About Hollow Knight
Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight came out in 2017 and quickly became one of the most respected indie games of its era. It’s set in Hallownest, a vast ruined kingdom of insects buried beneath a quiet town. You play a small, silent knight armed with a nail, exploring connected caverns, unlocking new movement abilities and taking on a long run of demanding bosses.
It follows the metroidvania pattern: paths you can’t reach early open up as you gain abilities, and you even have to buy each area’s map from a wandering cartographer before it fills in. The hand-drawn art and Christopher Larkin’s score are a big part of why players remember it.
How it runs in your browser
The browser version is a WebAssembly reconstruction of the game by a developer known as dezm0n. There’s no setup step: the port fetches what it needs and starts at Hollow Knight’s own title screen, with no game files required from you.
All three hosts open in a new tab and serve the same port:
- dezm0n on itch.io is the port’s own page. Press “Run game” to start. The author says Chrome or Edge on a computer works best.
- fnaffree.io hosts a copy of the same port.
- hollowknight.io is another site hosting it.
If one host is slow or unavailable, try another. Saving isn’t listed as supported, so don’t count on progress surviving a closed tab.
Controls and devices
Play on a computer. Phones aren’t listed as supported, and controller support isn’t listed for this port either. The original game shows its keyboard bindings, and lets you change them, in the options menu, which is the quickest way to learn the layout.
Hollow Knight’s combat and platforming depend on precise timing, so a steady frame rate matters. Closing other heavy tabs and using Chrome or Edge, as the author suggests, gives the port its best chance to run smoothly.
Who it’s for
Players who have heard about Hollow Knight and want a look before buying it, and anyone on a computer where installing games isn’t an option. If it clicks, the official release on PC and Nintendo Switch is the complete, supported version.
How to Play Hollow Knight: Controls
| Action | Keyboard & mouse |
|---|---|
| Move | Arrow keys |
| Jump | Z |
| Attack | X |
| Menu | Esc |
Is Hollow Knight Free, Safe and Official?
Is this the official Hollow Knight?
No. It’s a fan-made WebAssembly port by dezm0n and is not affiliated with Team Cherry. The official game is sold for PC and Nintendo Switch, among other platforms.
Do I need my own copy of the game files?
No. The port loads the game by itself and starts at the title screen, so there’s nothing to supply or install.
Which browser works best for Hollow Knight?
The port’s author recommends Chrome or Edge on a computer. Phones aren’t listed as supported.
