Game Basics

Learn about Hollow Knight's health system, Geo currency, and 107% completion rate. Essential tips for new players.

Hit Points

Health is represented with little white masks on the top left corner of the screen (the HUD (heads-up display — the on-screen icons showing health, ammo and the minimap) - Heads-Up Display). You start with 5 masks. Every time you are hit by an enemy, touch spikes, or any other damage-dealing structure, you lose one mask. Being hit with only one mask left means death. Upon death, you will be teleported to your last Bench (a type of checkpoint (an auto-save point you restart from on death)) and lose all your Geo (the game's currency). You will leave a 'Shade' behind, which is a ghost that you must defeat to recover your lost Geo. Killing enemies replenishes your Soul bar, which is used to 'Focus' and recover hit points. Check your configurations to find the key that triggers Focus. You must press and hold this key, and your character will charge and recover hit points.

Geo

Geo is the game's currency. You can obtain it by defeating enemies or by hitting Geo rocks, which are scattered all over the world.

Completion Rate

Hollow Knight features a 107% completion rate. Many items, abilities, spells, quests, and bosses contribute towards this percentage.

Basic Tips

• Do not worry too much about grinding Geo early in the game. The Geo drop rate progressively scales as you make progress. Focus on acquiring enough Geo to purchase a Map, Compass, and Quill, which will aid your exploration. Grinding for more Geo beyond these essentials may be a waste of time, as you will inevitably earn more Geo later.
• Jump and attack. This technique allows you to reach areas that are otherwise inaccessible. When you jump and aim downwards before attacking, you can perform a pogo-bounce depending on what you hit. Bouncing off spikes and other structures can help you reach higher altitudes with your jumps.
• Explore. The game does not provide explicit directions, and progression is achieved through exploration. Discover keys, items, and trigger events that will help you advance.
• Avoid death. If you have masks remaining but are facing difficult enemies or wish to avoid risk, you can quit the game and load your save. This action preserves your progress and respawns you at the last Bench you rested at.