For most first-time players, plan on about 25–30 hours to reach an ending in Hollow Knight. Broad completionist play can take roughly 40–65 hours, while pursuing the current 112% completion ceiling and the free content packs can take around 60–100+ hours. Players aiming to master Godmaster’s hardest pantheons and optional challenges should budget about 90–120+ hours. These are planning ranges, not guarantees: the game has no official all-DLC hour total, and the goal you choose makes a major difference.
How long does Hollow Knight take, by goal?
| Goal | Planning estimate | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Reach an ending | About 25–30 hours | A first playthrough focused on progressing through the main path, with some exploration. |
| Complete broadly | Roughly 40–65 hours | Explore much of Hallownest and collect a broad range of upgrades and content; this is comparable to published 100% and third-party completionist estimates. |
| Reach 112% | Around 60–100+ hours | Pursue the current completion ceiling, including the percentage-bearing content added after launch. |
| Master the hardest optional challenges | About 90–120+ hours | Allow extra time for repeated attempts at Godmaster’s pantheons and other demanding optional goals. |
The clearest way to interpret these estimates is to decide first whether “beat” means seeing an ending, broad completion, 112%, or mastery of optional boss-rush challenges. They are different workloads, and the last two can extend well beyond a standard story playthrough.
What published playtime estimates say
Team Cherry said that Hollow Knight takes players an average of about 25 hours to complete, or 40 hours for 100% completion. Those are the developer’s published benchmarks, not a promise of a fixed run time. Team Cherry’s launch announcement provides that estimate.
A third-party aggregate displayed by Deku Deals lists 27 hours for the main story and 65.5 hours for completionist play. Treat those figures as directional: what counts as “completionist” can vary between players and tracking sources. Deku Deals’ Hollow Knight listing displays the figures.
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
For 112% with the content packs, a current estimate from All Things How puts a full run at 90–120+ hours, particularly when players tackle Godmaster’s optional pantheons and mastery challenges. That is an estimate rather than an official benchmark. All Things How’s analysis discusses the longer completion target.
What “all DLC” adds
Team Cherry’s releases bundle four free content packs: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood and Godmaster. The Switch announcement describes the game as including the released content packs, with the final pack supplied free to owners. Team Cherry’s Switch release announcement explains the bundle. These packs are not four equally sized extra campaigns: some add optional quests or bosses, while others make broader changes to the game.
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.
Hidden Dreams
Hidden Dreams adds two optional boss fights, Dream Gate fast travel and a hidden Stag Station. Since the bosses are optional, a player going straight for an ending may spend little or no additional time on this pack. Team Cherry noted that the content is accessible at any point, whether starting a new game or pursuing completion. Team Cherry’s Hidden Dreams announcement describes its content.
The Grimm Troupe
The Grimm Troupe adds a substantial quest, new bosses, charms, enemies, characters and music. It is meaningful side content that can be started during an existing playthrough, so the time it adds depends on whether you pursue the quest and its associated challenges. Team Cherry’s Grimm Troupe announcement outlines the pack.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #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!
Lifeblood
Lifeblood adds one new boss alongside balance changes and map-marker, audio and performance improvements. Much of the pack changes the overall game rather than providing a long separate quest line. Team Cherry’s Lifeblood announcement describes its additions.
Godmaster
Godmaster adds characters, quests, secrets and boss-rush challenges. Team Cherry called it the “final chapter of the Knight’s story” and its “hugest content pack by far,” while warning that becoming a Godmaster is not easy. Its optional pantheons and repeat attempts are the main reason a completion-focused run can take much longer than simply seeing an ending. Team Cherry’s Godmaster announcement introduces the pack.
Rank #4
![HOLLOW KNIGHT [E10]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gHoLA9kNL._SL160_.jpg)
- Includes four giant bonus content packs: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all 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
What 112% means for your playtime
Seeing an ending is not the same as reaching the game’s current completion ceiling. The completion reference lists 112% as the maximum, with the additional 12 percentage points coming from post-launch content. A 112% target therefore means pursuing content beyond the core ending, but it should not be treated as synonymous with mastering every optional challenge. The Hollow Knight Wiki’s completion reference explains the percentage system.
That distinction helps reconcile the ranges: a player may reach 112% without spending the same time as someone who repeatedly attempts the most demanding Godmaster challenges. The 60–100+ hour range is a broad planning estimate for 112% pursuit; the 90–120+ hour range is safer if your personal definition of “all DLC” includes pantheon mastery and other optional goals.
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Why one player’s run takes longer than another’s
- Completion target: An ending, 100%, 112% and optional challenge mastery each describe a different scope.
- Challenge experience: Familiarity with precision platforming and boss patterns can affect how much time repeated attempts take.
- Exploration style: Discovering routes and secrets without a guide can extend a run compared with following directions.
- Godmaster scope: Clearing some content is a smaller commitment than returning to the pantheons repeatedly to pursue mastery.
Because the published benchmarks and third-party aggregates use different completion labels, no single figure can represent every “all DLC” run. Use the estimate that matches your actual target rather than treating the longest figure as the time needed to finish the story.
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