Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Replaced
Silksong offers deep, punishing Metroidvania combat; Replaced trades gameplay for gorgeous pixel-art storytelling.
Updated 11d ago
Hornet's pogo-and-dash silk kit moves better than the original's, and 40 hours at $20 is absurd value — unless you bounce off punishing boss timing.
Buy Replaced for its gorgeous pixel-art and atmospheric storytelling, if you can tolerate lackluster combat.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | Hollow Knight: Silksong | Replaced |
|---|---|---|
| Value Replaced wins on value | ||
| Price now | $19.99 Microsoft Store | $14.99 −25% · GOG |
| All-time low | $14.99 | $14.99 |
| Cost / hour | $0.71/hr $19.99 · 28 h main story | $1.42/hr $14.99 · 11 h main story |
| Off its low | +33% low was May 2026 | At its low low was Jul 2026 |
| Main story | 28 h | 11 h |
| Health Too close to call | ||
| Steam reviews | 89% 418k reviews | 84% 9k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 89% 4k votes · vs 89% lifetime | 90% 821 votes · vs 84% lifetime · improving |
| Peak players | 13,722 Jul 2026 · ↑ 5% MoM | 642 Jul 2026 · ↑ 27% MoM |
| Launch peak | 3% of Sep 2025 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | 18% of Apr 2026 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 |
| All-time peak | 462,134 Sep 2025 | 3,547 Apr 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 5 months ago | 6 weeks ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 2 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hornet's silk-tool kit—pogo, wall-cling, and the needling dash—keeps veterans experimenting well past hour 100, with the movement system called smoother than the original.
from our August 2026 verdict
Replaced
The hand-painted pixel-art and atmospheric world design is what keeps players coming back, even past 20 hours.
Combat pacing feels repetitive after a few hours, with bullet-deflect mechanics and limited enemy variety wearing thin.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Hollow Knight: Silksong if
- You replayed Hollow Knight and crave more punishing 2D action.
- You want sharp, fast combat with high skill ceiling.
- You enjoy fighting bosses 30+ times before mastery.
Pick Replaced if
- You love hand-painted pixel-art and atmospheric sci-fi.
- You prioritize story and art direction over gameplay depth.
- You prefer slow-burn narratives about AI consciousness.
Bottom line
Choose Silksong for deep combat and high difficulty; pick Replaced if visual art and storytelling outweigh gameplay polish.