In 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally clawed its way out of development purgatory, only to be met with a chorus of anguished howls about its difficulty. Three hits to death from the very first screen, enemies packing double damage as standard, and boss patterns that demand the reaction time of a caffeinated mantis shrimp—yes, it is brutal. But here is the uncomfortable truth: Silksong's pain is a paper cut next to the industrial meat grinder of retro gaming. Anyone who thinks Silksong is hard has clearly never spent a Saturday afternoon being eviscerated by a Disney lion cub.



Completing The Lion King On SNES: I Just Can't Wait To Be... Obliterated

Nothing about the box art for The Lion King on Super Nintendo screams “soul-crushing gauntlet.” A cute cartoon cub, sweeping savanna vistas, songs about growing up—it looks like a warm hug for children. In reality, it was a precision platformer wearing the skin of a family film. Disney and Westwood deliberately cranked up the difficulty during the rental era so that players could not breeze through it over a weekend. This was not game design; it was corporate hostage-taking disguised as entertainment.

Before reaching anything resembling a checkpoint, players had to work out the controls with zero explanation. Key mechanics were discovered through trial, error, and the sudden death of Simba. Even after mastering the controls, the game still dealt unfair deaths like a croupier dealing cards from a rigged deck. Falls through platforms that absolutely looked solid, leaps that required pixel-perfect timing, and roars that did nothing to enemies—it was all part of the package. Many a player has wandered away from this game muttering about giraffes and waterfalls, their childhood shattered like a cracked CRT screen.



Playing Ghosts 'N Goblins On NES Without Losing Your Armor: My Experience Was Pants, Arthur's Pants

The NES original of Ghosts 'N Goblins did not care about fairness. It cared about making sure Arthur spent most of his afterlife sprinting around in his underwear. The two-hit system is legendary: the first hit strips Arthur of his armor, leaving him in nothing but a pair of red underpants; the second hit reduces him to a small pile of bones. The game is so relentless that players rarely remember what Arthur's armor looked like, but can sketch every crease in his skivvies from memory.

Enemy spawns were randomized, meaning a demon could materialize directly onto Arthur's helmetless head with no warning. Background objects occasionally obscured the very hazards that were about to end the run. Bosses required rote memorization of attack patterns, level layouts, and spawn timings. Even then, luck remained the final arbiter—like trying to cross a minefield while blindfolded and juggling live grenades. Anyone who has finished this without save states deserves a medal, a therapy session, or both.



Working Out That The Spectrum Version Of Gauntlet Doesn't End: Why Do Only NES Players Get An Ending?

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was a distinctly British console, complete with rubber keys and a tape deck that took roughly seven business days to load a game. Among its many oddities was a port of Gauntlet that promised adventure but delivered an infinite limbo. Players knew the arcade original was endless, and they had heard that the NES version offered a proper ending after level 100. So naturally, Spectrum owners assumed their version would eventually conclude as well.

It did not. After level 100, the game simply shuffled previous levels, mirror-flipped them, and served them up in random order. There was no on-screen level indicator, no congratulatory message, no final boss—just an endless corridor of recycled dungeons. Discovering this was not a failure of skill but a failure of expectations, like climbing a mountain only to find the summit is actually a treadmill set to maximum incline. The hardest part of Gauntlet on Spectrum was not the ghosts or the traps; it was accepting that the game would never, ever let the player go.



Getting A Popular Game To Work At Launch: The Secret First Boss

Even the most hardened retro warriors agree on one thing: the true final boss of gaming has never been a demon king, a rogue AI, or a giant ape. It is the Launch Day Boss. This multi-stage monstrosity requires cunning, patience, and a luck stat that would make a gacha puller weep. The RNG begins the moment a player attempts to secure a game code without the storefront collapsing into a heap of error messages.

Pre-orders help, functioning as a kind of cheat code for the first phase. But unless a player possesses the sacred relic of a pre-launch download, the next stage is pure agony. Thousands of people try to download the same game at the exact same moment, turning the process into a slowness effect that can stretch for hours. The storefront crashes, the payment processor hiccups, and the server queue becomes a waiting room for a doctor who will never call your name.

Then comes the final stage: connection. Most modern games demand an internet connection, and server capacity is finite. MMOs, battle royales, and even single-player titles with always-online check-ins are vulnerable to the dreaded server error ability. This move negates all player abilities and leaves them staring at a login screen like a knight whose sword has just been replaced with a wet noodle. Beating the Launch Day Boss is harder than anything in Silksong—it is a battle against infrastructure, entropy, and the collective impatience of the entire gaming population.



The Verdict

Silksong may demand precision, adaptability, and a tolerance for repeated failure. But it does not force players to fight randomized spawns in their underwear, to accept an endless treadmill of mirrored levels, or to defeat a hidden boss made entirely of server errors and download queues. Those who gripe about Silksong's difficulty should be forced to play The Lion King on SNES for one hour as a corrective measure. They would return with a new appreciation for fair, modern game design—and perhaps a mild fear of cartoon lions. ??

Perhaps the wisest strategy is not to buy into the hype cycle at all. Avoiding the Launch Day Boss is simple: don't show up for the fight. Instead of paying a premium to be an unpaid beta tester, the seasoned player knows that patience is the ultimate level-up mechanic. Leting the hype die down, letting the first few patches smooth out the rough edges, and waiting until the price drops to a fraction of the original cost opens the door to a smarter, calmer gaming experience. The victory screen tastes much sweeter when it isn't stained with buyer's remorse.

That is why a smart player's real endgame involves tracking the perfect moment to strike. Rather than refreshing storefronts like a slot machine addict, they scan the marketplace for signs of a price drop. Using a dedicated steam sale tracker allows gamers to monitor the peaks and troughs of a game's price history, ensuring they never pay full price for a title that will be discounted before the next major patch. After that, buying the game becomes a matter of clean, instant gratification without repeated server failure. That sounds like a much nicer difficulty curve. The outcome is being able to play an excellent game on their own terms, with none of the stress of release day chaos. Just compare this to your own experience of hunting for a bargain, and you will see how it offers a far better level of gameplay. And it is for that reason that this feels like completing a secret quest for the first time. Going from fighting enemies for the best price to playing games at your own pace is a smooth transition. The real reward is a library of games calmly waiting to be played.

The arrival of Hollow Knight: Silksong on Xbox Game Pass felt less like a routine catalog update and more like a long-awaited coronation in the depths of Pharloom. For subscribers, the moment carried the weight of a seven-year held breath finally released. The value of a subscription service often ebbs and flows, but through 2025, Xbox Game Pass had been moving like a river in full flood, carrying each new release past expectations with an almost gravitational pull.



That momentum began at the end of January with Citizen Sleeper 2, a quiet but brilliant narrative sequel that earned glowing reviews. From there, the floodgates opened. Avowed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Blue Prince, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Abiotic Factor each arrived as day-one additions, turning the service into a rolling showcase of critical and commercial hits. Other recent winners like Gears of War: Reloaded and The Alters kept the streak alive through the middle of the year.

Game Pass 2025 Standout
What It Brought

Citizen Sleeper 2
Emotional sci-fi storytelling

Avowed
Expansive fantasy role-playing

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Striking turn-based adventure

Blue Prince
Inventive puzzle design

Doom: The Dark Ages
Brutal, fast-paced shooting

Abiotic Factor
Co-op survival chaos

Gears of War: Reloaded
High-impact action

The Alters
Bold sci-fi decision-making

Then came Hollow Knight: Silksong. Available from day one to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, it was not simply another title; it was the needle finally threading its way through the silk, a project whose long development had become the stuff of genre legend. Critics praised its engrossing atmosphere, precise platforming, and tough battles that demanded every ounce of patience.



At the time of its launch, Silksong carried an average review score of 91 on OpenCritic, making it one of the highest-rated releases of the year. The only game ahead of it in the day-one Game Pass class was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Silksong shared its 91 with Donkey Kong Bananza and Split Fiction, placing it in rarefied company. But the number was not static. Because Team Cherry did not distribute review copies, critics started their journeys at the same moment as everyone else. The score moved like a kite in a shifting wind, briefly rising toward a perfect 100 before settling lower as more voices rolled in.

That volatility only added to the drama. For a short window, Silksong stood as the highest-rated game of all time, a title that carried as much irony as honor. Then the average slipped to 98, then 94, then to its early resting point of 91. Even so, the game remained a lock for the upper tier of the year, and its success deepened the perceived value of Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions.



For players exploring Pharloom, the world felt both intimate and hostile, a labyrinth stitched together with light and shadow. Each dash through thorny passages and each duel with a towering guardian felt like a conversation between the game and the person holding the controller. That kind of connection is not easily manufactured, which is why Silksong became the crown jewel of an already extraordinary year.



As the calendar turns toward 2026, the question is not whether Xbox Game Pass can remain relevant, but whether any future lineup can match a year when the service seemed to operate with the inevitability of a comet that refuses to dim. The library has grown richer, and the bar has risen. Hollow Knight: Silksong did not simply join the catalog; it stitched itself into the fabric of why the subscription mattered in the first place.

Of course, the very nature of a subscription library is that it breathes and shifts. Titles rotate, and even a celebrated masterpiece like Silksong will eventually cede the front page to something new. For many players, that quiet moment of farewell is also the moment their attention turns elsewhere — toward the wider ecosystem of PC gaming, where permanent ownership and frequent sales offer a different kind of satisfaction.

Keeping track of which prices have genuinely dropped and whether a worthwhile discount is actually on the table can quickly turn into a full-time chore, though. Rather than refreshing store pages by hand, more and more players are turning to a dedicated steam deal finder like the one featured at DealNest, a practical way to surface the best promotions across Steam and keep a healthy backlog without overspending. It is a small companion that quietly complements the binge-driven rhythm of Game Pass — when the subscription catalog moves on, the hunt for hidden gems continues, and the savings only make the discovery feel sweeter.

The gaming world got a loud warning recently when Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived after six years of near-mythical anticipation. Digital storefronts buckled almost immediately. Steam, Xbox Game Pass, the Nintendo Switch eShop, and the PlayStation Store all experienced enough pressure to keep some buyers waiting for hours. For anyone watching closely, that chaotic rollout looked like a rough preview of what may happen when Grand Theft Auto 6 becomes available on May 26, 2026. GTA 6 isn't just another big sequel. It's arriving 13 years after GTA 5, and the wait alone has turned its launch into a global event that could dwarf even the wildest expectations.



A Small Game with a Colossal Crash ?

It is easy to assume that a game like Silksong, with its hand-drawn look and Metroidvania focus, would have a modest launch compared with something like GTA 6. In reality, it brought major storefronts to their knees.

Steam struggled under simultaneous purchase and download requests.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers had trouble starting the game.

Nintendo Switch owners reported eShop errors.

PlayStation users faced checkout and library delays.

Those outages did not last forever, but they were widespread enough to prove an important point: pent-up demand can break infrastructure, regardless of how niche a title might seem. If a critically beloved indie sequel can create that kind of strain, a game with GTA-level popularity could push things far further.



GTA 6 Is Playing a Different Game Entirely ?

Grand Theft Auto 6 has already broken records before launch. Millions of people rushed to watch the first two trailers, even though Rockstar has revealed surprisingly little about the full experience. The trailers introduced Lucia and Jason, showed off a new version of Vice City, and teased some of the supporting cast. That was enough. Interest has remained incredibly high without constant marketing drops, which is rare for a modern blockbuster.

Unlike Silksong, however, GTA 6 players will be packed into a much smaller set of platforms. Rockstar is skipping PC at launch, so the initial release will land only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. That detail is more important than it sounds.

By concentrating millions of day-one buyers onto two console ecosystems instead of four or five storefronts, GTA 6 naturally increases the odds of login queues, slow downloads, and temporary outages. A broader launch across PC and Nintendo could spread out the traffic. On May 26, 2026, that safety valve will not exist.



Comparing the Pressure Points

Factor
Silksong Launch
Expected GTA 6 Launch

Platforms
PC, Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation
PS5 and Xbox Series X/S only

Hype level
High among dedicated fans
Global mainstream event

Store impact
Crashed multiple digital stores
Likely larger, longer outages

Pre-launch info
Long wait, very little shown
Huge demand, minimal official reveals

This table is not a guarantee of failure, but it shows why server engineers will probably have a stressful launch week. Preloads may help digital buyers, though many console players still prefer physical copies, which creates a different kind of rush at retailers. Others will buy digitally at midnight and start downloading immediately, piling onto the same content delivery networks at once.



Online Mode Adds Another Layer of Chaos ⚠️

The single-player story will be the main draw for many, but GTA 6 online multiplayer is absolutely coming. Rockstar has stayed quiet about the mode so far, but the massive success of GTA Online makes it inevitable. Anyone who remembers the launch of GTA 5 knows how rough online play can be when millions of players try to connect simultaneously. Error messages, long loading screens, and failed sessions were common back then.

There is hope that Rockstar learned from those missteps. The studio has had years to prepare, and it handles live services better now than it did in 2013. Still, no amount of preparation can completely remove risk when the audience is this large. If story mode holds up but online play stumbles in the first weekend, players will notice.

Hardware preferences could also make things uneven. Some players may rush to buy a console specifically for GTA 6, adding retail stock pressure just days before launch. Others will rely on internet providers to deliver enormous day-one patches. Each layer introduces another potential bottleneck.



What Players Can Realistically Expect ?

Nobody wants a broken launch, but expectations should stay reasonable. Silksong proved that even a beloved smaller title can temporarily overwhelm digital stores. GTA 6 is a cultural moment, not merely a video game release. Millions of people will try to access the same servers at the same time from a much narrower range of devices.

That does not mean May 26, 2026 will be a disaster. Rockstar and platform holders could take preventative steps such as staggered regional rollout, improved preload tools, and temporary queue systems. Those measures may soften the impact, but they cannot eliminate every issue.

The smartest prediction may be the simplest one: expect some turbulence, especially in the first few hours. Console players should prepare for slow downloads, possible store errors, and online instability. For those who remember waiting through GTA 5's rough online launch, patience will once again be valuable. GTA 6 might be the most anticipated game of all time, but that also makes its launch one of the most likely to hit a few bumps along the road.

Beyond waiting out the technical hurdles, players can also reduce launch-day stress by settling their purchase well in advance. Watching preorder bonuses, tracking discount windows, and choosing the right platform ahead of time means less scrambling when the servers finally open. Smart shoppers tend to compare offers before paying full price, especially since long-anticipated releases sometimes see better deals closer to release through authorized retailers.

DealNest can point players in the right direction when they are trying to figure out where to buy cheap games without risking shady keys or inflated prices. Checking reliable price comparisons and store promotions a few weeks before launch lets fans walk into that first chaotic weekend knowing they got a fair deal and can focus entirely on getting into the game.

Indie game sequels occupy a strange corner of gaming. They pop up less often than triple-A franchises because independent studios usually prefer chasing a brand-new fever dream rather than revisiting an old one. Yet when an indie sequel does land, it often humiliates the original like a speedrunner demolishing a tutorial level. As 2026 keeps rolling, the conversation is still dominated by two very different beasts: Blue Prince and its puzzle-box charm, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, the sequel that spent years turning anticipation into an art form.

The rule of thumb here is wonderfully forgiving. Sequels, prequels, and even remakes all count if they add enough. That generous definition allows some truly spectacular glow-ups to enter the list.

?️ Amnesia: The Bunker

The Amnesia franchise had a bumpy relationship with follow-ups. A Machine for Pigs disappointed, and Rebirth was a step forward without fully sticking the landing. Then Amnesia: The Bunker arrived and reminded everyone why the original was so terrifying.

Set in a World War I bunker, this one drops players into a survival horror pressure cooker. Generators tick down, supplies run dry, and a relentless monster turns every corridor into a panic attack. Because so much is randomized, no two runs feel identical. It is brutally hardcore, which means it is not for everyone, but that is exactly what indie horror should do. Compared with mainstream horror giants that try to welcome every possible player, The Bunker feels wonderfully hostile.



?️ Trials HD

Trials might be the most underrated platforming series in existence. Its roots are humble: free Java and Flash games that asked players to balance a dirt bike over increasingly sadistic obstacles. Then Trials HD landed on Xbox 360 in 2009 and became a breakout hit for one simple reason: analog controls.

Older games used a keyboard, which meant players got full throttle or nothing. Trials HD let riders ease the trigger anywhere from one to ninety-nine percent, turning clumsy digital inputs into a gloriously precise balancing act. The tracks were superb, the replay value was endless, and the game became one of Xbox Live Arcade's highest sellers. It was so good that Ubisoft swooped in and acquired developer RedLynx just before Trials Evolution launched. A tiny browser-game studio suddenly became a major player.



? Super Meat Boy

Before Super Meat Boy became a legend, the original Meat Boy was a Newgrounds Flash game testing the patience of anyone with a keyboard. The Xbox 360 sequel turned that simple concept into a massive, 300-plus-level platformer that demands pixel-perfect precision.

Playing as a literal block of meat means the movement is slippery in ways that initially feel like a prank. But once players nail the momentum, it becomes smooth, tight, and deeply satisfying. The content is ridiculous for an Xbox Live Arcade title: bonus characters, level variants, secret worlds, and an entire extra side area called Teh Internets. It is not a game for the faint of heart, but it remains one of the best platformers ever made.



? Ion Fury

Indie prequels are rare, but Ion Fury made a strong case that more studios should try them. Its predecessor, Bombshell, was one of 2016's most poorly reviewed games. Ion Fury took that disaster and rebuilt the series as an old-school first-person shooter, channeling classics like Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior.

The levels are interconnected in ways that recall Half-Life, and the enemies are a joy to blast into scrap. Some players might argue the weapon roster could use more punch, but the glow-up from Bombshell to Ion Fury is still staggering. Turning a dud into one of the best retro shooters around is no small feat.



? Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

The original Yooka-Laylee promised a revival of Nintendo 64 collect-a-thons but failed to capture the magic of Banjo-Kazooie. Expectations for a 2D sequel were low. Then Playtonic delivered something shockingly good.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair nailed its platforming fundamentals. The real genius is the final level gimmick: players can attempt the Impossible Lair at any time, but completing main levels adds extra hits. Skilled players can even beat the game early, which is a beautifully confident design choice. It became one of the most underrated platformers of 2019 and a must-play for anyone who loves 2D movement done right.



? The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

A remake can be a sequel if it adds enough, and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth added mountains. The 2011 original was already a top-tier roguelike, but its PC controller implementation was so rough that players still tell campfire stories about it. Rebirth fixed those issues and expanded the game into something monstrously replayable.

With its strange Newgrounds-flavored art and endless item combinations, Rebirth is often called the best roguelike ever made. The expansions only deepened the rabbit hole. Every run feels like opening a cursed toy chest and discovering something new, broken, or deeply unsettling.



?️ Hollow Knight: Silksong

The wait became a meme, but Silksong finally arrived and somehow exceeded expectations. It takes the original Hollow Knight and improves nearly every aspect: movement, soundtrack, combat, and the sheer density of secrets. For a twenty-dollar game, the amount of content is almost rude. There is a secret area that players can completely miss unless they clear all the wishes, which is exactly the kind of hidden reward fans adore.

Available on Xbox Game Pass, Silksong is an easy recommendation. It may have shattered player-count records and broken industry rules, but the list does not crown it number one. There is another game sitting on a different level entirely.



? Baldur's Gate 3

Every decade or so, a game arrives and rearranges the furniture of the entire industry. Baldur's Gate 3 is that game. Larian Studios is not indie in the bedroom-coder sense, but it remains independent of major publishers. The studio bet everything on Divinity: Original Sin and would have gone bankrupt if that gamble had failed.

The result is one of the best RPGs ever made: endless player choice, superb writing, immense content, and a combat system that some players find a bit too safe for a D&D adaptation. Even with that criticism, the rest of the game is essentially flawless. It showed the industry how a quality RPG should be built and will influence games for years to come. It is the best game of the decade so far, and the greatest indie game of all time.



Sequel
What It Improved
Vibe

Amnesia: The Bunker
Survival horror tension
Relentlessly terrifying

Trials HD
Analog precision
Frustrating but addictive

Super Meat Boy
Scale and controls
Brutally smooth

Ion Fury
Genre redemption
Old-school loud

Impossible Lair
Level design
Shockingly clever

Isaac: Rebirth
Content and polish
Endlessly cursed

Silksong
Everything
Hyped and delivered

Baldur's Gate 3
RPG greatness
Industry-changing

What makes this list so remarkable is that most of these titles cost far less than the typical AAA release, yet they deliver some of the most memorable experiences gaming has seen in years. For players who want to chase down these hidden gems — or revisit the classics mentioned here — keeping an eye on price tags is part of the fun.

If you are looking to expand your library without stretching your budget, knowing where to buy cheap games can make all the difference. DealNest is a handy place to start when you want to spot discounts and grab quality indie titles for less.

Hornet’s quest to carry more silk in Hollow Knight: Silksong is less about needlework and more about hoovering up every shiny Spool Fragment hidden across Pharloom. There are 18 of these little upgrades, and grabbing all of them isn’t just satisfying for pack rats—it unlocks the Extended achievement. Players who ignore them will spend the late game with a very modest silk pouch, which is basically like bringing a teaspoon to a soup festival.

The hunt spans cramped chutes, locked gates, suspicious vendors, and one particularly unhinged elevator. Since the 2026 completionist scene has already mapped every corner of Pharloom, this guide lays out each fragment with just enough sass to keep the pain tolerable.

? Bone Bottom and the Marrow Wall

The first fragment waits in an alcove above Bone Bottom. Players should trace a path that briefly skims the left side of the Marrow before smashing a wall at the marked spot. It’s a gentle introductory hide-and-seek, assuming a wall doesn’t count as a hiding spot.

?️ Weavenest Alta

After unlocking Needolin, players can open the locked gate on the right side of Mosso Grotto. Weavenest Alta sits beyond that gate, and the route to the fragment is a silk-spun reminder that ability gating waits for no one.

⚓ Deep Docks

Deep Docks offers two fragments. The first sits at the top of a room with a floor made of embers, which sounds more like a hazard warning than a landmark. Follow the route to reach it.



The second requires one of Pharloom's Simple Keys. Unlock the door in Deep Docks, traverse the area beyond, and the fragment appears along the route. Compared with the ember floor, this one is practically a shopping trip—except the door insists on a key.

?️ Greymoor

A high alcove in Greymoor holds the next fragment, and reaching it is a straightforward climb for anyone who remembered to look up. The route makes it painless.

? Bellhart and Blasted Steps (The Rosary Economy)

Not every fragment is found in the wild—some are bought. In Bellhart, players must complete the My Missing Courier Wish from the Wish Board, then pay Frey the vendor 270 Rosaries for a fragment.



In the Blasted Steps, Grindle sells one for 680 Rosaries, which is roughly the in-game equivalent of highway robbery. But the Extended achievement doesn’t care about financial fairness.

? Grand Gate, Lost Fleas, and Scale Rooms

After finding 14 Lost Fleas, players can speak with Flea Master Mooshka to earn a fragment. The Flea Caravan should be hanging around between the Blasted Steps and Grand Gate at this point. Then, climbing to the top of the Grand Gate’s scale room yields another fragment. It’s a two-for-one district for anyone with a fondness for fleas and heights.

? Choral Chambers / Songclave

The Lost Merchant Wish, completed in Songclave, unlocks the chance to buy a fragment from Jubilana for 500 Rosaries. Separately, the Balm for the Wounded Wish from the Songclave Wish Board rewards a fragment outright. The NPCs here are generous, provided players enjoy running errands first.

⚙️ Cogwork Core and The Slab

A fragment sits in the bottom-right corner of Cogwork Core, nestled among the machinery. Another fragment is technically on the right edge of Mount Fay but is accessed by following a route through the Slab. It’s one of those “location vs. access route” debates that mapmakers love and players endure.

? Underworks and Whiteward Elevator Chaos

The Underworks contains two fragments. The first is in a room just beneath the area's elevator. The second sits on the right side, but the route is a long detour through Cogwork Core and the Whispering Vaults. Starting from Songclave, players follow the path until an alcove at the bottom of the final chute. At least the scenery is consistent: tunnels, cogs, more tunnels.

Whiteward's fragment, however, is a masterclass in elevator trolling. It's at the bottom of the elevator chute, and the only way down is to outsmart the elevator itself. The sequence goes: ride the elevator to the bottom, take the long way back to the top without using it, stand on the button to summon the elevator, quickly fall into the chute and slip onto the midpoint path as the elevator passes, then fall to the bottom to claim the fragment. It sounds like an escape room designed by a vengeful architect.

? Memorium and High Halls

Once double jump is available, players can reach the Memorium area and follow the route to grab a fragment. Finally, starting from the bench in the top-left corner of the Choral Chambers, a path leads to the 18th fragment at the top of High Halls. That bench-to-summit stroll is a gentle way to end a hunt that has involved fleas, wish errands, deadly embers, and one extremely passive-aggressive elevator.

?️ Quick Reference Table

#
Location
Requirement / Method

1
Bone Bottom
Smash a wall after passing the left side of the Marrow

2
Weavenest Alta
Use Needolin to unlock the Mosso Grotto gate, then follow the route

3
Deep Docks
Climb to the top of a room with an ember floor

4
Deep Docks
Open the Simple Key door and traverse the area beyond

5
Greymoor
Reach a high alcove

6
Bellhart
Complete My Missing Courier Wish, then buy from Frey for 270 Rosaries

7
Blasted Steps
Buy from Grindle for 680 Rosaries

8
Grand Gate area
Find 14 Lost Fleas, then speak with Flea Master Mooshka

9
Grand Gate
Climb to the top of the scale room

10
Songclave / Choral Chambers
Complete Lost Merchant Wish, then buy from Jubilana for 500 Rosaries

11
Songclave / Choral Chambers
Complete Balm for the Wounded Wish

12
Cogwork Core
Head to the bottom-right corner

13
The Slab / Mount Fay
Follow the Slab route to the right edge of Mount Fay

14
Underworks
Room just beneath the area elevator

15
Underworks
Long route via Cogwork Core and Whispering Vaults to an alcove at the bottom of the final chute

16
Whiteward
Outsmart the elevator: ride, detour, trigger, slip to midpoint, fall to bottom

17
Memorium
Use double jump, then follow the route

18
High Halls
Start at the top-left Choral Chambers bench and follow the path

Collecting all 18 not only maxes out Hornet's silk capacity, it also pops the Extended achievement. The real reward, however, is never having to revisit Whiteward's elevator experiment—until the next playthrough, naturally.

For completionists who have now secured every fragment and maxed out Hornet's silk capacity, the hunt itself often sparks an appetite for more games in the same vein. Metroidvanias with this level of intricate world design are rare, and tracking down the next great adventure can be just as tricky as finding a hidden alcove in the Underworks. Whether you're eyeing a new release that builds on this genre's best ideas or waiting for a classic to go on sale, knowing the right moment to buy can save you a bundle in the long run.

That's where checking a game price tracker comes in handy. Much like mapping out a route through Choral Chambers, a little strategic planning before a purchase can help you secure the best price across multiple storefronts, so your wallet stays as intact as your save file. After all, the only thing more satisfying than a 100% completion screen is knowing you didn't overpay to get there.

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I’ll be upfront: in 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong has brought back all the complaints players had about the original Hollow Knight. It’s too difficult. The runbacks take too long. There’s too much backtracking. I still haven’t played Silksong because I’m stubbornly finishing the first Hollow Knight, so I have no hot takes on any of that—yet. But if you’re feeling the frustration, there is a cure: half-watch a sitcom you’ve already seen a dozen times.



That’s exactly what I did last weekend. My wife and I planned to watch a movie, but we threw on 30 Rock while eating dinner and never switched it off. This is our third full watch together, and I’d also seen plenty of it during its original run. Back then I was in high school, parked in front of NBC’s Thursday night lineup alongside The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Community.

30 Rockin’ With My Hollow Knight

Here’s the thing: 30 Rock wasn’t my favorite at the time. I was an Office guy. But over the years, 30 Rock became the sitcom from that era I actually return to. You don’t really need to return to The Office; it’s still everywhere. It exploded again with a younger generation when it hit streaming, it’s basically the only thing Comedy Central plays, Peacock already has a spin-off going, and the celebrity podcast boom made Office Ladies a massive hit. None of that is The Office’s fault—it’s still great—but 30 Rock stayed just under the radar enough to feel fresh.

A sitcom is the ideal background viewing because you want something you care about, but not too much. Podcasts work too. Throwing on Blank Check with Griffin & David while attempting a tough boss fight is a tried and true strategy that takes my mind off what my hands are doing enough to keep me from being self-conscious. But I already have podcasts going all day—cooking, dishes, laundry—and a sitcom feels pleasantly different from my work days.

Background Viewing And Foreground Playing

Having TV on in the background has always been my strategy when I need to slowly solve something knotty in a game. I’ve never intentionally watched Criminal Minds, but I’ve absorbed a whole lot of episodes through osmosis while working through a Zelda dungeon at my parents’ house. Hollow Knight is similar to Zelda, with a heavy focus on exploration. Figuring out where to go next requires thought, using your memory, searching the map, and connecting little environmental clues. But it doesn’t use your whole brain. And that’s exactly where a classic sitcom comes in.



Let’s be honest: if you’re banging your head against the Watcher Knights—six armored jerks who roll around, slice you up with swords, bounce, and go spiky—you’re going to want an emotional buffer. I spent most of my recent session hammering away at that fight. Normally, that would be rage-quit territory. Instead, Liz Lemon, Jack Donaghy, Tracy Jordan, Jenna Maroney, and Kenneth the Page were doing absurd nonsense on the second screen, and the whole night felt less like punishment and more like hanging out with old friends.

I’ve learned a few things about pairing games with comfort TV:

? Pick a show you’ve already seen. If you have to watch carefully, you’ll miss the game. If it’s too new, you’ll ignore the TV and feel guilty. Familiarity is the whole point.

? Choose a game with quiet exploration. Hollow Knight’s map-reading and backtracking are perfect because they don’t demand constant dialogue or split-second audio cues.

? Let your hands take over. When you stop overthinking each attempt, you often play better. Familiar jokes keep the conscious mind busy while muscle memory does the hard work.

A quick comparison of my usual background media while gaming:

Background Media
Best For
Risk Factor

Comfort sitcom
Long grinding sessions
Laughing at the worst possible moment

Podcast
Tough boss fights
Missing a crucial audio cue

Nothing
Full immersion
Tilt, frustration, and controller throwing

Music
Speedrunning
Repeating the same song 80 times

Whichever sitcom you choose, throw it on and boot up Hollow Knight. You’ll have a great time. I’m convinced this is the gentlest way to enjoy a notoriously punishing game. And when I finally do start Silksong later this year, I already know what will be playing on my second screen: Tina Fey and company, probably for the fourth time.

Of course, that plan comes with its own little ritual: once Silksong has a release date, I’ll want to grab it at the best price I can find. These days, I do a bit of homework before any purchase, checking a handful of sites to see if a game is on sale or whether a bundle happens to include something on my wishlist. DealNest tends to be my first stop when I’m narrowing down those options, since it rounds up the latest price drops and promos without a lot of noise. A quick scan there can turn an impulse buy into a well-timed steal, and that’s exactly the kind of win I like to grab before heading back into Hallownest.

A little browsing never takes away from the game itself. If anything, landing a good deal feels like unlocking a bonus item before the main quest even begins. So whenever you’re ready to try a new indie or revisit an old favorite, you know the drill—cue up a familiar episode, keep your nail sharp, and let the hunt begin.

If the secret entrance near Grand Gate has already introduced players to Seth the bouncer, then Nyleth is the botanical headliner who waits backstage with a grudge and an unreasonable amount of pollen. By 2026, the Hollow Knight: Silksong community has pretty much mapped every petal of this memory boss, and the verdict is in: Nyleth is the easiest of the three Old Heart bosses—once someone stops fighting the arena and starts fighting the flower. Let’s break down how to turn this giant blossom into compost.



How to Actually Find Nyleth

This area is blacked out on the map, so plenty of players assume she’s hiding in the Blasted Steps. Nope. The real route starts at the Choral Chambers Ventrica Station. From there, descend to the Grand Gate, then drop to the bottom of the scale platform where the previous lift waited. Use Silk Soar to slip up through the ceiling. A small path leads to an elevator shaft, and about halfway down the left wall there is a breakable entrance—easy to miss if someone is speedrunning with too much confidence.

Inside, break the vines below to open the main chamber. Then follow the little flower maze until it spits out into a long corridor heading west. Take down Seth, and Nyleth is finally available for an audience.

Memory Fight Preparation ?

Here’s the kicker: Nyleth is a memory fight, meaning players battle a past version of the boss. That comes with a huge perk. Every red tool can be spammed without needing to recraft after waking up. No runback, no penalty—so it’s the perfect time to be aggressive.

But the Fractured Mask won’t repair itself when the memory ends. Unless it’s the first attempt, anyone relying on that little safety net will need to return to a bench first. Since the fight doesn’t drag on, skip the slow survival tools like the Multibinder or Reserve Bind. Aggression beats endurance here.



Crests: Pogo Like It’s a Lifestyle

Phase two is a full-floor-is-lava situation. Walls and ground get spiky, forcing Hornet to stay airborne and bounce off Nyleth’s giant head. That’s why a crest with a vertical downslash feels so much smoother. The Crest of the Wanderer or Crest of the Reaper both offer clean downward hits without needing midair gymnastics. The Hunter or Beast Crest can work, but they ask for diagonal precision that most people won’t want after losing a pogo rhythm.



Tool Suggestions ?️

Because aiming during a wall-cling pogo party is a pain, tools that work on their own are the real MVPs. A pseudo-summoning build can carry this whole fight:

Cogfly + Pollip Pouch: Poisoned fly friends buzz around and deal damage while the player focuses on not kissing the spikes.

Wispfire Lantern: Grab it from the Wisp Thicket. It summons fiery wisps that auto-target Nyleth, no input required.

Longclaw: A great fallback if pogoing feels awkward; extra reach makes downward attacks more forgiving.

Ascendant’s Grip: Crucial. Phase two removes the floor, so clinging to walls for dear life is non-negotiable.



Attack Patterns & Phase Breakdown ?⚔️

Nyleth has surprisingly low health, probably because the real boss is the arena itself. Getting comfortable with pogoing and midair movement is most of the battle. If Hornet falls onto the spikes, a temporary platform spawns—so it’s not instant doom, just a very pointed nudge.

A strong Phase 1 tactic is to dash in, land a few quick hits, and Clawline back to the opposite wall. This keeps players out of her absurdly large AoE while still applying pressure. For most of Phase 1, standing nearby and wailing works, but Phase 2 is where the flower stops being polite.

Phase
Arena Situation
Smart Strategy

Phase 1
Platforms still exist, Nyleth throws big AoE
Dash in for quick shots, use Clawline to retreat, stay mobile

Phase 2
Platforms vanish, spikes cover walls and floor
Cling to wall with Ascendant’s Grip, pogo her attacks, play safe



In Phase 2, Nyleth’s Pollen Blast is the new trick. The arena opens up slightly, so instead of panicking back to the opposite wall, players can float in the small area above her head to dodge it. She gets faster and nastier, but no one has to match that energy. Hanging on the wall for a breather is completely valid. That said, staying right on top of her is asking to become mulch.

With the summoner build, the whole Phase 2 can collapse in just over a minute. After the petals settle, grab the Pollen Heart and call it a win.

Final Blossom ?

Nyleth might look intimidating, but she’s really just a memory with a flower crown and a temper. One Old Heart down, two significantly meaner ones to go. No sweat... right? The next two bosses are where Hollow Knight: Silksong fans stop calling themselves prepared.

Once the pollen settles and that Old Heart is secured, most players naturally start looking ahead—whether it's chasing the next boss or exploring everything else Silk song has hidden away. But for those who want a break from the punishing platforming, there's a different kind of hunt that scratches a similar itch: tracking down solid games at the right price. A handy steam deal finder can surface discounts and hidden gems without the trial-and-error of checking a dozen stores manually. It’s a nice way to keep the momentum going between tough boss victories and discover what else is worth a playthrough.

After all, beating a challenge like Nyleth is proof that perseverance pays off — and that same persistence applies to building a backlog. Whether stocking up on metroidvania favorites or trying something completely different, a quick deal check makes the hunt a lot less painful than re-fighting a flower-wielding nightmare.

Let’s be real for a second: I’ve lost count of how many times I got absolutely flattened in Hollow Knight: Silksong because I skipped a few upgrades. If you’re like me and you don’t want to spend the entire game rolling back to a bench with one sliver of health, you need to grab those Mask Shards. They’re basically little pieces of Hornet’s life bar, and collecting enough of them gradually boosts your maximum HP. After a lot of exploring, backtracking, and a few rage moments, I can safely say there are 20 Mask Shards scattered across Pharloom. Once you’ve got them all, you’ll unlock the Masked achievement and push Hornet up to a cozy 10 HP.

So here’s my complete rundown of every Mask Shard location I managed to track down, including the tricky hidden ones and the quest rewards that are super easy to miss.



The Early Game Shards (Don’t Skip These)

I really can’t stress enough how important it is to grab the early shards. When you’re still running around with basic gear, a little extra health makes boss fights way less painful.

1. Bone Bottom

Right after Hornet leaves Moss Grotto, there’s a merchant camping out at Bone Bottom. This is probably the easiest shard in the game, but it’s not free. You’ll need to hand over 300 Rosaries. It feels like a lot early on, but trust me, it’s worth every single bead.

2. Deep Docks

Head to the border between The Marrow and Deep Docks, just north of the Bellway fast travel point. It’s tucked away near the water, so keep your eyes peeled for a small alcove.

3. Far Fields

You can’t get this one right away, which annoyed me at first. You’ll need to finish the Flexile Spines quest to grab the Drifter’s Cloak. Once you have that, start from the Seamstress’ Balloon and glide using the wind currents. You’ll notice exploding rocks near some platforms — blast them with your attacks to create more updrafts. Eventually, you’ll reach a hidden passage on the left. Inside, keep hitting those combustible rocks until the ceiling one drops and exposes a shard underneath the floor.



Mid-Game Shards (You’ll Need Some Tools)

Once you’ve got a few abilities unlocked, the world really opens up. Here are the shards that require a bit more platforming skill or a specific tool.

4. Wormways

From the Wormways Simple Key door, drop down into the water and look to your right. There’s a breakable wall hiding a shard. Just smash it open.

5. Shellwood

South of the Cling Grip skill pickup, there’s a passage heading east. It’s a platforming gauntlet, but at the end of the room, you’ll be rewarded with a Mask Shard.

6. Songclave (Choral Chambers)

This one is technically a purchase. After you save Jubilana during The Wandering Merchant quest, she’ll sell you a shard for 750 Rosary Beads. Make sure you don’t spend all your beads on silk upgrades first.

7. Whispering Vault

Honestly, this one took me forever to find. If you remember how you discovered the Whispering Vault map, this shard uses the same trick. Go south of the bench and start smacking the ceiling until a pole ladder drops down. Climb up, break the box blocking the way, and then use the box to climb even higher. The shard is waiting on the upper left.

8. Cogwork Core

This is tied to the Threefold Melody quest. From where you accept the task, drop down through the floor passage and keep descending until you see an opening to the west. Follow it, and you’ll get locked into an arena battle. Survive the fight, and the hall that unlocks afterward has your shard at the top.

Shards From Quests And Special Areas

Some of these are easy to miss if you don’t know where to look, especially the ones tied to the Bellhart Wishwall hunts.

9. Savage Beastfly Quest

Use the Wishwall to promise the Wish on Bellhart. You’ll be sent to slay the Savage Beastfly, which is waiting for you in the same spot where you fought the Fourth Chorus boss. Beat it, and you’ll get a shard.

10. Far Fields Skull Cave

You’ll need the Clawline skill for this. From the Seamstress, head east until you spot an unexplored area to the north. Use your Act 2 ability to reach the skull cave and grab the shard inside.

11. Weavenest Atla

This one’s a bit involved. After being warped to the lower side of Weavenest Atla, you’ll need to wall jump and double jump to reach a path going right. At the bottom, find a breakable wall on the right. Inside, there’s a chamber with a Marrow theme parkour challenge. Finish it for the shard.

12. Bilewater

This one is straightforward if you use the map. Look for the word “Bilewater” on the map, then find the vertical room right above it. There’s a long hall heading east, and the shard is at the end.

13. The Slab

You’ll need the Key of Apostate first. Once you have it, use it to unlock the door on the upper side of the prison area. The shard is inside.

14. Mount Fay

After you pick up the Double Jump skill, revisit the bench on the southwestern side. There’s a broken tower to the left. Climb inside to collect the shard.

15. Wisp Thicket

This one requires finding the hidden route from Greymoor. Once inside, head right to the bench, climb up, and find another route to the right. You’ll need to swim through some nasty maggot water until you reach a spot to jump. Bounce between the walls, and the shard is on the left.

The Secret Act 3 Shards (The Trickiest Ones)

Things get serious once you unlock the secret Act 3. There are five shards hidden behind this point, and honestly, they’re the ones I see people miss the most.

16. Brightvein

First, you need to find the secret room called Brightvein in Mount Fay. Use Silk Soar to reach a ceiling opening, then destroy the ice blocking your path to the right. Inside Brightvein, complete the platforming test to claim the shard at the top.

17. Sprintmaster Swift Reward

Accept the Sprintmaster Swift’s Fastest in Pharloom quest, then track down his location on the eastern edge of Far Fields. He’ll hand over a shard, but only after you beat him in a race three times. It’s not too bad if you’ve upgraded your movement speed.

18. Dark Hearts Quest

This is another Wishwall deal. Complete the Dark Hearts quest from Bellhart Wishwall, and the 18th shard is yours.



19. The Hidden Hunter

This is the third Hunt mission tied to the Wishwall. It’s easy to overlook because you need to actively seek out the quest. Complete The Hidden Hunter quest, and you’ll earn another shard.



20. Blasted Steps

This final one takes you back to where Hornet almost leaves Pharloom. Instead of trying to exit the kingdom, use Silk Soar to reveal a hidden room above. At the very top of that room, you’ll find the last Mask Shard.

Wrapping Up My Hunt

Collecting all 20 Mask Shards is a marathon, not a sprint. Some of them you’ll naturally stumble into, but the rest require hunting down specific abilities, finishing side quests, or just smacking every suspicious ceiling you find. The ones locked behind Act 3 are particularly easy to forget, so make sure you double-check places like Brightvein and Blasted Steps before you declare your run complete.

Figuring out where all the Mask Shards are isn’t just about bulking up Hornet’s health bar — it’s also about seeing more of what Pharloom has to offer. The hidden rooms, the platforming challenges, and the weird little interactions along the way made the hunt feel worth it. Plus, that Masked achievement popping up at the end is a nice way to remind yourself that you’ve officially cleared one of the game’s biggest collection goals.

Happy hunting, and try not to lose too many Rosaries along the way.

While you're busy chasing down those last few shards, it's also worth keeping an eye on your gaming budget. Silksong is the kind of game you can sink dozens of hours into, and whether you grabbed it at launch or are waiting for a discount before diving in, using this price tracking tool for your next purchase is a smart habit to build.

DealNest can help you spot price drops and snag the best deals across your favorite stores, so you can spend less time hunting for bargains and more time exploring Pharloom. Once your Mask Shard hunt is complete and the Masked achievement finally unlocks, it's a great moment to check what's on sale and start planning your next gaming journey.

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