Essential marks the installments that carry the spine of Hollow Knight's main story and world-building — the ones collectors and lore-focused players treat as must-play for the core narrative. On GameOrder, Essential titles include Hollow Knight.

Recommended entries meaningfully enrich the franchise — strong stories, fan favorites, or connective tissue that pays off after the essentials, without being strictly required. No games in this list are tagged Recommended right now.

Optional games are fair to skip for continuity; they are side paths, experiments, or lighter fare that fans can pick up when they want more, not when they need the main plot. Optional tagged titles: Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Spinoff titles sit apart from the primary saga — different genres, timelines, or branding — and are best treated as extras after you know the heart of the series. No Spinoff tags appear on these rows.