Hollow Knight was developed in Unity. Team Cherry also used PlayMaker, a visual-scripting plugin for Unity, to build game logic. The available sources confirm that the team wrote some custom scripts, but do not identify the programming language used for them.
What engine does Hollow Knight use?
Hollow Knight was made with Unity. Team Cherry said it moved development to Unity after its Kickstarter ended. In the studio’s account, William Pellen described the move as porting development to the engine: Inside the Mind of a Bug: Unity and PlayMaker.
Unity’s own Hollow Knight case study also describes the game’s Unity workflow. Unity is the engine: the development environment and runtime used to build and run the game. That answer is different from naming a programming language.
How did Team Cherry use PlayMaker?
Team Cherry used PlayMaker, a Unity plugin for visual scripting. Rather than writing every behavior as text-based code, developers can arrange logic in flowchart-style finite state machines. Pellen said the team used it to develop enemy AI and behaviors, as well as game events. Unity’s case study likewise says PlayMaker was used to create enemies and interactive elements.
#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..
PlayMaker is a tool for constructing game logic within Unity; it is not the game engine itself, nor does its use establish the language of the game’s custom scripts.
What programming language was Hollow Knight written in?
The cited sources do not name a programming language for Hollow Knight’s custom scripts. Unity’s case study says Team Cherry wrote custom scripts for certain elements, but does not specify their language. So while Unity projects commonly use particular programming languages, it would be unsupported to state that Hollow Knight is coded in C# based on these sources alone.
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.
What tools supported the game’s 2D art and animation?
Unity’s case study describes hand-drawn artwork and traditional animation made in Photoshop and saved as PNG files. Team Cherry layered the 2D assets in a 3D environment. The case study names Unity 2D Physics, Sprite Packer, and Particle System, as well as the 2D Toolkit extension.
These details describe the art and implementation workflow, not the language used for custom scripts.
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![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!
Does the current PC input system explain how the game was coded?
No. Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight help page says the PC game was updated to use Unity’s new Input System. It also notes that some specific controller setups are unsupported and that advanced settings include an option to switch back to the previous input system. This is support information about input handling, not evidence identifying the programming language used in the original development.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who led the game’s technical direction?
Team Cherry identifies David Kazi as responsible for the game’s technical direction. Its help page credits Ari Gibson with game design alongside William Pellen, as well as art, environments, and animation; Pellen is credited with designing enemy, boss, and game behavior with Gibson.
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.
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.
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