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METROIDVANIAADVENTURE

Hollow Knight

2017 · Team Cherry

Explore a ruined underground kingdom whose demanding fights and hidden paths gradually reveal its history.

PLATFORMS

PCLinuxmacOSNintendo SwitchPS4Xbox OneNintendo Switch 2PS5Xbox Series X/S

GAMEBOX SCORE

95

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score94
Hidden Gem88
Revival Potential85

GAME DNA

experience
Discovery-led · Mastery challenge
genre
Metroidvania · Adventure
mood
Isolation · Mysterious
gameplay
Exploration · Combat · Discovery
difficulty
Hard
era
2010s
pacing
Balanced
perspective
Side-view
structure
Interconnected

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

IsolationMysteriousExplorationCombatDiscovery

ABOUT THE GAME

Explore a ruined underground kingdom whose demanding fights and hidden paths gradually reveal its history.

Explore a ruined underground kingdom whose demanding fights and hidden paths gradually reveal its history.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

First listed release: 2017. Explore the cited source for the game's release and development history.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
2017
Developer
Team Cherry
Publisher
Team Cherry

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Hollow Knight

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

1994

Super Metroid

98% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Isolation · Mysterious · Metroidvania · Adventure

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Isolation / Mysterious mood; Metroidvania / Adventure genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge100% distinctive overlap · 79.8 / 79.8 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 71.4 / 71.4 points
  • genre: Adventure · Metroidvania100% distinctive overlap · 33.4 / 33.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.3 / 24.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: Side-view100% distinctive overlap · 14.7 / 14.7 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

1997

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

90% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Isolation · Mysterious · Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Metroidvania · Adventure

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Isolation / Mysterious mood; Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Metroidvania / Adventure genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 71.4 / 71.4 points
  • genre: Adventure · Metroidvania100% distinctive overlap · 33.4 / 33.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.3 / 24.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: Side-view100% distinctive overlap · 14.7 / 14.7 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2002

Metroid Prime

70% SIMILAR

STRONG MATCH

Isolation · Mysterious · Metroidvania · Adventure · Discovery-led

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Isolation / Mysterious mood; Metroidvania / Adventure genre; Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led32% distinctive overlap · 24.5 / 76.2 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 71.4 / 71.4 points
  • genre: Adventure · Metroidvania100% distinctive overlap · 33.4 / 33.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.3 / 24.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.3 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points

2011

Dark Souls

52% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: 2010s100% distinctive overlap · 4.8 / 4.8 points

2009

Demon's Souls

38% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points

1998

Banjo-Kazooie

37% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge100% distinctive overlap · 79.8 / 79.8 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 71.9 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.5 points
  • gameplay: Discovery31% distinctive overlap · 9.5 / 31.1 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points