Any Hollow Knight: Silksong fan worth their salt knows that exploration is the bread and butter of the game. But every so often, a side quest crops up that makes even the most seasoned players scratch their heads. Enter the Lost Merchant quest, where Jubilana decides to go walkabout for the second time. If you've already wrapped up the Balm for the Wounded quest, you might have noticed that her little shop in Songclave is looking, well, a bit lonely. Don't sweat it though — tracking her down is easier than you'd think, especially once you know where to look.



How to Start the Lost Merchant Quest

First things first — you can't just waltz into this quest cold. The Lost Merchant side quest only becomes available after completing the Balm for the Wounded quest. Once that's done and dusted, a new request will appear on the Wish Board in Songclave. Take a gander around town, and you'll quickly realize that Jubilana has pulled a disappearing act again. She's gone missing not once, but twice now, with her first vanishing act tied to the Wandering Merchant quest. This time around, it's up to you to play detective and bring her back home.



Here's the good news: you won't need to traverse half of Pharloom to find her. She's holed up in a sub-area of the Citadel called Memorium. That said, if you don't know the route, you could easily spend hours wandering around like a headless chicken.

How to Find Jubilana in Memorium

The route to Memorium starts by heading west from Songclave. Keep pushing through until you reach an area covered in grass with an opening in the ceiling. Here's the catch: you'll need the double jump ability — better known as the Faydown Cloak — to reach that opening. If you haven't snagged it yet, don't panic, but it's a non-negotiable for this quest. Once you've got it, jump up through the ceiling and into Memorium.



Now comes the fun part: tracking. Make your way through the rooms that lead east and keep your eyes peeled for Jubilana's items scattered on the ground. Interacting with them will create a scent trail that points you in her direction. It's a nifty little mechanic that makes the search feel a lot less like a wild goose chase.



Keep pressing east, and you'll eventually stumble upon a room with a contraption displaying a map of the Citadel. You can spend 70 Rosaries to grab that map if you're feeling flush. But to find Jubilana, you'll want to jump into the opening in the ceiling to access a secret area. It's one of those classic Silksong moments where the path forward is hidden in plain sight.



From there, head east once more to reach the outside and drop down to the platform below. Before you can have a proper chinwag with Jubilana, though, a wave of bird enemies will swoop in to ruin the reunion. It's not the toughest scrap in the game, but keep your wits about you. Once you've cleared the feathered fiends, approach Jubilana and exhaust her dialogue to wrap up the Lost Merchant quest.



The Lost Merchant Quest Rewards

Now for the good stuff. Completing the Lost Merchant quest expands Jubilana's inventory back in Songclave, and she'll have some seriously tempting new wares up for grabs. Here's what's on offer:

Item
Type
Price
Description

Spider Strings
Support Tool
350 Rosaries
Resonates with music to amplify a performance. Expands and strengthens the effects of the Needolin.

Craftmetal
Trade Item
180 Rosaries
Can be traded to various merchants in exchange for goods.

Spool Fragment
Upgrade Material
500 Rosaries
Increases the size of the Silk Meter.

Choral Commandment
Relic
210 Rosaries
A relic of Pharloom's past, interesting to collectors.



If you're wondering where to splash your hard-earned Rosaries first, the Spool Fragment is the smart money. It boosts your Silk Meter — one of the most impactful quality-of-life upgrades in the game. Just keep in mind that you'll need two Spool Fragments to actually see an increase in your Silk Meter capacity, so don't celebrate too early. The Spider Strings are also a solid pick if you lean on the Needolin, but the Spool Fragment takes the cake for overall utility.

All in all, the Lost Merchant quest is a classic Silksong side adventure — a bit of tracking, a bit of fighting, and a whole lot of reward. It's the kind of quest that flies under the radar but delivers some genuinely valuable loot for those willing to go the extra mile. So grab your Faydown Cloak, follow the scent, and get Jubilana back where she belongs. ?️

Much like venturing off the beaten path in Silksong rewarded you with Jubilana's hidden wares, a little extra effort when shopping for your gaming setup can pay off handsomely too. Between new releases, hardware upgrades, and the countless accessories that make those long sessions more comfortable, the costs can add up quickly — which is why savvy players know that finding the latest sales and discounts is its own kind of quest. When you want to stretch your budget without compromising on quality, DealNest takes the guesswork out of the hunt, rounding up the best offers across a wide range of products in one easy-to-browse spot.

Whether you're on the lookout for the next great indie gem to follow up your Silksong adventure or simply looking to snag a quality upgrade for your battlestation, pairing your passion for gaming with a little smart shopping is a strategy that never misses. A deal well found can be just as satisfying as a treasure well earned.

Silksong’s tool system can feel overwhelming at first, but it is also one of the most flexible parts of Hornet’s journey through Pharloom. There are 59 Tools in Silksong, not including Ancestral Arts and other abilities she picks up along the way. Tools are split into three colors, and those colors give an instant clue about what a Tool is meant to do. Red Tools are active weapons Hornet can throw, blue Tools generally provide buffs and combat bonuses, and yellow Tools lean into quality-of-life and non-combat value. That color language is helpful, but it does not tell the whole story. A red Tool can be a game-changing boss killer, while a blue Tool might quietly carry an entire playstyle.



Not all Tools are made equally. Some are useful no matter how someone plays, and others only shine under very specific conditions. This tier list ranks every Tool according to its general usefulness, power level, and benefits versus drawbacks. The best Tools in Silksong tend to fit any build, stay relevant across the entire game, and offer a clear benefit without a painful drawback. Meanwhile, the worst Tools can still be useful when paired with the right Crests or used in a narrow situation. That is why a tier list matters less for labeling tools as bad and more for helping players decide what to equip before a tough boss or a long exploration route.

How Tool Colors Shape a Build

Each color tells a different part of Hornet’s kit.

? Red Tools are active weapons. They can be thrown, aimed, and often create follow-up pressure.

? Blue Tools are more passive, adding combat bonuses like extra damage, improved healing, or defensive utility.

? Yellow Tools usually stay out of combat entirely, focusing on movement, map readability, and resource convenience.

Because a player can mix colors, the best setups often combine one red Tool for pressure, a blue Tool for consistency, and a yellow Tool to remove friction from exploration.

S Tier Tools in Silksong

S Tier Tools are the ones a player can slot into almost any run and forget about. They do not ask for much setup, they do not fall off in the late game, and their downsides are either tiny or easy to manage. These tools define the meta in 2026 because they make difficult fights more consistent without forcing Hornet into one narrow playstyle. A great S Tier red Tool might shred through armored enemies from a safe distance, while an S Tier blue Tool could provide a passive benefit so strong that it changes how aggressively a player can push.

A Tier Tools in Silksong

A Tier Tools are right behind the top group. They are powerful, reliable, and worth using in most runs, but they usually have a small condition attached. Some require a specific timing window, some consume a little more resources, and some only reach their full potential after the player adjusts their Crest setup. Still, an A Tier Tool is never a bad pick. It just is not as effortless as an S Tier option.



B Tier Tools in Silksong

B Tier Tools are solid, but they tend to ask for more commitment. A B Tier Tool can feel amazing in a dedicated build, especially when it lines up with a player’s preferred Crests, but it may not be the best use of a Tool slot in a general exploration loadout. Players who enjoy a specific weapon rhythm or boss-killing setup will often get more value from B Tier choices than a tier list suggests.



C Tier Tools in Silksong

C Tier Tools usually carry a noticeable drawback or simply get outclassed by other options in the same color. They can work, but they often require more effort, more resources, or a very specific fight to feel worthwhile. For players who love experimentation, C Tier can still be fun, but for a first run they are rarely the best choice.



Situational and Worst Tools

Some Tools sit at the bottom not because they are useless, but because their usefulness is extremely narrow. They might only shine against a particular boss, in a certain biome, or when combined with a specific Crest effect. A player who knows Pharloom well can take one of these low-tier Tools and turn it into a surprising answer for a tricky encounter. However, for general play or blind exploration, they usually are not worth the slot.



Quick Tier Snapshot

Tier
General Feel
Best For

S
Universal power, low downside
Almost any build

A
Strong with a small condition
Most playstyles

B
Solid in a dedicated setup
Specific Crest synergy

C
Clunky or outclassed
Experimentation

Situational/Worst
Very narrow use
Specific bosses or setups

The Crest Factor

No Tool tier should be treated as final because Crests can completely change the math. A C Tier Tool that looks weak on its own can become a monster when a Crest removes its downside or doubles its effect. The reverse is also true: an S Tier Tool might not feel special if a player’s Crest choices pull the build in another direction. The smartest approach is to treat the tier list as a starting point, then test Tools against the bosses and areas that actually cause trouble.

After spending time with each Tool and finding the loadout that fits your playstyle, you may want to test those skills in other challenging worlds. Many of the best metroidvania games share Silksong’s emphasis on precision, exploration, and build variety. If you’re looking to expand your library without overspending, you can check the best game deals on DealNest to pick up similar titles at a discount. Keeping your collection fresh lets you carry the lessons learned in Pharloom into new adventures, making every Crest and Tool choice feel even more rewarding.

Plenty of players have a weird relationship with Animal Well. It launched in 2024 as the debut title from Dunkey's Bigmode, the publisher created with a bold promise: only release good games. For a while, it was the indie Metroidvania everyone had to have an opinion about. But then the conversation moved on, as it always does. Now, in 2026, with Hollow Knight: Silksong hype once again turning every corner of the internet into a bug-infested fever dream, a strange side effect has appeared - unfinished Animal Well save files are calling back to their owners.



Let's be real - Hollow Knight: Silksong is an absurdly big deal for a game primarily made by four people, priced at twenty bucks, and belonging to the most stereotypically indie genre: the 2D Metroidvania. Every so often one of these explore-em-ups breaks out in a huge way, and the original Hollow Knight did exactly that in 2018, exploding on the Switch a full year after launch. Seven years later, the sequel is following the same outsized footsteps, even though 2024 belonged to Animal Well.

? The Pressure Behind Animal Well

Part of what made Animal Well such a lightning rod was Dunkey's claim that he could pick winners because he plays a ton of games and knows what good looks like. That pitch sounded a little too simple to a lot of people, so the pressure was on. Then the reviews landed, and they were glowing. The game delivered, and Dunkey's talk was backed up.

? When a Game Asks for Space

One ordinary player picked up Animal Well on the strength of that chatter, expecting to get lost in its world. Instead, after five or six hours of puttering around, hitting a wall with puzzle after puzzle, getting annoyed, wandering off to explore elsewhere, and running straight into another stumper, they closed the game with the intention of giving their brain some time to process. That happened across several sessions, until eventually the coming back stopped. The experience was decent, but it left the opposite emotional footprint of Hollow Knight. With Hollow Knight, sessions end with excitement to get back and play more. With Animal Well, sessions ended because a little space was needed before the game could be enjoyed again.

? Why Bouncing Off Is Not a Verdict

That same player is currently working through Hollow Knight - a game they initially reacted to exactly the same way, playing for several hours and then neglecting it. Seven years later, though, the experience has changed. Now there is a full-blown compulsion to explore every inch of that bug-riddled world. And thinking back on Animal Well, there are plenty of aspects that still intrigue: the big pixelated animals standing around in certain chambers, the opaque items that were still fun to use, the pure focus on puzzle-solving with combat completely removed, and the blobby main character's ballsy refusal to look remotely interesting. Riding around on a frisbee, for what it's worth, was genuinely great fun.

Here are a few Animal Well details that keep nagging:

The oversized pixelated animals loitering in hidden chambers, silent and strange.

The opaque items that somehow stayed satisfying to use, especially the frisbee.

The no-combat puzzle philosophy, a rare move that trades action for pure thought.

The stubbornly unremarkable blob protagonist, a design choice that feels like a dare.

?️ The Bottomless Well of Secrets

Every review hinted that if a player pushed long enough, the game would transform from a straightforward Metroidvania into a bottomless well of secrets. That deeper layer never got reached, and as it stands, Animal Well remains a mildly interesting 2D action-adventure game - and there are plenty of those to go around.

But the itch is real. No one wants to be the miner who gives up in frustration right before reaching a cache of diamonds, and there is a sneaking suspicion that leaving Animal Well felt exactly like that. Maybe the game was abandoned one puzzle too early.

Getting back to it won't happen immediately. After Hollow Knight, Silksong is obviously next on the docket. But Animal Well's world still has something to offer, and it might make the perfect palette cleanser between Silksong boss attempts.

With that kind of lineup on the horizon, plus the lingering pull to give Animal Well another proper shot between Silksong boss attempts, game libraries have a funny way of growing faster than the time available to actually play them. It helps to be selective about what gets bought at full price, especially when a whole backlog of half-finished adventures is already waiting patiently for attention.

For anyone juggling a similar mix of sequels, hidden gems, and long-overdue return trips, it pays to keep an eye on the best game deals rather than grabbing everything on a whim. A little patience can make the next journey into the unknown a lot easier on the wallet, leaving more room to take an occasional chance on something delightfully strange.

When people think of McLaren, their minds usually jump to Formula 1 or mid-engine supercars like the F1 and 720S. But back in 1980, McLaren Engines in Michigan helped Ford build one of the strangest and rarest pony cars ever to wear a Mustang badge. Ford wanted to shake up its performance image as the muscle car era faded, and McLaren lent real racing credibility. The result was the M81 McLaren Mustang, a turbocharged, race-inspired Fox-body that looked ready for an IMSA grid.

A Wild Pitch from the Start

Ford originally planned to build 250 examples, but the market had other ideas. Only ten M81s ever left the factory, making them unicorns among Fox-body Mustangs. The price tag was the elephant in the room: roughly $25,000 in 1980, or around $75,000 in today's money. Buyers simply refused to pay supercar money for a four-cylinder Mustang, even one touched by McLaren. As of 2026, auction tracking shows the top sale around $75,000 and the most recent transaction near $51,000\u2014numbers that would have been laughable in the early '80s but now prove the car's collector status.



McLaren's Engineering Stamp

The heart of the M81 was Ford's 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four, but McLaren Engines did far more than add a badge. The motors were torn down and rebuilt with racing precision. Cylinder heads were ported and polished, tolerances were tightened to motorsport standards, and each engine was blueprint-matched. A variable boost controller allowed drivers to adjust boost from the cockpit, which was a big deal in 1980. With boost cranked up, output rose from a modest 132 horsepower in stock form to about 175 horsepower, with 145 lb-ft of torque. Those figures are small by 2026 standards, but for a four-banger of the era, they were impressive. The real appeal was tunability\u2014turn the wick down for reliability or dial it up for fun.



IMSA Looks and a Tuned Chassis

Visually, the M81 was no ordinary notchback. Hand-built steel fender flares widened the track, while a deep front air dam, side skirts, and integrated brake ducts gave it a serious competition stance. A vented hood, rear spoiler, and blacked-out trim sharpened the look. It rode on lightweight BBS wheels and was painted primarily in Bittersweet Orange, with one black and one white example among the ten. Inside, the racing theme continued with Recaro bucket seats, a roll bar, and a numbered dash plaque.

The suspension was heavily reworked with Koni adjustable shocks, stiffer springs, larger sway bars, and components borrowed from police-package Fairmonts. Bigger front discs and reinforced rear drums added stopping power. A bolt-in roll bar improved chassis stiffness, which was sorely needed because Fox bodies of the era had a reputation for flexing in corners. Reviewers noted the M81 turned in sharply and stayed flat in bends, something a stock Mustang of that time could only dream of.



Why Ford Pulled the Plug

The M81 was meant to be a production car sold through select dealerships. But Ford had launched its own Special Vehicle Operations division, and an outsourced McLaren project threatened to steal SVO's thunder. Internal politics, combined with sticker shock, killed the program after only ten cars. Eight were Bittersweet Orange, one black, one white\u2014each with its own dash plaque. In a nutshell, the M81 was too expensive, too radical, and too politically inconvenient for its time.



A Legacy Bigger Than Ten Cars

Although the M81 ended after just ten units, its influence didn't stop there. It proved turbocharging could be used for performance, not just fuel economy. That lesson directly shaped the 1984 Mustang SVO, which used an updated 2.3-liter turbo four making 175 to 205 horsepower and sold nearly 10,000 copies. The M81 also kept the flame alive for racing tech in road cars, bridging IMSA styling with factory engineering.

Specification
Detail

Engine
2.3L turbocharged inline-four, McLaren blueprint-matched

Power
175 hp (vs 132 hp stock)

Torque
145 lb-ft

Boost
Driver-adjustable variable boost

Chassis
Fox-body with widened steel flares, Koni shocks, roll bar

Production
10 cars (8 orange, 1 black, 1 white)

Original price
About $25,000 in 1980

Looking back from 2026, the M81 McLaren Mustang is one of the greatest what could have been stories in muscle car history. It was ahead of its time, blending smaller displacement, turbocharging, and real chassis work when most Americans still equated performance with a big V8. Only ten were built, but their story has outgrown their numbers. They remain a proof of concept that corporate courage and motorsport expertise can create something special\u2014even if the market wasn't ready to buy it.



For enthusiasts today, the M81 McLaren Mustang represents a nearly mythical collector prize. With just ten examples ever built, each car that surfaces at auction draws intense interest, and values have climbed steadily as collectors chase the rarest Fox-body variants ever produced. Tracking these ultra-low-volume sales requires more than just scrolling through social media posts or old forum threads.

Whether you're hunting for a piece of Ford history or simply evaluating the market for any classic or modern muscle car, staying on top of real-time auction results and price trends can save you thousands. That's where this price tracking tool comes in handy, making it easier to spot fair deals and avoid overpaying on vehicles whose values shift quickly and quietly.

So, here I am in 2026, still thinking about the Coral Tower in Hollow Knight: Silksong. If you've been playing since launch, you know exactly what I mean when I say this place tested me more than any relationship ever has. You've accidentally set the end of the world in motion—don't worry, we've all done it—and now the Old Hearts quest is pointing you toward a towering underwater hellscape in the Sands of Karak. I'm here to walk you through the whole brutal thing, because trust me, you'll need a friend for this one.



Before you even think about climbing this tower, let's talk preparation. I cannot stress this enough: fully upgrade your needle before attempting the Coral Tower gauntlet. If you show up with a dull needle, you're basically bringing a toothpick to a war. The good news? This is a memory fight, which means you don't have to re-craft your tools every single time. Spam those things like there's no tomorrow.

Preparing for the Fight

Crests

Everybody has their own preference, but the Crest of the Wanderer carried me through the entire tower. The attack speed is honestly absurd, and the way I deal with the shorter reach is by equipping the Longclaw tool. Problem solved. If you prefer a tankier build, go with something that gives you more survivability, but for me, speed wins every time in these cramped arena rooms.



Silk Skills

For skills, I paired Sharpdart with the Volt Filament tool from the Voltnest, also in the Sands of Karak. Here's the magic: when multiple flying enemies group up, the electrically charged Sharpdart pierces through all of them for absolutely devastating damage. This setup saved my sanity when the floor turned into a spike bed and I was fighting airborne enemies with no safe ground to stand on.



Tools

For red tools, Cogflies are your best friends. So many enemies in the tower are flying, and you can't always reach them with your needle. Cogflies do the heavy lifting while you focus entirely on dodging projectiles and not panicking. The Wispfire Lantern is also excellent here for extra chip damage. If you have the Pollip Pouch, equip it to make your tools stretch further.



Climbing the Coral Tower

First Room

To begin this whole ordeal, play the Elegy of the Deep at Khann's body in the center of the tower. You'll be transported into a memory, soaring upward through beautiful blue waters. The first room is honestly just a practice space. You'll see Conchflies you've already fought, and you can farm easy silk from the little fish enemies. There are no environmental hazards here, so resist the urge to burn your tools. Save them. You'll need them.



Second Room

This is where things get real. The threats here are:

? Driznarga — These shoot conchcutters at you. Not terrible on their own, but paired with ground spikes, they make your life miserable.

? Karak Gor — The big guys who throw spikes up from the ground. Bounce on their heads repeatedly to take them down.

⚠️ Ground Spikes — Everywhere. They limit your movement severely, so getting comfortable fighting while airborne is a massive advantage.

Play it slow here. Deflect projectiles, use your Clawline, and throw up Cogflies when things get hairy. The jellyfish enemies are actually your friends—use them to heal as much as you can. Don't panic.

Third Room

The third room is where I nearly lost my mind. Interesting twist though: the ground spikes can become your ally. Try hitting the grounded Karaka melee enemies onto the spikes for an instant kill. It's extremely satisfying when it works.

Key threats:

? Corrcrust Karaka — Shoots little yellow bubbles. Longclaw works wonders here, and Sharpdart chips away at him safely.

? Floorless Fighting — At one point, the entire floor gets covered in spikes. You'll need to grip the wall and attack from there. The Ascendant's Grip is a lifesaver so you don't slide down.

? Double Jellyfish — The final wave is two jellyfish. Easiest enemies in the game, but after three intense gauntlets, you might be physically exhausted. Take a breath. Don't let them kill you at the finish line. I've been there. It hurts.

Fourth Room

Honestly, I would recommend dying on purpose after room three just to take a break and restock. No shame in it. The last chamber mixes enemies from the previous three rooms, but strangely, it's actually easier. You're on a small platform, sure, but you can push enemies onto the spikes, and the waves don't last as long. The developers knew you'd have a boss fight after, so they cut you some slack.



Once you clear the final wave, use your Silk Soar to rise one last time and face the king.

Crust King Khann

Weirdly enough, this is the easiest part of the entire Coral Tower. Crust King Khann's attacks have ridiculously long telegraphs, so dodging is a breeze. He never actually hits you directly—he just tries to catch you off guard with long spears of coral. Once you learn his patterns, you'll have massive windows to punish him.

Here's a breakdown of what you're dealing with:

Attack Type
Description
How to Counter

Coral Spear
Long telegraphed thrust from a distance
Just walk out of the way

Off-Guard Poke
Tries to catch you while you're repositioning
Keep moving, don't stand still for long

Arena Pressure
Uses coral formations to limit your space
Stay aware of your surroundings

This boss design makes total sense. You've just survived a brutal four-room gauntlet, so making Khann too hard would've been cruel. Pick up the heart, breathe a sigh of relief, and never deal with Coral Tower again. Until NG+, anyway.

Stay sane out there, fellow Silksong survivors. ?

Of course, after tackling every challenge a game like Silksong throws your way, you'll likely be searching for your next big adventure. The best part (and worst part, if you value your free time) is that the metroidvania and souls-like genres are absolutely packed with hidden gems to explore. Picking up a new title at full price every week isn't realistic though, so most of us learn to be patient shoppers.

That's why it's always worth keeping an eye out for PC game discounts before making your next purchase—you never know when a top-tier adventure will drop in price overnight. Scooping up a great game for less means you get the same rush of discovery without the sting of overspending. And hey, when you finally do dive into that next world, just take it from a Coral Tower survivor: breathe, learn the rhythm, and don't let the jellyfish see you sweat.

I’ll be honest: in Hollow Knight: Silksong, nothing calms my nerves like spotting a Mask Shard. These little fragments are basically extra heartbeats for Hornet, and let’s be real—extra heartbeats are exactly what you want when a multi-phase boss is breathing down your neck. Across the whole adventure, there are 20 Mask Shards scattered around the map. Every four shards combine into one full Mask, so you can end up with five additional health segments by the time you’ve truly cleaned house.



How Mask Shards Work

Collect any four Mask Shards and they combine into a full Mask, adding another piece of vitality to Hornet’s health bar. Since the hardest bosses in Silksong can chew through two health pieces with a single attack, those extra Masks are not just a luxury. They give you more room to learn patterns, make mistakes, and still walk away from a fight.

There are enough shards to build five additional Masks in total. That might not sound like a mountain of health, but against a boss like The Last Judge, two extra Masks can be the difference between a close victory and bouncing off the same fight for an hour.

Where Mask Shards Hide

I’ll be the first to admit I missed a bunch on my first pass. Mask Shards are scattered all over the massive world map, and the game loves to tuck them into places you’d swear you already checked. Some are sitting in dark, secret corners of rooms I had walked through multiple times. Others are locked behind abilities that only show up later, which means you’ll need to backtrack once your movement kit expands.

Don’t be afraid to retrace your steps. In my experience, a ledge that looked useless at hour ten can suddenly become a trailhead at hour twenty. Some shards are gated by story progression, so you may not be able to reach them until you’ve moved into an entirely different Act. That’s normal. The game is designed to make you feel clever for returning.

Milestone Health Checklist



Based on the game’s major milestones, here are the shard counts I recommend having before those big fights:

Milestone
Recommended Mask Shards
Extra Masks

Fourth Chorus (Act 1 boss)
4
1

Widow (Act 1 boss)
8
2

The Last Judge (Act 1 boss)
8
2

Act 2 Final Boss
12
3

Cogwork Dancers (Act 2 boss)
12
3

Act 3 Final Boss
20
5

The Last Judge is a particularly nasty gatekeeper at the end of Act 1, so having at least four to eight shards before that fight gives you a much friendlier buffer. By Act 2, you’ll want roughly 12 shards in your pocket, and by the final Act, you should be chasing every last one.

Exploration vs. Combat

One thing I appreciate is that exploration itself doesn’t demand a specific number of shards. The hazards in areas like Mount Fay are usually tied to your abilities or resistances rather than raw health. You don’t need 12 shards just to survive the freezing weather, though having more health does give you a little extra time to look around before resting.

That said, for the toughest encounters, Mask Shards become incredibly important. They turn a brutal learning curve into something you can actually survive long enough to understand.

My Practical Advice

Honestly, if I could go back to my first run, I’d tell myself this:

? Grab at least 4 shards before Fourth Chorus.

?️ Aim for 8 before Widow and The Last Judge.

?️ Backtrack after every major movement upgrade.

? Check dark corners even if a room feels familiar.

? Shoot for all 20 before the Act 3 finale.

Take a breath. Then go hunt them down.

At the end of the day, Mask Shards are insurance. The game knows exactly where to hide them, but a little patience—and a lot of backtracking—goes a long way. I’d rather walk into a fight with too much health than just barely enough, and in Silksong, every shard is one step closer to that peace of mind.

That same spirit of hunting—scouring every corner, checking every nook—is what makes finding a great deal on your next game feel so rewarding. Just like you’d backtrack for a hidden shard, a few minutes browsing the right marketplace can turn up surprising savings that let you stretch your gaming budget even further. It’s the kind of patience that pays off in both worlds.

Whether you’re picking up a fresh adventure to tide you over between Silksong runs or grabbing a gift for a fellow hunter, keeping an eye on places that aggregate the best game deals can save you from overpaying. A quick check before you hit that buy button is a lot like checking behind one more waterfall—you never know when you’ll find exactly what you were hoping for.

I still remember the exact moment I decided to stop playing Hades 2. It wasn't because I wasn't enjoying it—far from it. Supergiant's first sequel tore through my expectations like a fully upgraded Aspect of Pan. But after roughly 12 hours in early access, I hit a wall: not a difficulty wall, but the inevitable cliff where content would soon end. I've only ever played two games in early access—No Rest for the Wicked and Hades 2—and while I respect developers who use that model, I prefer to invest in a complete product. So I uninstalled, waited, and eventually got a release date that put me in a bind: September 25, 2025, the very same day as Silent Hill f.

Now in 2026, looking back, that release date collision taught me a lot about how I prioritize games. I didn't play Hades 2 on day one. I chose Silent Hill f first, then spent weeks lingering in Hollow Knight: Silksong, which had launched earlier that September. Hades 2 sat in my backlog until I finally carved out time in early 2026. And here's the surprising part: it was absolutely the right call.

Hades 2 originally entered early access on May 5, 2024. When its 1.0 version arrived on September 25, 2025, that was less than two years later. For anyone familiar with the first Hades, that timeline felt almost brisk. The original Hades entered early access on December 6, 2018, and didn't hit 1.0 until September 17, 2020. By comparison, Hades 2's early access period was shorter, yet its content volume had already eclipsed the entirety of Hades 1. That's a testament to Supergiant's process, but it also meant the 1.0 launch wasn't a gentle nudge—it was a massive content drop arriving on the most crowded day of my 2025 calendar.



September 2025 was absurd. In addition to Hollow Knight: Silksong finally emerging from the shadows, Silent Hill f launched on the same day as Hades 2. I was also juggling whether to pick up Ghost of Yotei in early October, while Little Nightmares 3 and Metroid 4: Beyond loomed later in the month. Cronos: The New Dawn was still sitting unplayed. The backlog wasn't just full; it was overflowing.

Silent Hill f was the dealbreaker. I've been waiting for a genuinely bold new entry in that franchise for years. The small slice I played of Hades 2 in early access was spectacular, but it wasn't shattering the earth around its IP in the same way Silent Hill f seemed to be doing for Silent Hill. The novelty, the atmosphere, the risk-taking—it all felt like the series had a pulse again after Bloober's Silent Hill 2 remake proved there was still life in it. So when the two games dropped on the same day, my priority was clear.

Here's how my September–October 2025 schedule ultimately shook out:

Priority
Game
Why

1
Silent Hill f
Same-day launch, franchise-defining risk I couldn't ignore

2
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Released weeks earlier; I was still exploring at a snail's pace

3
Hades 2 1.0
Shelved until I could give it full attention

4
Ghost of Yotei
Tempting, but optional depending on time

5
Everything else
Little Nightmares 3, Metroid 4, Cronos, etc.



By November 2025, I had finished Silent Hill f and Silksong. I could have jumped into Hades 2 then, but I didn't. I waited until January 2026, when the holiday noise cleared and I could treat Melinoë's full journey the way it deserved. And wow, did it deliver.

Playing Hades 2 in 2026, long after the launch-week discourse, felt like opening a sealed wine bottle. The new weapons, the expanded character tree, the endgame loops that weren't in early access—everything clicked. Supergiant's formula is iterative, and Hades 2 1.0 is the clearest example yet. The early access period wasn't just about bug fixes; it was about building a foundation that could support dozens of hours without losing that magical 'one more run' pull.



Would I recommend waiting as long as I did? Not necessarily. If you aren't nursing a Silent Hill f obsession or a Silksong hangover, Hades 2 1.0 is worth playing immediately. But if your September 2025 was as chaotic as mine, delaying it wasn't a sacrifice—it was an act of self-care. I got to play three of my most anticipated games back-to-back-to-back, and each one benefited from the breathing room.

Supergiant will likely stick with early access for future projects, whether that's another sequel or a new IP. After seeing how Hades 2 evolved from 2024 to 2026, I won't hesitate to dip into that process again. I'll just be more strategic about what I install and when. Some games are meant to be savored, not sprinted through on launch day.

That strategic approach isn't just good for your mental bandwidth—it's easier on your wallet too. Waiting out the launch-week frenzy means you can often find physical copies, discounted keys, or seasonal sale prices that make a sprawling 60-hour roguelike even more tempting. When I finally cleared my backlog this past January, I didn't pay full price for Hades 2 or a couple of the other titles I'd set aside; I took a beat to compare offers and landed somewhere that respected both my time and my budget.

If you're planning your own carefully paced gaming calendar this year, keeping an eye on price trends is just as important as tracking release dates. For anyone looking to stretch their playlist beyond the AAA heavy hitters, it's worth checking where to buy cheap games before committing to a full-price pre-order. A little patience can mean the difference between playing five games and playing eight—and that feels like the true "more runs" approach.

In my 2026 playthrough of Hollow Knight: Silksong, I quickly realized that the Abyss cannot be survived without proper protection. That forced me to hunt down three ancient hearts from mighty warriors. The first one I decided to claim was the Heart of Might, also known as the Encrusted Heart. To get it, I had to cross the scorching Sands of Karak, reach the eastern Coral Tower, and then survive a brutal chain of arena fights inside a memory. Here is exactly how I did it.

Reaching Coral Tower from the Sands of Karak

I started at the Blasted Steps and kept moving to the right. The environment itself becomes part of the challenge: several hanging branches react when struck, growing just enough for Hornet to use them as platforms. The first major vertical room contains a hidden shortcut that leads directly to the upper level, but it can only be opened from above. If you want to skip some jumps, you can try using Silk Soar from the middle of the eastern vertical room. To open the shortcut properly, though, I dropped all the way to the bottom of that vertical shaft.

At the bottom, I hit the branch and quickly platformed upward. The timing can be tight, but each growth gives you just enough height to continue. Once I reached the top, I moved left and destroyed a rock above the bridge. That opened the shortcut back to the entrance, which is incredibly useful if you fall or need to retreat to a bench.

Continuing left required a mix of tools. The final branch led me to a wall, where I had Hornet cling and then jump to a higher wall. From there, Clawline carried me safely to the left platform.



Inside the building, I found a slumbering warrior surrounded by enemies. Before doing anything else, I turned right and went through a hidden passage to find a bench. That bench is essential because the upcoming sequence is long and merciless. After resting, I approached the warrior and played the Elegy of the Past with the needle. This transported Hornet into Coral Tower's memory, where the true trial begins.

What to Do Inside the Coral Tower Memory

Once inside Coral Tower, there are no puzzles or collectibles to chase. The entire sequence is a combat gauntlet: multiple arena fights, waves of enemies, and platforming under pressure. I used Silk Soar immediately to reach the top of the first room.

Then I went left and jumped up to trigger the first boss fight. This arena is all about endurance, because enemies arrive in waves. A large white jellyfish-like creature will sometimes appear during the fight. Striking it restores silk, which I saved for healing between waves. Having tools like the Cogfly equipped was extremely helpful. They attack enemies automatically, and if laced with venom, they deal extra damage while I focused on staying alive.

From there, I went up and turned left into a second arena. Midway through the battle, red spikes began covering parts of the floor. They stayed until near the end, when a larger enemy appeared and broke them. I found it safest to keep moving and not commit to long ground combos.

The third arena was the most punishing in my run. Almost immediately, the ground was covered in spikes, leaving no safe space to stand. Hornet had to stick to the walls and attack enemies without falling. This is where the Ascendant's Grip made a huge difference, because it prevents Hornet from sliding down walls. I had already purchased it from the Wandering Merchant after completing her quest. If you do not have it yet, I strongly recommend returning to get it before attempting this gauntlet.

After clearing that room, I ran to the top and destroyed a rock, which created a shortcut back to the Coral Tower entrance. It is a welcome safety net if you die later.



The fourth fight changed the arena completely. Instead of a wide floor, only three platforms were available. At some point during the fight, one platform broke and then reappeared later. I had to juggle positioning carefully while avoiding enemies. Once that fight ended, I used Silk Soar one last time to fly high into the final arena.

Facing the Crust King, Khann

At the top, the Crust King Khann waited. This boss likes to jump around frequently and can summon spikes from every corner of the arena. I found that patience was more important than aggression. I waited for his landing animations, landed a few hits, and immediately repositioned when the spikes began forming. Healing was risky, so I only used silk after creating distance. Defeating him rewarded me with the Encrusted Heart, completing the Heart of Might quest.

Quick Reference: Abilities and Tools

Tool / Ability
Why It Helps

Silk Soar
Reaches high platforms and the final boss arena

Clawline
Crosses wide gaps on the way to Coral Tower

Ascendant's Grip
Prevents wall sliding during the spiked third arena

Cogfly
Automatically attacks enemies, especially with venom

Now that I have the Heart of Might, I only need to defeat the other two mighty warriors to continue deeper into the Abyss. If you are stuck on this section, remember to open the shortcut early, use the hidden bench, and bring wall-control tools. Coral Tower is not about clever puzzles; it is a test of combat consistency, patience, and silk management.

The climb through Coral Tower may feel overwhelming at first, but every tool you invested in beforehand pays off in these tight, multi-wave encounters. That preparation-first design is what makes Silksong so satisfying, and it rewards players who pause to upgrade, explore optional areas, and return with the right kit. Whether you’re chasing the Abyss ending or simply clearing every quest, taking the time to ready yourself before a challenge can make all the difference between another corpse run and a clean victory.

For players who enjoy sinking hours into long, demanding adventures like this one, it always helps to stretch a gaming budget a little further. If you’re thinking about picking up Silksong on another platform or want to stock up on similar titles for your next playthrough, checking current game deals before purchasing is a smart habit. Sites like DealNest round up discounts across games and accessories, so you can spend less time hunting for a price drop and more time back in Pharloom sharpening your silk skills.

Choral Chambers in Hollow Knight: Silksong is not the cruelest slice of Pharloom, but it has a special talent for making a player feel gloriously lost. One moment they are pogoing off a bell like a tiny, needle-wielding maestro; the next they are staring at the same rectangular room for the fifth time. Is the area actively hostile? Absolutely. Is it also full of rewards, shortcuts, and a few delightful side quests? Equally true. For anyone determined to clear this late-game zone without losing their mind, the first order of business is tracking down the actual map.



The Map Hunt: A Bell-Fueled Odyssey

Starting from the bench just north of the Underworks is the sanest approach. If that bench has not been unlocked yet, a player should head southwest inside Choral Chambers until they tumble into a large rectangular room with a single downward exit to the west and another exit at the lower right. Taking the latter leads to a short corridor with a bench—sit down, save, and take a deep breath, because the real navigation begins now.

From that bench, the route heads west into a large rectangular room. Hug the left wall until a hole in the floor appears. Just to the right of that hole sits a small platform. A few wall jumps later, a corridor opens on the right. The trick here is not to panic as the rooms begin to blur together.

After running down the corridor and wall jumping into a higher room, the player passes an alcove decorated with Rosaries on strings. This is not a suggestion to grab everything in sight; it is a welcome sign that the upward climb is still correct. Continue upward, then head immediately right on the next screen.

Enemies in the following room can be fought or ignored. At the very end, attacking a lever opens a hole in the floor. Dropping through, continuing right, and curving back up leads to a higher platform. On the left side, another lever opens an exit into the room above. Attack it, jump up, and run right. Then, in the next room, avoid the enemies and slip out the right exit.

Now for the fun part: pogo jumping up the bells and platforms. It looks like a musical instrument, and yes, it can absolutely kill. A secluded passage waits on the right, leading to a room full of spinning gears. Platform over them, then drop all the way down the vertical section while avoiding the spikes on the right side. The glide ability earns its keep here. At the bottom, follow the sign toward the Bellway station, pass the Bell Beast, and rest at the bench. A machine at the end of the corridor will happily sell the Choral Chambers map for 70 Rosaries.

Why 70 Rosaries? Perhaps because the cartographer knows exactly how desperate lost bugs can get.

Choral Chambers’ Greatest Hits: Benches, Side Quests, and Upgrades



With the map in hand, the area reveals itself as more than a maze. The most important stop is the Songclave at the northeastern edge. There, a Wishwell offers The Wandering Merchant sidequest, which sends one after the wayward Jubilana. She is tucked away near the bottom-middle of Choral Chambers. From Citadel Spa, head right, drop to the bottom of the room, exit right, then turn around and use the exit just below and to the left. Rescuing her causes Jubilana to set up shop at the Songclave.

Her inventory includes the Ascendant's Grip and Spool Extender tools, plus a Mask Shard. If a player then completes The Lost Merchant from the Wishboard, her inventory expands even further. Collectors should also keep an eye out for two lost fleas: one in the northeast part of the room near Jubilana, and another in the northeast corner of the Songclave itself.

Though no proper boss battle guards the Choral Chambers, an Arena Battle sits just west of Citadel Spa. Four waves of enemies provide a solid test of Hornet's tools and patience.

Location
What's Worth Noting

Songclave
Wishwell, Jubilana's shop, lost flea

Near Citadel Spa
Arena Battle, Jubilana's hiding spot

Bellway station
Map vendor, bench

West of large vertical room
Bench near Cogwork Core

Northwest near High Halls
Bench

Choral Chambers also acts as a hub of exits. It connects directly to The Slab, Cogwork Core, The Cradle, and Memorium. Anyone hoping to avoid a return trip should deal with these routes while the benches are fresh and Rosaries are plentiful.

So, is Choral Chambers worth the headache? For map completists, tool collectors, and anyone who simply cannot stand an unexplored corridor, the answer is a resounding yes. It may not be the hardest area in the game, but it certainly knows how to make an entrance—and a very long exit.

For those who have yet to dive into Hornet's adventure, the promise of intricate, interconnected spaces like Choral Chambers is exactly the kind of content that makes the wait worthwhile. If you haven't already secured your copy of Hollow Knight: Silksong, keeping an eye on pricing can pay off—especially since launch discounts and seasonal promotions tend to appear without much fanfare. A reliable steam sale tracker can alert you the moment the game drops in price, ensuring you are ready to explore every gear-turning corner and hidden bench without overspending.

Armed with a full map, a stocked inventory, and a well-timed purchase, you can focus on what truly matters: uncovering every lost flea, claiming every tool upgrade, and finally watching that last unexplored corridor fade from your cartographer's chart.

Like so many players, I spent an agonizingly long time waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Now that it’s finally here in 2026, I can say the wait was worth it. The movement feels faster, the combat is sharper, and somehow it’s even more punishing than the first game—and I love every second of it. But after rolling credits, I found myself asking: what do I even play next? Going back to the original Hollow Knight felt safe, but I wanted something similar yet new. So I put together a list of games that have helped me fill that Hornet-shaped void.

What makes a game feel like Silksong? For me, it’s precise movement, tough but fair bosses, a haunting atmosphere, and that constant itch to explore every corner of a map. So here are the games I keep returning to when I need that same rush.

Animal Well — Survive Using Your Head



Animal Well is not about combat—it’s about wits. You play as a nameless blob exploring a massive, interconnected labyrinth full of secrets and hostile animals. Instead of fighting your way through, you use tools to outsmart enemies and solve layer after layer of puzzles. I’ll admit, it took me a few tries to get hooked, but once the puzzle logic clicked, I couldn’t put it down. If Silksong’s tricky platforming burned you out, this is the mental challenge that still feels rewarding.

Rain World — Curiosity Killed the Slugcat



Rain World originally came from a Kickstarter, just like the first Hollow Knight, and it shares that grim, dangerous streak. You’re a Slugcat dropped into a ruined civilization, and you must find food and shelter while larger predators hunt you. What blows me away is how fluid the world feels: the pixel art seems alive, and the movement has a slippery, weighty quality that makes every jump tense. It’s a survival platformer that never lets you feel safe, and I mean that as a compliment.

Lies of P — A Challenge with No Strings Attached



Need a 3D break from Silksong? Lies of P puts you in the puppet shoes of Pinocchio, but forget the singing cricket. This is a twisted city overrun by murderous mechanical puppets, and you survive through precise blocking, parrying, and dodging. If Soulslikes usually feel too dense, Lies of P stands out because its disturbing fairytale world actually made me care about why I was fighting. It’s tough, but the challenge feels earned.

Cuphead — The Challenging Cartoon Adventure



Don’t let Cuphead’s jazzy soundtrack and cute 1930s cartoon looks fool you. This run-and-gun boss rush is brutally difficult. Instead of a nail or blade, you fire energy shots by snapping your fingers, and the game turns that simple idea into a flying gunship of chaos. Somehow, even when I died dozens of times, I never wanted to quit. And because Cuphead supports online multiplayer, I could call in a friend when a boss got too nasty.

Dark Souls: Remastered — The Pioneer of the Soulslike Genre



Would Hollow Knight even exist without Dark Souls? Maybe, but it wouldn’t feel the same. Dark Souls defined the loop of dying, learning, and trying again that Hollow Knight and Silksong lean on. The Remaster gave it a 60 FPS boost and higher detail, plus the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. But the difficulty remains untouched. So unless you’re a speedrunner, be prepared to die a lot—just like my first weekend with Silksong.

Dead Cells — Make Each Run Count



Here’s a roguelike twist for players who want a bigger challenge. In Dead Cells, death is permanent: your weapons, gold, and items from that run are gone. But the upgrades to your health, gold reserves, runes, and blueprints remain, so you’re always progressing in some way. The levels are procedurally generated, which means no two runs feel the same. That unpredictability kept me coming back just to see what weird build I could create next.

Hades — Welcome to The Underworld



Not every great Metroidvania-adjacent game needs to be a pure Metroidvania. Hades balances satisfying, fast-paced combat with a fully voice-acted story drawn from Greek mythology. You fight through the Underworld as Zagreus, gather gear, and build relationships with a cast of entertaining gods and shades. Even if the isometric view isn’t usually your thing, the dungeon layouts and smooth action make it work. It’s one of those rare games where I actually looked forward to dying just to hear more dialogue.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps — A Metroidvania Masterpiece



Like Silksong, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel that surpasses the original. It delivers gorgeous visuals, a moving story, and a soundtrack that still gives me chills. Movement, melee, and magic all blend together for tight platforming and combat. What surprised me most is how emotional the story gets—maybe the only thing harder than the gameplay is not crying by the end. If you want a Metroidvania masterpiece after Silksong, this is the one.

Final thoughts

Was there ever really a way to replace Hollow Knight: Silksong? Probably not. But these eight games each capture something I love about Hornet’s adventure: the precision, the atmosphere, the challenge, or the sheer thrill of exploring an unknown world. Whether you want 2D or 3D, roguelike or pure Metroidvania, one of these should give you that next great adventure.

Of course, being a fan of these genres often means wanting to try not just one, but several of these adventures back to back. That's why it always pays to keep an eye out for the best game deals before you make your next purchase. A great discount can turn an uncertain try into an easy yes, and leave you with room in the budget for even more hidden gems.

So whether you're diving into Dead Cells for the first time or finally facing the Pantheon in Hollow Knight, remember that the next unforgettable journey often starts with a smart buy. Happy exploring.