User:Fathoms Below/sandbox2

Hollow Knight is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania. The player controls an insectoid, silent protagonist referred to as "the Knight" who explores a fallen underground kingdom called Hallownest. The Knight attacks with a weapon called the Nail, and hitting enemies with it grants a resource called Soul. The player can expend Soul to cast ranged spells in combat, or can "Focus" the Soul while remaining still to regain hit points. If the player dies, they lose any collected Geo, the main currency of the game, and can hold a more limited amount of Soul. The Knight can return to their location of death to fight a spirit-like enemy, and defeating that enemy restores the lost Geo and removes the limit on collected Soul.

As the player explores Hallownest, they gain new abilities

During the game, the player encounters bug-themed non-player characters (NPCs) with whom they can interact. These characters provide information about the game's plot and lore, offer aid, and sell items or services. The player can upgrade the Knight's Nail to deal more damage or find Soul Vessels to carry more Soul. During the course of the game, players acquire items that provide new movement abilities including an additional mid-air jump (Monarch Wings), adhering to and jumping off walls (Mantis Claw), a quick dash (Mothwing Cloak), and a speedy super dash (Crystal Heart). The player can learn other combat abilities, known as Nail Arts, and the aforementioned spells. To further customise the Knight, players can equip various charms, which can be found or purchased from NPCs. Some of their effects include improved combat abilities or skills, granting more masks with or without the ability to regenerate them with Soul, greater mobility, easier collecting of Geo or Soul, the ability to gain more Geo per enemy, and other transformations to the Knight. Equipping a charm takes up a certain number of limited slots, called notches.

Hallownest consists of several large, inter-connected areas with unique themes. With its nonlinear gameplay "Metroidvania" design, Hollow Knight does not bind the player to one path through the game nor require them to explore the whole world; there are entire places that can be missed when finishing the game, though there are obstacles that limit the player's access to various areas. The player may need to progress in the story of the game, or acquire a specific movement ability, skill, or item to progress further. To fast travel through the game's world, the player can use Stag Stations, terminals connected to a network of tunnels that are traversed via giant stag beetles; players can only travel to previously visited and unlocked stations. Other fast travel methods, such as trams, lifts, and the "Dreamgate", are encountered later in the game.

As the player enters a new area, they do not have access to the map of their surroundings. They must find Cornifer, the cartographer, to buy a rough map. As the player explores an area, the map becomes more accurate and complete, although it is updated only when sitting on a bench. The player will need to buy specific items to complete maps, to see points of interest, and to place markers. The Knight's position on the map can only be seen if the player is carrying the Wayward Compass charm.