Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Sword of the Sea
High-speed serenity versus punishing platforming — choose your poison.
Six years late and worth the wait — Silksong is faster, meaner, and bigger than Hollow Knight, even if its early-game wall is taller than its predecessor's.
Giant Squid's at the height of their flow-state powers — Sword of the Sea is sand-surfing as meditation, and Wintory's score makes every dune feel monumental.
Steam popularity
Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
May 2026 peak CCU 11,309 ↓ 16% MoM
All-time peak 462,134
Sword of the Sea
May 2026 peak CCU 20 ↓ 23% MoM
All-time peak 493
Key differences
Game pace
Hollow Knight: Silksong is faster and meaner than its predecessor.
Sword of the Sea is a meditative, high-speed movement experience.
Combat depth
Silksong has punishing-but-fair difficulty with complex boss battles.
Sword of the Sea has minimal combat and focuses on traversal.
Game length
Silksong is a large, expansive game with significant replay value.
Sword of the Sea is a short, 5-6 hour experience.
Which one is for you?
Pick Hollow Knight: Silksong if
- You enjoy challenging platformers with deep combat mechanics
- You're looking for a large, replayable game with high difficulty
- You're a fan of Metroidvanias with punishing-but-fair challenge
Pick Sword of the Sea if
- You prefer relaxing, meditative games with high-speed movement
- You enjoy games with beautiful soundtracks and atmospheric sound design
- You're looking for a short, low-commitment gaming experience
Bottom line
Choose Silksong for a challenging, expansive platformer or Sword of the Sea for a serene, high-speed experience — it depends on whether you prioritize gameplay depth or atmospheric immersion.