Does Hollow Knight Silksong have controller support on PC?

Yes, the game has native support for Xbox and PlayStation controllers with proper in-game prompts.

How does Silksong improve accessibility over Hollow Knight?

It focuses on clearer attack telegraphs, sharper visual design, and faster healing, making the game more approachable.

Can you remap controls?

Yes, all inputs can be remapped for both controller and keyboard.

Are there settings to lower difficulty?

Silksong does not include difficulty modes, but features like crest abilities, map clarity, and precise inputs act as accessibility aids.

Hollow Knight Silksong Bells | Bell Puzzle & Bell Room Guide

hollow knight silksong

Early in Hollow Knight Silksong, players spot benches decorated with bell symbols and often assume there’s a hidden riddle to solve. While the designs look like a sequence or code, these benches are simply tied to Pharloom’s Rosary Bead system; you pay beads to activate them as checkpoints. The bells are a visual theme, not an interactive puzzle.

The real bell puzzle appears with the Bell Beast boss. When you first encounter it, the creature is trapped in webbing and cannot be fought. To free it, you must first obtain the Silkspear ability from a nearby plaque, then use it to cut the silk holding the beast. This unlocks the fight, and defeating the Bell Beast grants access to Pharloom’s fast travel system, making it one of the earliest and most important progression puzzles in the game.

Bell Beast Puzzle Explained

The so-called bell puzzle in Hollow Knight Silksong is actually tied to the Bell Beast boss fight in The Marrow. When you first find the Bell Beast, it’s trapped in webbing and cannot be fought. This looks like a puzzle at first glance, and in a sense it is; the challenge is figuring out how to free it.

To start the fight, you must unlock the Silkspear ability from a nearby plaque. This attack is both a combat skill and an environmental tool that lets you cut through silk barriers. Returning with Silkspear allows you to strike the web and release the Bell Beast, which begins the boss encounter.

Defeating the Bell Beast unlocks fast travel across Pharloom. Like the Stag in Hollow Knight, the Bell Beast becomes a mount that connects Bellway stations, making exploration much easier. The puzzle is not about solving a code or hitting bells in a sequence — it’s about learning that new ability use is required to free the creature.

Bells and Benches in Silksong

Benches in Pharloom often require Rosary Beads to activate. This is a new mechanic compared to Hollow Knight, where benches were always free. The bell carvings that appear near these benches are visual motifs tied to Pharloom’s design and currency system.

When you encounter a bench with bells, the “solution” is simply to spend the beads needed to unlock it. Once activated, the bench works like normal, serving as a checkpoint and a place to rest.

Why Some Call It a Bell Puzzle

The bell icons look like a sequence or code, which led players to experiment with button presses or attack patterns. Because Hollow Knight had cryptic puzzles, it’s natural for fans to expect hidden mechanics. However, no confirmed puzzle has been found in these benches. The bells are decorative indicators, not interactive riddles.

Bells in Pharloom’s World

Bells appear across Silksong in multiple forms:

Benches marked with bells, requiring Rosary Beads.
Bellways, which act as the game’s fast travel system.
The Bell Beast, an early boss tied to Pharloom’s bell motif.

This consistent theme connects rest points, traversal, and bosses under one design language.

Final Blurb

The so-called “bell puzzle” in Hollow Knight Silksong isn’t a hidden riddle. The bells you see on benches are part of the Rosary Bead activation system, a core mechanic in Pharloom. They tie into the kingdom’s bell theme but don’t require solving. The real challenge is collecting enough beads to unlock benches and progress deeper into the world.