For a second Hollow Knight run, choose the challenge that fits the experience you want: Steel Soul for permanent-death stakes, Godhome for boss gauntlets, Hall of Gods for focused practice, or the Path of Pain for precision platforming. There is no conventional New Game Plus mode; Team Cherry said it could not include one at release and described a different post-completion mode with new rules and surprises.
Is there a New Game Plus mode in Hollow Knight?
No conventional New Game Plus mode was included at release. Team Cherry wrote that New Game Plus was a feature it “aren’t able to include (but would love).” The developers instead described a distinct post-completion mode that offers “a different and challenging way to experience the game, with some new rules and new surprises along the way (Unique dialogue! Unique NPCs!).” Read Team Cherry’s release-era explanation for that distinction.
So a replay challenge usually means choosing an available challenge mode, pursuing endgame content, or adding a rule for yourself. A self-imposed restriction—such as limiting charm use or taking a different route—is a player-made idea, not an official game mode.
Which second-playthrough challenge should you choose?
| Challenge | What it tests | Stakes and preparation | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Soul | Survival, route knowledge, and cautious combat | Death ends the run and resets the profile; learn dangerous encounters before committing. | A full replay where save loss is part of the challenge. |
| Pantheons | Consistent execution across a sequence of bosses | Require unlocks and sustained boss practice; bindings add restrictions. | A structured boss gauntlet. |
| Pantheon bindings | Adapting to reduced nail damage, fewer masks, restricted charms, or Soul limits | Each binding changes a different part of the combat kit; they can be combined. | Players already comfortable with the fights. |
| Hall of Gods: Radiant | Clean execution against one boss | Practice individual bosses at the highest listed difficulty without replaying a full Pantheon each attempt. | Focused boss mastery. |
| Path of Pain | Precision platforming | An optional high-level platforming challenge. | A movement test instead of another boss rush. |
| Challenge Mode mod | Adapting to unpredictable fight modifiers | Community-made; requires dependencies and has platform compatibility caveats. | Advanced players comfortable checking mod requirements. |
Steel Soul: make the whole replay count
Steel Soul is the highest-stakes choice for replaying Hallownest. A death ends the run and resets the profile, so route knowledge and cautious decisions matter as much as combat skill. Community reference material distinguishes deaths in Godhome and to Dream Bosses from deaths in White Palace or to the Radiance; do not assume those latter encounters are safe exceptions. Check the Steel Soul reference for the mode’s death rules before you begin.
#1 Best Overall
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!.Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..
Pick Steel Soul if you want ordinary exploration and progression to feel consequential again, and you are comfortable losing the run. If permanent loss would make the replay frustrating, choose a lower-stakes personal restriction instead.
Godhome: take on Pantheons and bindings
Pantheons for a sustained boss gauntlet
Godhome’s Pantheons group selected bosses into a sequence and finish with a unique final boss. The fifth Pantheon comes after the first four and requires Void Heart. This makes the Pantheons a natural progression for players who want a defined boss challenge rather than a full replay. For unlock details and the Pantheon structure, see the Godhome reference.
Rank #2
![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
Bindings for a tougher ruleset
Each binding restricts a different part of your combat kit: Nail, Shell, Charms, or Soul. You can attempt them individually or combine all four at once. If you are new to Pantheons, start without bindings; once you can reliably clear a sequence, add one restriction and see how it changes your approach. Combining all four is a more severe test for players who already know the fights.
Hall of Gods: master one boss at a time
Hall of Gods lets you retry bosses at Attuned, Ascended, and Radiant difficulties. It is the practical choice when one encounter is your weakness—or when you want to pursue clean execution—because each attempt focuses on an individual boss rather than requiring a full Pantheon run. The Hall of Gods reference describes the available difficulty tiers.
Rank #3
![Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mOgOC8xEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
For a boss-focused progression, practice encounters here first, then move to Pantheons and introduce bindings gradually. That sequence gives you targeted repetitions before you put multiple fights together in a longer run.
Path of Pain: trade boss pressure for platforming
If you want a challenge centered on movement rather than combat, try the Path of Pain, a secret high-level platforming challenge documented in the White Palace reference. Treat it as its own optional test; Steel Soul death rules distinguish the White Palace from Godhome and Dream Boss encounters, so do not treat this route as a safe detour during a permadeath run. A detailed route guide is useful if you need location or obstacle-by-obstacle instructions.
Rank #4
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
Community mods: add unpredictable fight rules
The community-made Challenge Mode mod adds randomized fight modifiers in Godhome and Hall of Gods. It is an optional pick for players who already know the base fights and want unfamiliar conditions rather than a fixed ruleset. Because it is a community project, check the repository’s current installation instructions, dependencies, and platform support before relying on it. The project documents an Xbox Game Pass display limitation, so compatibility and presentation may differ by platform.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
A practical order for a second run
- Choose your stakes. Select Steel Soul only if a run-ending death and profile reset are acceptable; otherwise use a self-imposed restriction for a lower-stakes replay.
- For boss challenges, practice first. Use Hall of Gods to learn individual encounters at a suitable tier.
- Build toward the gauntlets. Attempt Pantheons once you are ready for sustained boss sequences, then add a binding at a time.
- Choose a different skill test if desired. Take on the Path of Pain for platforming, or consider the mod only after checking its current requirements and platform caveats.
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