The story of Hollow Knight Silksong begins not in a polished studio, but in the frantic 48-hour sprint of a game jam. What started as a simple Flash game called “Hungry Knight” has evolved into one of the most anticipated indie sequels in gaming history.
Team Cherry’s journey from Ludum Dare participants to indie legends offers fascinating insights into creative game development, world-building philosophy, and the delicate balance between challenge and accessibility that defines great games.
The Humble Beginnings: From Hungry Knight to Hollow Knight
In 2013, during Ludum Dare 27, three developers – William Pellen, Ari Gibson, and Rohan Fraser – created something special under the theme “10 seconds.” Their entry, Hungry Knight, was deceptively simple: a horned knight traveling a basic map, killing enemies to eat berries from their backs, all while racing against a 10-second hunger timer.
Despite its simplicity, Hungry Knight contained the DNA of what would become Hollow Knight. The signature art style, the precise combat feel, and even the protagonist’s design were remarkably similar to the final game. As the original description on Newgrounds stated: “A challenging action game. It’s hard, but you can do it! Be brave.”
This philosophy of respectful challenge would become Team Cherry’s calling card, setting them apart in an industry often criticized for either hand-holding or punishing difficulty spikes.
Building Worlds, Not Levels: The Hollow Knight Silksong Philosophy
What makes Team Cherry’s approach unique is their world-first design philosophy. Rather than creating levels and then connecting them, they build ecosystems that feel lived-in and logical.
“If you think about it more as a world and a space, it’s actually much easier to come up with stuff to put in it,” William explains. “If you’re trying to build a Mario level, you might take an empty space and think, oh, should there be a few platforms here? But if you just start thinking – well, it’s a cavern with a lake on the left or it’s a ruined tower – suddenly the design of the space at the micro level is much easier.”
This approach shines in Pharloom, Silksong’s setting. The towering Citadel dominates the entire world, its baroque architecture visible from almost every corner. Small outposts throughout the map mirror the city’s ornate design, showing their allegiance, while areas scarred by extraction reveal the darker side of centralized power.
The Ecosystem Approach to Game Design
Moss Grotto, Silksong’s starting area, perfectly demonstrates this ecosystem thinking. Originally, Team Cherry needed a calmer space for players to learn Hornet’s complex moveset after designing The Marrow, the game’s first major area. But instead of creating a generic tutorial cave, they asked: “How does this fit into Pharloom’s world?”
The answer led to the mosslands – a network of green underground alcoves sitting just outside the Citadel’s influence. Even practical design decisions become opportunities to deepen the world’s logic and believability.
Respecting Player Intelligence
Team Cherry’s design philosophy centers on trusting players to figure things out. “We’re trying to be kind of respectful to the player. We’re not trying to baby them,” Ari explains. “There’s something nice in just saying: ‘Here’s the world. Off you go!'”
This respect extends beyond tutorials to story presentation. Unlike Hollow Knight’s mysterious, discovery-based narrative, Silksong offers more direct storytelling through Hornet and supporting characters. Yet it maintains the series’ commitment to letting players piece together the bigger picture themselves.
From DLC Dream to Standalone Reality
Hollow Knight Silksong began life as a stretch goal in the original Hollow Knight Kickstarter. At $56,000, Team Cherry promised a second playable character delivered as post-launch DLC. The campaign barely reached this goal, closing at just over $57,000.
The original concept involved dynamic character switching, with Hornet accessing different areas of Hallownest through her unique movement abilities. However, Team Cherry realized there was no natural way to fit a Hallownest-style area that suited Hornet’s height and agile movement. The solution? Create an entirely new world designed around her capabilities.
This decision transformed a simple DLC into what may become an even more ambitious game than its predecessor.
The Power of Community Engagement
Perhaps most remarkably, Silksong has succeeded before its release. Fans have spent years analyzing trailers, dissecting screenshots, and building theories about Pharloom’s mysteries. Popular content creators like Mossbag have created hour-long videos exploring the game’s world through available materials alone.
This engagement reflects Team Cherry’s core belief in player intelligence and curiosity. “The real world generally underestimates players – especially young people – and it certainly underestimates their capacity to deal with things,” Ari notes. “With our players, you can guide them a little bit, and that’s enough. They’ll engage, they will dig in, they will find all that other stuff.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When was Hollow Knight Silksong first announced?
A: Silksong was first announced as a stretch goal during the original Hollow Knight Kickstarter campaign, which reached its $56,000 target in the final hours.
Q: What is Pharloom in Hollow Knight Silksong?
A: Pharloom is the new kingdom where Silksong takes place, dominated by a towering structure called The Citadel that influences the entire world’s architecture and politics.
Q: How did Team Cherry get started in game development?
A: Team Cherry formed during Ludum Dare 27 in 2013, where they created “Hungry Knight” in just 48 hours – the prototype that would eventually become Hollow Knight.
Q: Why did Silksong become a standalone game instead of DLC?
A: Team Cherry realized they couldn’t naturally fit areas suited to Hornet’s unique movement abilities into Hallownest, so they decided to create an entirely new world designed around her capabilities.
Q: What makes Team Cherry’s game design philosophy unique?
A: They focus on building believable worlds and ecosystems first, rather than designing individual levels, and they respect players’ intelligence by avoiding over-tutorialization.
Q: What was the original Hungry Knight game about?
A: Hungry Knight was a simple Flash game where players controlled a horned knight killing enemies to eat berries, racing against a 10-second hunger timer that would restart the game if ignored.
The Legacy Continues
Team Cherry’s journey from game jam participants to indie legends proves that great games come from respecting both your world and your players. Their approach of building ecosystems rather than levels, trusting player intelligence, and maintaining consistent creative vision has created something special in the gaming landscape.
As fans eagerly await Silksong’s release, the game has already demonstrated its impact through the passionate community it has fostered. Whether analyzing trailers or theorizing about Pharloom’s secrets, players are already exploring Team Cherry’s latest creation with the curiosity and engagement the developers hoped to inspire.
The path from Hungry Knight to Hollow Knight Silksong shows how authentic creativity, combined with respect for your audience, can transform a 48-hour prototype into a gaming phenomenon that continues to grow and inspire years later.