How To Get Hollow Knight Free?
Quick answer: Hollow Knight costs $14.99 on Steam, though it’s actually included with Xbox Game Pass Standard and above on PC and Xbox. If you’re not subscribed to Game Pass, the legitimate no-cost route is Snakzy, a free rewards app that pays coins for completing offers, which convert into a gift card that covers the purchase.
If you’ve been putting off a game this acclaimed just because of a $15 price tag, that’s still a reasonable thing to wait on, especially with a genuine free option sitting right there through Game Pass. This guide covers what Hollow Knight actually is, what it costs, where you can play it for free right now, and the step-by-step method for getting your own permanent copy without paying.
| Game Info | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 on Steam (Steam store page) |
| Release date | February 24, 2017 |
| Developer / Publisher | Team Cherry |
| Steam user reviews | Overwhelmingly Positive, 97% |
| Main story length | ~20–27 hours depending on playstyle |
| Full completion (with DLC) | ~55–65 hours |
Is Hollow Knight Free?
Not by default, no. Hollow Knight costs $14.99 on Steam with no permanent free-to-play version. However, Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition, which bundles the base game with all four of its free content packs, is included at no extra cost with an Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription or higher, playable on PC and Xbox. If you’re not subscribed to Game Pass, the only other legitimate no-cost route is earning enough through a rewards app like Snakzy to redeem a gift card that covers the price.
What Is Hollow Knight?
Hollow Knight is a 2D Metroidvania developed and published by the small Australian studio Team Cherry, released February 24, 2017. You control a silent insect-like traveler exploring Hallownest, a vast, ruined underground kingdom, fighting tough bosses and piecing together its history through environmental storytelling rather than direct exposition. It’s frequently cited as one of the genre’s defining modern titles.
It carries a Steam user rating of Overwhelmingly Positive at 97%, a remarkably consistent score across hundreds of thousands of reviews since launch. The game has stayed relevant for years thanks to four free content updates (Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster) and, in early 2026, a free performance upgrade adding higher frame rates and resolution for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S owners.
How Much Does Hollow Knight Cost?
Hollow Knight costs $14.99 on Steam at its standard listing. It goes on sale regularly during major Steam sale events, with the most common discount being 50%, bringing the price down to $7.49. That’s already one of the better value propositions in gaming given the amount of content included, but if you’d rather not spend anything at all, both the Game Pass and Snakzy routes below get you there.
Is Hollow Knight Available Free Anywhere Else?
Yes, and this is worth knowing before you go looking elsewhere. Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition, which includes the base game plus all four DLC packs, has been part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog since 2022 and remains there for Standard-tier subscribers and above, playable on both PC and Xbox consoles. If you already pay for Game Pass, you can simply install and play it today at no extra cost.
Outside of Game Pass, the game is not part of PlayStation Plus’s catalog and has never been given away for free on the Epic Games Store, though Epic has occasionally offered similar Metroidvania-style titles as free weekly claims. If Game Pass isn’t an option for you, Snakzy remains the best route to a permanent, standalone copy.
Where Can You Play Hollow Knight?
| Platform | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam, GOG) | Windows, macOS, and Linux all supported; also included in Xbox Game Pass on PC | ||
| PlayStation 4 | Runs on PS5 via backward compatibility | ||
| Xbox One / Xbox Series X | S | Included in Xbox Game Pass; free performance upgrade added for Series X | S in 2026 |
| Nintendo Switch | A free Switch 2 Edition upgrade launched in February 2026 for existing owners |
Hollow Knight is available on nearly every modern platform. Since Snakzy rewards redeem for gift cards on major storefronts including Steam, this guide’s paid-alternative method targets the Steam PC version, while Game Pass subscribers on PC or Xbox already have a genuinely free path.
Hollow Knight System Requirements
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 | Intel Core i5 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce 9800 GTX+ (1GB) | GeForce GTX 560 |
| DirectX | Version 10 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 9 GB available space | 9 GB available space |
As a 2D hand-drawn title, Hollow Knight runs comfortably on hardware well over a decade old. Almost any laptop with integrated graphics can handle it at minimum settings.
How Does Hollow Knight Play?
The core loop blends precise platforming with rhythmic melee combat. You strike enemies with a weapon called a Nail, and successful hits build up Soul, an energy resource you choose to spend either healing yourself or casting offensive spells, creating a constant risk-versus-reward decision in every fight.
Progression runs through Charms, collectible passive items that modify how you play, equipped into a limited number of notches so you’re always balancing trade-offs between different builds. Dying drops your currency, Geo, at the location of death as a Shade you must defeat to reclaim it, adding real weight to failure. The interconnected map rewards exploration heavily, with new abilities opening previously inaccessible areas as you progress, in the genre’s classic Metroidvania style.
Hollow Knight Key Features
- Interconnected Metroidvania world — A large, non-linear map of Hallownest where exploration is rewarded over hand-holding.
- Deep boss roster — Over 30 distinct boss fights with their own attack patterns and phases.
- Charm-based build customization — Passive items that let you tailor your playstyle for exploration or aggressive combat.
- Hand-drawn 2D art and animation — A distinct, atmospheric visual style throughout Hallownest.
- Four free DLC packs included — Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster, all bundled at no extra cost.
How To Get Hollow Knight Free With Snakzy
If Game Pass isn’t an option for you, Snakzy is a free rewards app, developed by Helis Play UAB (part of the Eneba network), where you earn coins by completing offers and playing partner mobile games. No credit card or spending is required to earn. You trade time completing offers for coins that convert into gift card value, which then covers Hollow Knight at checkout.
Steps:
- Download Snakzy on Android from the Google Play Store; iOS users can access it through the web version, as there is currently no native iOS app.
- Browse available offers inside the app. Offers and payout amounts vary by region.
- Complete offers to earn coins, tracking your balance toward the $14.99 needed for the game.
- Reach the redemption threshold. Snakzy requires 35,000 coins, roughly $35, to unlock the rewards shop on your first redemption.
- Redeem coins for a gift card, then apply it to your Steam purchase of Hollow Knight.
Independent tracked data shows the average first payout on Snakzy is about $27.70, arriving within roughly 6.5 days of signing up. Because Hollow Knight’s $14.99 price is on the lower end for this series of guides, that single payout comfortably covers the full game with balance left over for something else. Payout speed and offer availability vary by country, so check current rates inside the app before planning around a specific timeline.
Is It Legal To Get Hollow Knight Free With Snakzy?
Yes. Snakzy pays users in coins for completing offers, those coins convert into a real gift card, and the gift card is used for an official storefront purchase. Team Cherry gets paid the same as if you had bought the game directly, and the result is a legitimate license tied to your account.
What to avoid: cracked download sites and torrents advertising a free copy. These typically carry malware risk and can result in a permanent account ban, with no legitimate license attached. Piracy takes revenue directly from Team Cherry, a small independent studio that has continued supporting Hollow Knight with free updates for years after release.
Verdict
Hollow Knight backs up its reputation with a 97% Overwhelmingly Positive Steam rating sustained across hundreds of thousands of reviews, four free content packs added after launch, and a 2026 performance upgrade that shows Team Cherry is still actively maintaining the game nearly a decade later. Unlike some titles in this series, there’s a genuinely free option already available: check if you have Xbox Game Pass Standard or above before doing anything else.
If Game Pass isn’t in the picture, getting it for free comes down to time rather than money: download Snakzy, work offers toward the $35 redemption threshold, and redeem for a gift card that covers the $14.99 price with room to spare.
FAQs
Is Hollow Knight free to play?
No, it’s a paid game priced at $14.99 on Steam. It is, however, included at no extra cost with an Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription or higher on PC and Xbox. Without Game Pass, the method in this guide uses Snakzy to earn a gift card that covers the cost.
Is Hollow Knight on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes. Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition, which includes the base game and all four DLC packs, has been in the Xbox Game Pass catalog since 2022 for Standard-tier subscribers and above, playable on PC and Xbox.
What platforms is Hollow Knight on?
PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PlayStation 4 (playable on PS5), Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, with a free Switch 2 Edition upgrade released in February 2026 for existing owners.
How long does it take to beat Hollow Knight?
A main story playthrough typically runs 20 to 27 hours, while full completion including all four DLC packs commonly lands between 55 and 65 hours.
Is it safe to get Hollow Knight through Snakzy?
Yes. Snakzy-earned gift cards are redeemed through official storefronts like Steam, making the resulting purchase fully legitimate. Avoid unofficial free download sites instead, since those carry real malware and account-ban risk with no legal license attached.
