No idea how to progress the game

[Gunn]

I want to like this game but I have no clue how to progress the game. I feel like I'm still in the starting area. But I've been walking around the same 2 areas for like 5 hours now. Killed 1 boss but that's it. Everywhere else that seems like might progress the game is either locked behind a door or a jump that is too high. I've literally gone everywhere I can looking for keys or something. I'm about done. A shame for such a beautiful game.

[MADE IN IRON]

If you post a picture of your map, we can give you some hints (without spoilers) to point you in the right direction.

It's normal to feel lost in this game, specially when you first play it. But once you get used to it, you end up finding your way.

[🉑 rezno[R].technology]

Getting lost/stuck is a natural state of Hollow Knight (as designed), so better get used to it if you still want to play 🙂 This is a game about discovery and exploration, there is no real goal list.

Looking at your achievements, you still probably didn't explore the middle area of Forgotten Crossroads. Try going there. Remember that any passage on the map which looks like it has been cut out with scissors, is an unexplored yet area.

A good advice is to buy map pins and mark locations on the map where you've been and you see that you cannot progress there at this point, or whenever you see something curious/interactable, so that you will know where to return after acquiring a new ability or item. And you will know where you've already explored.

If you have the Quill, your map gets updated where you explored it, whenever you sit on a bench.

Good advice is to read what every NPC has to say carefully. They give a lot of clues. The clues are also all around the environment (including sounds).

Another good advice is to use my Save Game Analyzer, which has built-in spoiler-free Hint system which you can use whenever you feel stuck:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2209910193

And every time you feel tired/clueless, take a short break from the game to regenerate. Play it again the next day or in a few hours. It really helps.

[Gunn]

Originally posted by MADE IN IRON:

If you post a picture of your map, we can give you some hints (without spoilers) to point you in the right direction.

It's normal to feel lost in this game, specially when you first play it. But once you get used to it, you end up finding your way.

here is my map. I'm just to the right of the first boss with some room with red light coming from it that I can't jump up to.

https://ibb.co/PxNJ7wZ

[Gunn]

And the only other place I can go is here. But I can't jump over this thing or go through it. Can't find a switch for it or anything after literally hours of wandering around the same spot.

https://ibb.co/3sfdhKP

[🉑 rezno[R].technology]

Don't worry about the room or the elevator with the switch for now. They will become relevant much later.

It seems like you don't have the Quill or Wayward Compass yet! I would try going back to town as well, and see if something changed there 🙂 First recover your Shade, though, to get some Geo. From the location of the Shade, go back right, and then all the way up.

[Gunn]

Originally posted by 🉑 reznoR:

Don't worry about the room or the elevator with the switch for now. They will become relevant much later.

It seems like you don't have the Quill or Wayward Compass yet! I would try going back to town as well, and see if something changed there 🙂 First recover your Shade, though, to get some Geo. From the location of the Shade, go back right, and then all the way up.

I have no clue what you just said. "Recover your shade though to get some geo" what does this even mean? And nothing changed at "town" just that one guy and a bench.

[🉑 rezno[R].technology]

Are you sure about that? 🤔 I would check it out again!

You have a symbol of your Shade on the map, because you died (a black silhouette with white eyes). After dying you lose all Geo, unless you manage to recover your Shade (which is holding all your Geo you had at the time of dying).
Dying also breaks your Soul container, so that you are able to hold max 2/3 Soul. Recovering the Shade fixes that.

[Holografix]

the worst thing is getting really really far and then taking a long break from Hollow Knight to play other games and then when you come back YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR WHERE YOU ARE.

[Whiskra]

Gather 340 geo, go back to Dirtmouth, go into one of the houses and buy Wayward Compass and Quill. Sit at the bench and equip Wayward Compass, and your map will automatically fill out with any area you've explored so far.

[JereG]

If you beat the boss in the middle you can progress to the left from the boss room, near there is a building you can enter. There you'll meet someone who gives you more power to get to new areas.

[Jith03]

Originally posted by JereG:

If you beat the boss in the middle you can progress to the left from the boss room, near there is a building you can enter. There you'll meet someone who gives you more power to get to new areas.

After doing that person's task, head NW and use your newfound power to forge on.

[kanna]

Originally posted by Holografix:

the worst thing is getting really really far and then taking a long break from Hollow Knight to play other games and then when you come back YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR WHERE YOU ARE. :quirrel:

Yup. When I was new to the game, I took a break for something like a month and when I came back I though my Shade in the middle of the Crossroads map was just a symbol for the boss that I died to, and I avoided going back there until I'd finished exploring the rest of the area (except that I don't think I did the Gruz Mother fight until after False Knight). I didn't understand why I hardly had any soul until I finally went back there and recovered it, on my way to the boss. :'D

I think after my second run of the game though, I stopped bothering to use compass because I knew the map well enough that I didn't need it. Quill is the MVP anyway, especially once you know where everything is.

[MADE IN IRON]

Originally posted by GunnDawg:

here is my map. I'm just to the right of the first boss with some room with red light coming from it that I can't jump up to.

https://ibb.co/PxNJ7wZ

https://ibb.co/RD8jm8m

1) I'll insist on what Rezno mentioned. Once you die, you loose all your geo and your vessel brokes. If you die again, your geo is lost forever, and your vessel comes back to normal. If you want your geo back, you should go defeat your shade. Your shade is a sort of gost you leave behind in the place you die. If you kill it before dying again, you recover your geo. You'll see it in the map.

2) That's a good place to ckeck...

3) Do you see that wal? That it's not a full line, you can see if interrupted. Whenever you see something like that on your map, you'd better check it.


Other usefull advice they gave you, get the Wayward compass. It's something you can buy in a shop in Dirthmout. If the store is not open yet, you can try to search for the shop's owner husband, you'll recognise him by his humming, you'll know he is near because you'll hear him when you are getting close. By the way, you need to equip the compass, to do so, you need to sit on a bench.

[Dakato]

If you for some reason don't want to know where to go, don't read any further after I say you shouldn't. Before going here, you have to have Vengeful Spirit. And, probably get your shade back and the Quill.

Okay, now if you don't want spoilers on where to go, stop reading now.

At the entrance to the Forgotten Crossroads, go to the room to the left. whilst going down that room (the really tall one with the platforms and lost of flying enemies)you will notice some rooms to the left. In one of those, there will be an enemy that you need to kill. If you get close to him, he won't take damage, so use Vengeful spirit. Upon doing that, He will begin to attack back, one of these attacks being firing a baby version of him, so you can replenish Soul for another Vengeful spirit. Other that that one, avoid all his attacks. Repeat using Vengeful spirit until he dies. It takes 4 Vengeful Spirits to kill him. Now that he's dead, continue, and you'll uncover a large new area!