmelita Boss Fight Once Hornet arrives at the quest location, she can challenge Skarrsinger Karmelita. The fight does not begin quietly. Multiple smaller enemies attack in waves before the boss herself makes an appearance, turning the arena into a loud, chaotic test of positioning. Players should treat the opening waves as a warm-up, but not a free one. The smaller enemies can drain health quickly if Hornet stands still. A good approach is to keep circling the arena, clear the waves with downward strikes or sweeping attacks, and save healing for the gap between waves. When Skarrsinger Karmelita enters, the tempo shifts. Her attacks punish greedy movement, so landing a few hits and retreating is safer than trying to end the fight in one long combo. After the boss falls, Hornet receives the Hunter's Heart and completes the Heart of the Wild quest in Silksong. Final Tips for the Heart of the Wild Quest ️ Start from the Marrow: Shortcuts are blocked, so this is the cleanest route into Hunter's March. Use Silk Soar aggressively: It opens the eastern statues and skips older pogo sections. ️ Bring a downward-hit crest: The plunge attack helps with both traversal and wave clearing. 🧭 Check the dead end carefully: The real route goes down, not forward. Heal between boss waves: The opening adds can be more dangerous than they look. The Heart of the Wild quest is a compact but memorable piece of Silksong's hidden Act 3. It rewards players who revisit old territory with fresh eyes, and the Hunter's Heart is a worthy trophy for those who survive the detour. Once the Hunter's Heart is secured, the natural next step for many players is to see what else is worth playing—or to finally pick up a title that's been sitting on their wishlist. Steam sales come and go quickly, and keeping track of the best prices can be a chore. That's where DealNest comes in. Its [steam sale tracker]( makes it easy to monitor discounts and historical lows across the store, so you can spend less time refreshing pages and more time playing. Whether you're hunting for a deal on Silksong or something new, it's a handy site to keep in your bookmarks. https://dealnesthq.com

How to Unlock Silksong's Hidden Act 3 Without Missing 25% of the Game Hollow Knight: Silksong Act 3 guide reveals hidden quests and Silk and Soul wish requirements for unlocking Pharloom's secrets. Most players who roll credits in Hollow Knight: Silksong probably pat themselves on the back, believing they’ve seen everything Pharloom has to offer. Then the save file sits there, quietly judging them. The truth? They may have only finished about 75% of the game. Team Cherry tucked an entire Act 3 behind a chain of obscure chores, a few soul-collection errands, and one delightfully sneaky final choice. This guide breaks down the whole process, so nobody has to wander around Weavenest Atla wondering why the walls look so suspicious. Act 3 Requirements First things first: unlocking Act 3 is less about raw skill and more about not sprinting to the finish line like a startled Grub. A player needs to tick off a few boxes before the Caretaker even thinks about handing over the good stuff. Wish upon a star (or several): Complete most, if not all, of the wishes available in Bone Bottom, Bellhart, and the Choral Chambers in the Citadel. Some of these only wake up after certain side quests progress, so a little backtracking is basically a personality trait here. Flea market: No, not actual shopping. Hornet needs to round up enough fleas across the world for the caravan to haul itself over to the Putrified Ducts. She doesn’t need every single one, but a bit more than half keeps the wheels greased. Lace, but make it dramatic: Defeat Lace in The Cradle. Fighting her won’t slam the door on Act 3—it actually swings it wide open. Once those requirements are handled, the Caretaker at the first shrine stops being cryptic and finally offers the last wish: Silk and Soul. Silk and Soul Wish This wish is basically an interdimensional grocery run. Hornet zips through the world to collect souls and items from specific, slightly odd characters. Two of them might already be sitting in her inventory by the time the quest starts, which is a nice little head start. Item / Soul Location Combat Required? Snare Setter Weavenest Atla secret nook No Maiden’s Soul Moss Grotto, starting area west No Hermit’s Soul Bellhart, east secret passage No Seeker’s Soul Bilehaven, after Groal the Great Yes Snare Setter The Snare Setter is a bashful little gadget hiding in Weavenest Atla, which sits below Bone Bottom and east of Moss Grotto. Any player who enjoys poking into corners has probably been here before—Eva hangs out nearby, offering persistent upgrades that make Hornet feel like a fully kitted-out needle warrior. To reach the item, Hornet needs the double jump from Mount Fay. No double jump, no secret room. She should travel down, use the Needolin to play a song at the door, take the elevator to the bottom level, and head right. Instead of blundering into the next room, she can hop up the wall to the second level and slip through the left door. Right before the pond, a double jump reveals a secret area, and there the Snare Setter waits on a small podium like a shy trophy. Maiden’s Soul While she’s in the neighborhood, Hornet can head back to the top of Moss Grotto and then west to the very spot where the adventure began. The Chapel Maid is hanging around, probably wondering why nobody visits. One chat later, she happily hands over her soul. Easy peasy. Hermit’s Soul The Bell Hermit in Bellhart is about as cheerful as a wet charm notch, but he’s surprisingly generous when Hornet asks for his soul. She just needs to find the secret passage east of the fast travel station. A quick conversation, and the grumpy old man parts with it like a man donating a coat he never liked anyway. Seeker’s Soul Now the errand list gets spicy. The Seeker’s Soul demands actual combat. Hornet has to take down Groal the Great, the final boss of the Bilewater region, at the top of Bilehaven. Yeah, that means trudging through a whole network of nasty, maggot-infested waters first. No pressure. After slaying Groal, she hops up to the left and enters the little house just outside the arena. Inside, the Seeker’s Soul lies on the ground beneath the strung-up Seeker, which is grim but also conveniently placed. Setting the Trap With all the ingredients stuffed into Hornet’s inventory, the next stop is the First Shrine. Talking to the Caretaker completes the wish, and the path forward becomes clear: climb The Cradle, speak to the Caretaker at the top, and march into the final boss fight. The clever part comes after defeating Grand Mother Silk. The game offers two choices: Bind or Needolin. Bind: End the game right there, roll credits, and accidentally lock out Act 3 for that playthrough. Oops. Needolin: Spring the trap. Grand Mother Silk and Lace get unceremoniously dragged into the Abyss. It’s dramatic, a little mean, and exactly what the story ordered. After the credits, the save file doesn’t look quite right. Black threads coil around it like an overprotective spider. Cutting away at it with the confirm button unlocks Act 3, and suddenly the game isn’t over at all. So the takeaway is simple: don’t rush the finale. Do the wishes, find the fleas, be nice to the Chapel Maid, and keep that Needolin handy. Act 3 has been hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone patient enough to poke it with a needle. For players who enjoy uncovering every hidden nook and secret timeline, being patient doesn’t just apply to in-game mechanics—it also pays off when planning the next purchase. A game as rich as Hollow Knight: Silksong rewards careful observation, but staying updated on launch discounts, special editions, or rare merchandise can take the same kind of vigilance. 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How to Beat Sprintmaster Swift and Complete the Fastest in Pharloom Quest in Silksong Hollow Knight: Silksong's Fastest in Pharloom quest sends Hornet to Sprintmaster Swift for three silk-smooth races that reward clever hooks. After Hornet picked up the Fastest in Pharloom quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong, I immediately realized this was not going to be a simple footrace. The quest log points toward Sprintmaster Swift, but the actual path to reach them is its own puzzle, and the three courses that follow demand a level of movement control that makes the rest of Pharloom feel like a slow promenade. I had to retrace my route through Act 3 several times, and by the end I understood why the quest is called Fastest in Pharloom: it is a test of momentum, patience, and the willingness to bend the rules just enough to survive. Where to Find Sprintmaster Swift Fastest in Pharloom marks the target on the far eastern side of Far Fields. However, reaching that location is not as simple as walking east across the map. Before I could even think about racing, I needed the Silk Soar skill. This Ancestral Art arrives in Act 3, and without it the Super Jump remains locked, leaving several obstacles unscalable. Once Silk Soar was equipped, I approached from Hunter's March. Because Act 3 shortcuts can be blocked, the only reliable route was to enter Hunter's March from the Marrow, using the first-time path. From the bench, I found the statue and used Silk Soar to reach a secret route above it. That moment felt like peeling back a bandage from a wound that had already scarred over; the hidden passage was always there, but the game had disguised it as scenery. Heading right opened a shortcut into a hidden Far Fields passage. From there, I kept pushing east until a skull-shaped entrance appeared. Inside the skull lay Sprintmaster Swift. How the Sprintmaster Swift Races Work Once I entered, Sprintmaster Swift presented three challenges across three different courses. The difficulty ramps up after each victory, and the course geometry shifts from open sprints to tight, vertical navigation. During the race, Hornet cannot use any tools or items that increase her speed; the competition strips away artificial advantages like a straitjacket on a cheat. It is just Hornet against the master, with no extra acceleration. However, there is a small loophole: Hornet can still attack Sprintmaster Swift or hook in their direction. A single strike or well-timed hook makes the sprintmaster stutter for about a second, which gave me just enough room to slip ahead. I found this especially useful on the third course, where Sprintmaster Swift moves like a drop of mercury rolling across a tilted mirror, always threatening to escape through the smallest gap. The most important rule is smooth movement. The more silky Hornet is with her jumps, pogo strikes, and aerial adjustments, the better the chance of winning. This is not a race that rewards brute force; it rewards the player who can thread a needle through a keyhole during an earthquake without losing the thread. Rewards for Winning Each Race After each race win, Sprintmaster Swift rewards Hornet with an item. The rewards are fixed, so even if the race itself can be approached in different ways, the payout is consistent. Race Reward First race Rosary Necklace Second race Beast Shard Third race Mask Shard The Rosary Necklace felt like a gentle nod after the first race, while the Beast Shard and Mask Shard made the later victories feel genuinely valuable. In my 2026 playthrough, I did not need to beat all three races in one sitting; the quest recognized each individual win, but the final Mask Shard only came after the third course. Final Tips for the Fastest in Pharloom Quest If you are struggling, remember that the race is not a pure speed test. Learn the course layout first, because some obstacles require vertical Silky movement rather than forward sprinting. Use attacks or the hook to interrupt Sprintmaster Swift at key moments, but do not rely on them as a crutch. The third course punishes hesitation, so keeping your aerial rhythm is more important than watching the sprintmaster. I treated each failed attempt like a practice pass, and after a few runs the movement started to feel less like memorization and more like an extension of Hornet's silk. Chasing clean runs against Sprintmaster Swift has a way of sharpening your appetite for other skill-driven challenges, whether that means revisiting old favorites or finally trying a game you skipped. That itch often collides with the reality of a growing wishlist and a shrinking budget. 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Team Cherry’s Booby-Trapped Bench in Silksong Is Pure Peak Trolling Hollow Knight: Silksong benches, once safe sanctuaries, now feature deadly traps, adding thrilling challenge and surprise for players. I’m going to say something that sounds unhinged: I am not even mad about the bench that killed me. Well, maybe I’m a little mad, but honestly, it’s the kind of nasty trick I should have seen coming from Team Cherry. In Hollow Knight: Silksong, benches are supposed to be your sanctuary. They’re the little slice of heaven where you heal up, save your progress, swap your Crests, and finally let your shoulders drop from around your ears. So when I found one tucked into a corner in Hunter’s March after a long, miserable slog, I nearly wept with relief. I sat down, sighed, and then a pendulum swung straight down and clobbered Hornet for two masks of damage. I was already low. I died on the spot. You may be entitled to compensation? Nah, I’m entitled to a nap and a stiff drink. That’s the thing about Silksong: the whole internet is currently up in arms because Team Cherry decided to pull a fast one. In both Hollow Knight and Silksong, benches function like bonfires in a Souls game. They are safe places, respites where you can catch your breath, heal to full health, and save before heading back into the meat grinder. You can swap Charms or Crests, update your map, and nothing can hurt you. Usually. That word is doing a lot of heavy lifting these days. The Bench That Bites Back The bench in Hunter’s March is not just dangerous—it’s personal. It sits in a corner where you would normally expect a bench to be, and if you’ve played the series, your brain sees those sun rays and thinks, “Oh sweet mercy, I am saved.” But this bench is booby-trapped. Sit on it, and a pendulum swings down to smack Hornet for two masks of damage. If Hunter’s March has already been kicking your butt, that’s a death sentence. And because Team Cherry clearly enjoys a bit of psychological warfare, it happens every single time you sit on it. It is not a one-time trap. To disarm it, you have to break a wall to the left and hit a lever on the ceiling. Only then can you finally sit safely. It’s like the bench itself is saying, “Not so fast, mate.” I won’t lie, the first time I got killed I sat there staring at the screen like a total muppet. Then I laughed. Then I respawned and did it again because I needed to confirm it wasn’t a glitch. It was not a glitch. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, well, I’m the clown sitting on the same swinging bench. Hollow Knight Already Taught Me Better I’m definitely benefiting from actively playing Hollow Knight for the first time right now, but did I really think the developers wouldn’t troll us in Silksong? This is the studio that created the Deepnest. The Deepnest is a particularly diabolical area. The rules of the game you’ve learned up to that point seemingly don’t apply. Enemies spawn out of the ground and swarm you with little warning. Levels are winding labyrinths you have to navigate in the dark. Floors give out beneath you without warning, often dumping you into a pit of spikes. And then there’s the Distant Village. This village is at the far end of Deepnest, and if you explore it, you’ll find a group of bugs standing around a beautiful bench. They encourage you to sit and rest. How nice of them! So you sit. And you don’t heal. You can’t move. Webs tie you to your seat as the villagers surround you. The screen goes black, and you wake up in the Beast’s Den, trapped in a web. It’s not as punishing as Hunter’s March, but it’s the same kind of betrayal. That little moment in Distant Village is the key to understanding Team Cherry. They build up your expectations and then smash them, destabilising you and reminding you that the world is full of surprises, both good and bad. Sometimes a bench saves you, and sometimes a bench kills you. It’s a long con, and I respect the commitment. Why I’m Not Even Mad Here’s the thing: I did not go into Silksong expecting a cozy game. I went in expecting beautiful hand-drawn pain, and Team Cherry delivered in spades. The Hunter’s March bench is not unfair; it’s a lesson. It teaches you to read the room. A bench in a corner after a brutal stretch? Maybe too good to be true. A suspicious wall to the left? A lever on the ceiling? These are not decorations. The game gives you the tools to spot the trap before it springs. I just ignored them because I was desperate. What I Expected What I Got Bench heals me Pendulum smacks me for two masks Safe corner in Hunter's March Booby trap with a disarm lever Team Cherry mercy Peak trolling The internet can scream, cry, throw up, and post angrily online, but I don’t blame Team Cherry one bit. If anything, the fake bench is one of the most memorable moments I’ve had in a game this year. It’s a nasty little prank that makes the actual safe benches feel even sweeter. So yes, I died. Yes, I stumbled back to the same bench half an hour later and sat on it again before remembering the lever. But that’s on me. If there is a moral to this story, it is simple: never trust a beautiful bench in Hallownest or Pharloom, especially if it is glowing a little too nicely. Team Cherry is trolling us, and honestly? I hope they never stop. Moments like these are exactly what make Team Cherry's games so unforgettable. The sting of that fake bench isn't just a cheap trick—it's a story you retell, a joke you share with friends, and a badge of honor once you finally outsmart it. If this little tale has made you want to experience Pharloom for yourself, or revisit the beautifully punishing halls of Hallownest, you're likely wondering where to grab a copy without getting scammed by price tags that vary wildly between storefronts and platforms. The smart move is to do what the Knight should have done before sitting down: look before you leap. Game prices bounce around constantly depending on sales, regions, and upcoming releases, so a five-minute check can save you a solid chunk of change. Whether you're hunting for a digital key, a physical edition, or a gift for a fellow adventurer who deserves a little bench-related trauma of their own, you can [compare prices here]( on DealNest and keep your wallet as safe as you thought that bench was. And trust me—in a world full of hidden traps, getting the best deal feels like the one victory that was never booby-trapped. https://dealnesthq.com

Silksong’s Passing of the Age: How I Found Every Mister Mushroom Location Passing of the Age quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong guides players step-by-step to secret endings and achievements. I still remember the exact moment I stumbled into the Passing of the Age quest in Hollow Knight: Silksong. I was deep in the Putrified Ducts, roaming east of Fleatopia, when a faint golden glow caught my eye. At first I thought it was just another piece of environmental polish, but no—Hornet had found something much stranger. If you're like me and you want that secret ending and achievement, this guide will walk you through my own journey, step by step. How I Triggered the Passing of the Age Quest The trigger is shockingly easy to miss. From Fleatopia, I kept heading east until I found a route going upward. Wall jump was enough to reach a cliff, but when I looked up, there it was: a golden glow above me. I used the Silk Soar ability to enter the hidden opening. At the end of that tunnel, Hornet can inspect a golden tablet. The game asks if you want to promise the wish. Say yes, and the Passing of the Age quest officially begins. If you miss that tablet, you could wander Pharloom for hours without ever understanding why Mister Mushroom never appears. Ask me how I know. The Seven Mister Mushroom Locations To complete the quest, I had to find Mister Mushroom in seven different locations. The game gives you riddles, not map markers. At each correct spot, I saw blue mushrooms with yellow circles on the ground. Then I played the Needolin, and Mister Mushroom popped out of the ground. Here is the full list of locations and the clues that worked for me: Order Location How I Found It 1 Moss Grotto The spot between the bench and the snail shaman's home 2 Bone Bottom Where Shakra used to appear in Bone Bottom camp, before entering Act 3 3 Far Fields The edge of Far Fields, where lava is present in the area 4 Greymoor Climb the Greymoor tower, then find a route up to the Wisp Thicket near the surgeon Yarnaby 5 The Slab To the left of the First Sinner's cage, where the Rune Rage skill is found; the Key of Apostate is required 6 Mount Fay Climb to the bird's nest; Silk Soar can skip a huge chunk of the platforming 7 The Cradle Reach the peak and pass the parkour test of fitness The order matters. I tried to skip ahead to The Cradle early, and Mister Mushroom simply refused to appear. The riddles must be solved in sequence, one location after another. Reaching The Cradle The final location is the hardest to reach. From the room to the right of the Cogwork Core, I looked upward until I found an opening. Silk Soar let me enter the gap, and I was transported to a side area of the Cogwork Core. From there, I kept climbing. Along the way, I had to remember three key spots: In the room where the Architect Melody puzzle once was, I had to find the correct spot to stand and lift myself upward. At the place where I fought Lace for the second time, I again needed the super jump, but the light from above made the spot easy to find. After the platform where I fought Grandmother Silk, I claimed the Pale Nails Silk Skill, then found the small opening above. At the top of The Cradle, there is a cave. Inside, I faced a platforming challenge—a true test of fitness. After passing it, I played the Needolin one last time. Mister Mushroom finally spoke with Hornet, then soared upward and disappeared. The Surface and Nameless Town After Mister Mushroom vanished, I arrived on the surface in a place called Nameless Town. I whacked some cockroach-like bugs for the Hunter's Journal, then played the Needolin at the big skull cave to receive a Surface Memento. The surface was beautiful, but I still had a job to do. I headed back left toward the spikes, found a cave, and descended into The Cradle. From there, I returned to Pharloom to finish the catastrophe. Getting the Passing of the Age Achievement Here is the part that surprised me: completing the quest does not immediately pop the achievement. You must defeat the final boss of Act 3 after finishing the Passing of the Age quest. Defeating that boss unlocks a secret ending in addition to the normal ending. That means you can earn both endings and their achievements at once. So, if you are hunting the achievement, do not wait until after the final boss. Complete the mushroom herald's journey first, then face the end of Act 3. Trust me, seeing that secret ending makes the entire strange mushroom hunt feel worth it. After all, that age may pass—and this shroom its witness. Hunting down seven hidden mushroom locations is the kind of obsessive, rewarding detour that reminds me why I keep coming back to games built around secrets. The catch is that games like this tend to send you looking for more of them — and with new releases rarely getting cheaper, filling a library with titles worth exploring can get expensive fast. That is exactly the problem DealNest was built to solve. Instead of bouncing between storefronts and price trackers to compare deals, you can browse a single, well-organized hub that gathers discounted games and current offers in one place, which makes it much easier to stock up before your next long adventure. If you are wondering [where to buy cheap games]( online, DealNest is a good place to start your search. https://dealnesthq.com

Silksong Act 2 Walkthrough: Grand Gate to Grand Mother Silk Hollow Knight: Silksong Act 2 walkthrough guides Hornet from Grand Gate through Cogwork Dancers to collect the Threefold Melody and conquer Pharloom. Once Hornet puts the Last Judge down for a dirt nap at the end of Act 1, the camera swings up to the Citadel like a nosy neighbor craning over a fence. Act 2 of Hollow Knight: Silksong is where the training wheels come off, the map opens up, and players are handed a grappling hook with a cheerful good luck. This walkthrough covers the critical path through Act 2 in the current 2026 version of the game, from unlocking maps and grabbing abilities to collecting every piece of the Threefold Melody and finally facing the silk-spinning nightmare at the top of Pharloom. Act 2, Part 1: Grand Gate, Underworks, and the Beat-Dropping Cogwork Dancers After entering the Citadel, players find a fancy model machine that unlocks the Grand Gate map for a handful of Rosaries. Nothing says ancient kingdom like paying for GPS. Continuing right leads to an elevator that goes up, then throws a tantrum and crashes down into the Underworks. Classic Silksong hospitality. In the Underworks, grab the local map, then climb up and out into the Choral Chambers. Another map machine awaits, because getting lost here is less a possibility and more a lifestyle. Along the way, Lace makes a cameo, but she is not ready to throw hands just yet. Eventually, players reach a bench under a hanging hook that will become important later. For now, rest those legs, then keep moving right past two oversized bruisers and into the Cogwork Dancers boss fight. The Cogwork Dancers are not your average duo. They move and strike to the beat of the music, telegraphing their next direction like dancers who also want to murder you. The catch is that they speed up with each phase, turning a waltz into a panic attack. Do not sleep on this fight. Once they fall, the room rotates to reveal three enormous Ancient Statues, who inform Hornet that she must collect the Threefold Melody and play it before them to ascend to the Crown of Pharloom. No pressure. Act 2, Part 2: Songclave, The Cauldron, and Some Seriously Fancy Movement Tech After the statues finish their dramatic monologue, head to the top-right of the Choral Chambers and ring the Grand Bell. The Caretaker shows up just to complain about it. Leave and come back, and the area transforms into Songclave, a cozy hub with traders and a Wishwall. Before ditching town, grab the White Key all the way to the right. It unlocks the door to Whiteward and eventually leads to one of the most important tools in the game. From the bottom of Choral Chambers, pass through the big wheel gate, use the White Key, and ride down into the depths. Loop around through The Cauldron, dodge some deeply unpleasant malformed enemies, and find a Weaver Statue sitting in lava. Interacting with it grants the Clawline ability, which is essential for finishing the game and opens up new routes all over Pharloom. For players who enjoy not suffering, the Faydown Cloak is technically optional but practically a lifesaver. It grants a double jump, and getting it means scaling Mount Fay through one of the nastiest platforming gauntlets in the game. Reach Mount Fay by heading far left from the Choral Chambers, across a bridge, and into The Slab. Buy the Mount Fay map from Shakra, then prepare for a white-knuckle climb to the peak. The Faydown Cloak is worth every gray hair. Grabbing it before the later gauntlets is the kind of decision that separates a smooth run from a controller-shaped dent in the wall. Act 2, Part 3: Completing the Threefold Melody The Threefold Melody splits into three pieces, and each one comes with its own brand of chaos. Melody Piece Location Main Hurdle Architect's Melody Cogwork Core Cylinder puzzle Vaultkeeper's Melody Whispering Vaults Trobbio and Sacred Cylinder Conductor's Melody High Halls Ten-wave boss gauntlet Architect's Melody Drop into the Cogwork Core from the Cogwork Dancers boss room. Navigate around the central wall without getting turned into bug paste by spinning cogs. After a tricky interior challenge and a clawline shortcut, players reach the top of the Cogwork Core. There, four large cylinders must be rotated until the lines and symbols match up. Once solved, play the Needolin and learn the Architect's Melody while the ancient statues sing backup like a very old choir. Vaultkeeper's Melody Next, head toward the Whispering Vaults. Follow the same lower route through the Cogwork Core, but take the exit below the upper-half door. Hit a lever, pass through a giant wheel gate, and enter the vaults. This place is a maze with boxes that unlock shortcuts. At the bottom-left, players find The Stage, where Trobbio waits to ruin someone's afternoon. Defeat him, drop into the Underworks, loop back up, and grab the Sacred Cylinder. Bring it to Vaultkeeper Cardinius, who plays it on a record player while Hornet joins in on the Needolin. Teamwork makes the dream work. Conductor's Melody This is arguably the hardest melody to claim. From the top-left corner of the Choral Chambers, use the Clawline to grapple upward, then chain movement skills through the High Halls. The Clawline and Drifter's Cloak work together in several sections, including a brutal vertical descent where Hornet must float and grapple like a spider on a caffeine high. At the bottom, rest at the bench, unlock the shortcut, and then enter the Conductor's Melody boss gauntlet. Ten waves of Citadel enemies await. Wave five introduces a large armored boss, and wave ten doubles down with two of them. Do every Needle upgrade, collect extra Masks, and bring powerful Tools like the Sting Shard. The Sting Shard is excellent for chunking down big enemies quickly. After clearing all ten waves, meet Conductor Ballador, play the Needolin alongside him, and complete the Threefold Melody. Act 2, Part 4: The Cradle, Lace Rematch, and Grand Mother Silk With all three melody pieces in hand, return to the Cogwork Dancers boss room and play the complete Threefold Melody in front of the Ancient Statues. They approve, and an elevator opens in the middle of the room. Ride it up to meet a familiar face. Lace returns with faster moves, flashier attacks, and a serious chip on her shoulder. Where she once slashed in place, she now dashes around leaving AoE explosions like party confetti made of pain. She is one of the toughest bosses in Act 2. After she falls, Lace reveals the truth about her nature and tells Hornet to claim her earned audience with the deity above. Climb through The Cradle until reaching a long bridge with a colossal white ball of silk in the background. Approach the silk and press up to challenge the final boss. Hornet whips out her Needle and lets out her iconic battle cry: GURAMA! Grand Mother Silk erupts from the silk ball with six enormous sewing needles floating around her. Touching her body does not cause contact damage, but avoiding her rapid slashes and the needles attacking from every angle is like trying to dodge rain in a thunderstorm. Stay mobile, watch the needle patterns, and punish the openings. Once Grand Mother Silk goes down, a spectacular cutscene shows Hornet destroying the deity and binding her silk into her shell. This completes Act 2 and unlocks the default ending, which appears to place Hornet inside the giant silk ball. Roll credits, but not the whole story. Players can still backtrack into optional zones like the Putrified Ducts and Bilewater. More importantly, there is a secret Act 3 hiding beyond the default ending, with new areas, bosses, and enough extra content to make a completionist weep happy tears. For completionists still chasing every hidden corner of the game, one of the best ways to keep that motivation alive is to catch Silksong and its predecessor Hollow Knight during their frequent discount windows on PC. Nintendo Switch players have to wait for first-party sales, but PC gamers have a far easier time spotting price drops if they know where to look. Keeping tabs on price history for upcoming DLC or even base-game bargains can be a hassle, though. That's where a dedicated [steam sale tracker]( comes in handy—it helps you avoid paying full price for the games that pair perfectly with your Silksong playthrough, so you can spend more time exploring Pharloom and less time refreshing store pages. https://dealnesthq.com

Where Hollow Knight: Silksong DLC Could Go Next Hollow Knight: Silksong post-launch support may include free updates or paid expansions, offering fans exciting new content and gameplay modes. In 2026, Team Cherry has remained quiet about exactly how Hollow Knight: Silksong will be supported after launch, but the studio's stated plan to keep expanding the game for years has left fans poring over the possibilities. Months after release, players have had time to finish their first playthroughs and begin asking a familiar question: will Silksong receive free updates, paid expansions, or both? The original Hollow Knight was famously supported with substantial DLC, and the sequel offers even more room to experiment. Here are some directions Team Cherry could take if additional content moves forward. Returning to Hollownest One of the most beloved surprises in video game history came from Pokémon Gold and Silver, when players returned to Kanto after completing Johto. A similar move in Silksong would be just as striking. Hornet was taken from Hollownest to the distant kingdom of Pharloom, and a post-game or DLC campaign could finally let her make the journey back. The base game includes a surprise connected to Act 3, but it does not send players to the original game's decaying kingdom. Team Cherry could revisit that location through a paid expansion or a free content drop, giving longtime fans the emotional payoff of seeing Hollownest again. The Road Between Worlds ️ Any return to Hollownest would need a road, and that road could become an entire region. The trip to Pharloom was not short, so the route back could match either kingdom in size. Team Cherry could also introduce outdoor environments beyond the main game's limited selection. Silksong already tests players with Mount Fay, but a bridge zone between Pharloom and Hollownest could feature new biomes, shifting weather, and strange bug fauna. While the world is small in scale because every character is a bug, new anthropomorphic creatures or even tiny mammals could be added to expand the feel of a wider world. A Boss Rush Mode ️ Not every game gets a boss rush, but Silksong is an ideal candidate. Players who want to relive encounters with the Last Judge and the Savage Beastfly would welcome a dedicated mode from the main menu. Others would use it to practice the Widow or the Fourth Chorus without the frustration of the run back to the arena. Because Silksong includes a harder mode, a boss rush would also serve as practical training. Bosses are among the best parts of the game, and a focused replay option would highlight that design. New Playable Characters Silksong began life as DLC for Hollow Knight, with Hornet planned as a second playable character. That expansion eventually grew into a full sequel, proving how much potential a character-focused update can have. For future content, Team Cherry could add Shakra, who already has combat abilities and aids Hornet multiple times. Garmond and Zaza are also natural picks because they help during the journey. A new playable campaign could use the existing map or a separate area, with each character offering different movement and combat options. A Stealth Roguelike with Jubilana Team Cherry could also lean into the roguelike trend. God of War Ragnarok added a well-received roguelike mode after launch, and Silksong already features randomness in areas like The Mist. A separate dungeon mode would not be out of place. Rather than starring Hornet, the mode could follow Jubilana, the shopkeeper who disappears while searching for new wares. Since Jubilana cannot fight, a stealth-focused roguelike could work well. Players could move through randomized dungeons, collect loot, and sell it back to pilgrims, similar to Moonlighter's action-shopkeeping loop. Indie Crossovers and Cameos Hollow Knight has a long history of indie collaborations. Dead Cells received items, The Binding of Isaac added cards, and Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes even included a wearable shirt. Silksong will likely appear in other indie games, but Team Cherry could also return the favor. Mina the Hollower, starring a small mouse named Mina, would fit neatly into Pharloom's bug-sized world. Mina could appear as an NPC offering quests, a boss, or a source of crossover weapons. Cosmetics, items, and cameo characters are all low-risk ways to keep the game feeling alive between larger expansions. Concept Inspiration Potential Hook Return to Hollownest Pokémon Gold/Silver Kanto Post-game journey home New playable characters Silksong's Hornet DLC origin Shakra, Garmond, Zaza Boss rush mode Fan tradition Practice harder mode Stealth roguelike Moonlighter, God of War Ragnarok Jubilana dungeon runs Indie crossovers Dead Cells, Isaac, Travis Mina the Hollower cameo The Next Step Team Cherry has not confirmed which approach it will take, and the studio is known for working in silence. The original Hollow Knight proved that even free updates can dramatically expand a game, while Silksong's scale makes a full expansion feel like a natural next move. Whether the team chooses a return to Hollownest, new playable characters, a boss rush, a roguelike, or a roster of indie cameos, the world of Pharloom has plenty of room to grow. Speculation about what comes next is only half the fun; the other half is making sure the base game is already sitting in your library, ready for whenever Team Cherry decides to drop something new. Between the original Hollow Knight, its soundtrack bundles, and Silksong itself, the cost of catching up on the series can add up quickly, especially for players who prefer to own their games on a specific storefront or platform. That is exactly the kind of situation where a little price comparison goes a long way, and it is worth checking a dedicated deals aggregator before committing to a full-price purchase. DealNest keeps an eye on discounts across major storefronts, so you can see at a glance whether a title is currently cheaper on Steam, GOG, the Nintendo eShop, or elsewhere. For anyone planning to replay Hallownest before the next expansion lands, or hoping to gift a copy to a friend who has not yet experienced Pharloom, it is a practical way to find [where to buy cheap games]( without refreshing a dozen store pages by hand. Saving a few coins on the base game leaves more room in the budget for whatever paid content the studio eventually announces. https://dealnesthq.com

Why Silksong Hype Has Players Reconsidering Animal Well Animal Well and Hollow Knight: Silksong, two indie Metroidvania games, evoke lasting intrigue and unique emotional responses in players. Plenty of players have a weird relationship with Animal Well. It launched in 2024 as the debut title from Dunkey's Bigmode, the publisher created with a bold promise: only release good games. For a while, it was the indie Metroidvania everyone had to have an opinion about. But then the conversation moved on, as it always does. Now, in 2026, with Hollow Knight: Silksong hype once again turning every corner of the internet into a bug-infested fever dream, a strange side effect has appeared - unfinished Animal Well save files are calling back to their owners. Let's be real - Hollow Knight: Silksong is an absurdly big deal for a game primarily made by four people, priced at twenty bucks, and belonging to the most stereotypically indie genre: the 2D Metroidvania. Every so often one of these explore-em-ups breaks out in a huge way, and the original Hollow Knight did exactly that in 2018, exploding on the Switch a full year after launch. Seven years later, the sequel is following the same outsized footsteps, even though 2024 belonged to Animal Well. The Pressure Behind Animal Well Part of what made Animal Well such a lightning rod was Dunkey's claim that he could pick winners because he plays a ton of games and knows what good looks like. That pitch sounded a little too simple to a lot of people, so the pressure was on. Then the reviews landed, and they were glowing. The game delivered, and Dunkey's talk was backed up. 🧠 When a Game Asks for Space One ordinary player picked up Animal Well on the strength of that chatter, expecting to get lost in its world. Instead, after five or six hours of puttering around, hitting a wall with puzzle after puzzle, getting annoyed, wandering off to explore elsewhere, and running straight into another stumper, they closed the game with the intention of giving their brain some time to process. That happened across several sessions, until eventually the coming back stopped. The experience was decent, but it left the opposite emotional footprint of Hollow Knight. With Hollow Knight, sessions end with excitement to get back and play more. With Animal Well, sessions ended because a little space was needed before the game could be enjoyed again. Why Bouncing Off Is Not a Verdict That same player is currently working through Hollow Knight - a game they initially reacted to exactly the same way, playing for several hours and then neglecting it. Seven years later, though, the experience has changed. Now there is a full-blown compulsion to explore every inch of that bug-riddled world. And thinking back on Animal Well, there are plenty of aspects that still intrigue: the big pixelated animals standing around in certain chambers, the opaque items that were still fun to use, the pure focus on puzzle-solving with combat completely removed, and the blobby main character's ballsy refusal to look remotely interesting. Riding around on a frisbee, for what it's worth, was genuinely great fun. Here are a few Animal Well details that keep nagging: The oversized pixelated animals loitering in hidden chambers, silent and strange. The opaque items that somehow stayed satisfying to use, especially the frisbee. The no-combat puzzle philosophy, a rare move that trades action for pure thought. The stubbornly unremarkable blob protagonist, a design choice that feels like a dare. ️ The Bottomless Well of Secrets Every review hinted that if a player pushed long enough, the game would transform from a straightforward Metroidvania into a bottomless well of secrets. That deeper layer never got reached, and as it stands, Animal Well remains a mildly interesting 2D action-adventure game - and there are plenty of those to go around. But the itch is real. No one wants to be the miner who gives up in frustration right before reaching a cache of diamonds, and there is a sneaking suspicion that leaving Animal Well felt exactly like that. Maybe the game was abandoned one puzzle too early. Getting back to it won't happen immediately. After Hollow Knight, Silksong is obviously next on the docket. But Animal Well's world still has something to offer, and it might make the perfect palette cleanser between Silksong boss attempts. With that kind of lineup on the horizon, plus the lingering pull to give Animal Well another proper shot between Silksong boss attempts, game libraries have a funny way of growing faster than the time available to actually play them. It helps to be selective about what gets bought at full price, especially when a whole backlog of half-finished adventures is already waiting patiently for attention. For anyone juggling a similar mix of sequels, hidden gems, and long-overdue return trips, it pays to keep an eye on the [best game deals]( rather than grabbing everything on a whim. A little patience can make the next journey into the unknown a lot easier on the wallet, leaving more room to take an occasional chance on something delightfully strange. https://dealnesthq.com