Rule number one of Backlog Club: Work through your pile of unplayed video games one at a time, and discuss them with other people. Rule number two of Backlog Club: Don’t talk about Backlog Club.
Just kidding! Tell everyone. Please.
This article is part of our new experimental series, Backlog Club, where we (Nintendo Life!) pick a game that’s likely to be on our list of “games we should get around to playing”, and then we (NL + you!) spend the next month playing that game.
Hollow! Knights to meet you. For the month of July (how is it July already, etc.) you have chosen to vote for the stunning, bug-filled Hollow Knight as our next game to play, and I thank you for it — this one’s been on my backlog for a shamefully long time, and I’m glad to have that final push to actually play it, especially since it looks like the sequel, Silksong, might be almost done.
Hollow Knight is an absolutely beloved Metroidvania, and possibly one of the instant classics of the last decade. It is set in the decaying ruins of a once-powerful kingdom, as you, the Hollow Knight (I think???) explore the winding tunnels and caves of a dead civilisation, fighting roaming bug-knights and rescuing trapped caterpillar babies and trying to figure out what happened, and why you’re here.
The music is gorgeous. The art style is wonderfully simple, and manages to convey a lot with a relatively sparse palette (almost everything is shades of blue and grey). All the bugs, even the evil bad bugs that you have to kill, are extremely adorable.
God, this game has no right to be this damn zen, because like all Metroidvanias, it’s bloody hard. And long, too. I highly doubt I’m going to finish this one by the end of July, and in case it’s not clear, I already started it. In fact, I started it in early June, because I wanted to make sure I had time for it (and Obra Dinn didn’t take that long!) — so, just be prepared for a loooong journey on this one!
Where to get Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is on sale on Steam and PlayStation right now, 50% off until 7th July (the prices below are the sale prices), so grab it there if you want!
| Storefront | Price | Free with subscription? |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch eShop | $15.00 / $ 14,99 / £10.99 | NSO: ❌ |
| Steam | $7.49 / $ 7,49 / £5.49 | N/A |
| Xbox Store | $14.99 / $ 14,99 / £12.49 | Game Pass: ✅ |
| PlayStation | $7.49 / $ 7,24 / £5.79 | PS Plus: ✅ (Extra or Premium) |
Next Month’s Game
No poll today, since we haven’t settled on what the theme for next month is… but keep your peepers peeled!
Catch up on previous months of Backlog Club right here, and we’ll see you in Hallownest…
Have you played Hollow Knight already? Has it been on your backlog for ages? Tell us in the comments…
