Hollow Knight and Silksong: the behind-the-scenes programming that made them great
By Domingo Wu ’28 - Wellesley Middle School
Popular Metroidvania game, Hollow Knight, is still going strong after 5 years. The prequel Silksong, set to release in 2023, is much anticipated by the gaming community, and many fans are interested in the development and marketing of the games.
Hollow Knight was created in 2017 by gaming company Team Cherry, and quickly became popular among indie gaming fans. According to fan written reviews on Reddit, many expect Silksong to be on par, if not surpassing Hollow Knight. Compared to more open world games such as Minecraft or Fortnite, Hollow Knight falls into the category of Metroidvania indie games, which provides a 2D experience for players, contrasting the more limited video of 3D games.
"For Hollow Knight, I was putting out images of the game for months leading into launch… you know, trying to spread the word about the game, but Silksong is different, it’s more about managing expectations and just keeping people grounded, a little bit." said Matthew "Leth" Griffin in a Youtube interview conducted by The Indie Gamer.
Team Cherry aims to not use the popularity from Hollow Knight to profit off of players for Silksong. Instead, the team uses it to create another great game without disappointing or tricking fans emotionally in the marketing process- which is sometimes a challenge for many gaming industries.
However, the process for creating the game is a whole other issue and not without its challenges. During the wait for the game's arrival, anticipation among fans is very high. Though many are willing to be patient, and send public well wishes to the game developers, there is still the pressure to get the game out quicker to players who may possibly lose interest after waiting too long. This is a problem creators face all the time, especially with a large audience.
"We have a very smart fan base, and that’s probably because Hollow Knight wants you to dig deep. Yes, of course people have a high anticipation, and you want that as a developer but, you know, it’s a double edged sword… really, I don't want [Team Cherry] to release it unless they're ready," said Leth.
The fan base for many indie games has still been steady, even with the supposed end of its Golden Age, Steam's Greenlight. How it worked was the steam community voted on the ones they wanted to see on steam. And that was the golden age of Indie Games. In general, indie games are doing well after Greenlight, but a lot of the truth comes from the change in how games are released and gain traction, especially on Steam, a gaming platform that publishes creators' work.
"There’s another focus you should be doing which is building a fanbase for your future product. …I plead for indie games to be a part of more live stream communities and to encourage them to promote themselves," said Leth.
For young aspiring creators, the process of game development does not have to be something in which you would have to think about years in advance. Leth's career path in college was not directly on track for game development. His early career was found in mathematics as a substitute and after school teacher.
“I majored in philosophy and minored in mathematics and I also have an Associate's degree, like, a two year degree, in programming. I really enjoyed logic and… theorizing about the right way to launch a game," said Leth.
Leth, among many others, is a perfect example of the endless possibilities everyone has to pursue dreams in life. Leth now works both as a management and PR director for Team Cherry, and as a game creator for Wanderlust. In a sense, it is never too late to pursue what you want in life, whether that is game development, or not. Similarly, Silksong provides players with endless possibilities in the virtual world. So what you do is all up to you!
Hollow Knight was created in 2017 by gaming company Team Cherry, and quickly became popular among indie gaming fans. According to fan written reviews on Reddit, many expect Silksong to be on par, if not surpassing Hollow Knight. Compared to more open world games such as Minecraft or Fortnite, Hollow Knight falls into the category of Metroidvania indie games, which provides a 2D experience for players, contrasting the more limited video of 3D games.
"For Hollow Knight, I was putting out images of the game for months leading into launch… you know, trying to spread the word about the game, but Silksong is different, it’s more about managing expectations and just keeping people grounded, a little bit." said Matthew "Leth" Griffin in a Youtube interview conducted by The Indie Gamer.
Team Cherry aims to not use the popularity from Hollow Knight to profit off of players for Silksong. Instead, the team uses it to create another great game without disappointing or tricking fans emotionally in the marketing process- which is sometimes a challenge for many gaming industries.
However, the process for creating the game is a whole other issue and not without its challenges. During the wait for the game's arrival, anticipation among fans is very high. Though many are willing to be patient, and send public well wishes to the game developers, there is still the pressure to get the game out quicker to players who may possibly lose interest after waiting too long. This is a problem creators face all the time, especially with a large audience.
"We have a very smart fan base, and that’s probably because Hollow Knight wants you to dig deep. Yes, of course people have a high anticipation, and you want that as a developer but, you know, it’s a double edged sword… really, I don't want [Team Cherry] to release it unless they're ready," said Leth.
The fan base for many indie games has still been steady, even with the supposed end of its Golden Age, Steam's Greenlight. How it worked was the steam community voted on the ones they wanted to see on steam. And that was the golden age of Indie Games. In general, indie games are doing well after Greenlight, but a lot of the truth comes from the change in how games are released and gain traction, especially on Steam, a gaming platform that publishes creators' work.
"There’s another focus you should be doing which is building a fanbase for your future product. …I plead for indie games to be a part of more live stream communities and to encourage them to promote themselves," said Leth.
For young aspiring creators, the process of game development does not have to be something in which you would have to think about years in advance. Leth's career path in college was not directly on track for game development. His early career was found in mathematics as a substitute and after school teacher.
“I majored in philosophy and minored in mathematics and I also have an Associate's degree, like, a two year degree, in programming. I really enjoyed logic and… theorizing about the right way to launch a game," said Leth.
Leth, among many others, is a perfect example of the endless possibilities everyone has to pursue dreams in life. Leth now works both as a management and PR director for Team Cherry, and as a game creator for Wanderlust. In a sense, it is never too late to pursue what you want in life, whether that is game development, or not. Similarly, Silksong provides players with endless possibilities in the virtual world. So what you do is all up to you!
Domingo Wu is participant of the First to the Frontpage Summer of 2022 program.