Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight was created by the small Australian studio Team Cherry, essentially just a handful of people, as a sprawling metroidvania set in the decaying underground insect kingdom of Hallownest, plagued by a mysterious infection. The nameless knight travels through interconnected caverns, catacombs, and gardens full of atmospheric, hand-drawn environments, and the level design rewards patient exploration, with the player charting the area's map themselves using purchased cartography equipment instead of an automatically revealed map. The charm system, through which the player fills a limited number of slots, also functions as a light form of build customization, letting them lean into faster healing, longer weapon reach, or silent movement.

The combat system combines precise platforming jumps with magic called Soul, charged by hitting enemies and then usable for healing or special attacks, while the difficulty of boss fights like Nightmare King Grimm ranks among the hardest in the genre. Losing currency on death and having to return to the site of the fall to reclaim one's own shade create a tension reminiscent of the Dark Souls series, with which Hollow Knight also shares its manner of storytelling: characters such as the mysterious Hollow Knight, the combative Hornet, or the tragic ruler of Hallownest form an elaborate mythology that players piece together from fragments and found scraps. A melancholic yet occasionally gently humorous atmosphere, complemented by Christopher Larkin's orchestral soundtrack, creates an unmistakable mood.

Critics showered the game with praise for the scope of its content, the depth of its combat, and its artistic cohesion despite a low budget, and it became one of the most beloved independent titles of the decade, fueling enormous anticipation for the long-delayed sequel Silksong. Free expansions like Hidden Dreams and Godmaster were also added by the studio long after release at no cost, earning it a reputation as an unusually generous and player-devoted development team. Today Hollow Knight is cited as proof that a hand-drawn game from a handful of people can boldly compete with the output of major publishers in both the scale of its world and the care of its craftsmanship.