Hollow Knight
Team Cherry · 2017
Hollow Knight is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania. The player controls a silent insectoid warrior exploring the underground fallen kingdom of Hallownest. Core gameplay involves attacking enemies with a sword-like Nail, gaining Soul from combat to fuel abilities like Focus (mask regeneration) and offensive spells, and using Soul for charm-based boosts. Hit points are represented by masks; losing all masks results in death and spawns a Shade at the death location, marked on the map. The game features nonlinear exploration, ability-gated progression, fast travel via Stag Stations, and a charm system that consumes limited charm notches. It was developed and published by Team Cherry, released first on Linux, macOS, and Windows.