Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Replaced
Hollow Knight: Silksong's 40-hour odyssey versus Replaced's 11-hour art piece — pick your trade-off between playtime and spectacle.
Updated 26d 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 Sep 22; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 22.
| Measure | Hollow Knight: Silksong | Replaced |
|---|---|---|
| Value Replaced wins on value | ||
| Price now | $19.99 Microsoft Store | $15.99 −20% · Steam |
| All-time low | $14.99 | $14.99 |
| Cost / hour | $0.71/hr $19.99 · 28 h main story | $1.51/hr $15.99 · 11 h main story |
| Off its low | +33% low was May 2026 | +7% low was Jul 2026 |
| Main story | 28 h | 11 h |
| Health Hollow Knight: Silksong wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 89% 423k reviews | 85% 10k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 91% 4k votes · vs 89% lifetime | 90% 443 votes · vs 85% lifetime |
| Peak players | 12,305 Aug 2026 · ↓ 10% MoM | 386 Aug 2026 · ↓ 40% MoM |
| Launch peak | 3% of Sep 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | 11% of Apr 2026 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 462,134 Sep 2025 | 3,547 Apr 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 6 months ago | 3 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 1 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 want a 40-hour metroidvania with punishing but fair boss timing
- You've got a Switch and prefer map-reading exploration over cutscenes
- You're okay with hours on a swamp level that blocks progress
Pick Replaced if
- Hand-painted pixel art and retro-futuristic 80s dystopia are your draw
- You prefer a slow-burn AI consciousness story with cinematic cutscenes
- You want a short platformer under 12 hours and tolerate input lag
Bottom line
If you want the deepest exploration and best value, pick Silksong; if you prioritize art direction and a quick story, Replaced is your play.