Hollow Knight Region Map and Route Checklist

How to use this section

Region pages should answer what players need while they are lost: where to buy the map, where to sit, what unlocks the next route, and which exits should be marked for later. The goal is not to sweep every room immediately, but to create a clean loop of map, bench, Stag Station, objective, and return point.

Early and midgame route

Order	Region	Main goal	Return later for
1	Forgotten Crossroads	Buy the map, open the Stag Station, learn the bench loop, defeat False Knight	High exits after Mantis Claw
2	Greenpath	Find Cornifer, reach Hornet, take Mothwing Cloak	Acid edges and hidden side rooms
3	Fog Canyon	Pass through, do not force full cleanup early	Later cleanup with acid-swim access
4	Fungal Wastes	Reach Mantis Village and take Mantis Claw	Mantis Lords after upgrades if needed
5	City of Tears	Find the Nailsmith, expand shops and midgame routes	Soul Sanctum and upper floors
6	Crystal Peak	Push vertical movement and open new connections	Dark rooms and extra pickups
7	Resting Grounds	Take Dream Nail and start Essence routing	Dream Warriors and Seer rewards

Mid and late regions

Region	Best timing	Track carefully
Royal Waterways	After basic health and nail upgrades	Benches, acid routes, Dung Defender
Ancient Basin	Midgame to late main-route prep	Key ability, Palace Grounds, tram link
Deepnest	Better with lantern and more health	Benches, exits, Grubs, Pale Ore
Kingdom’s Edge	Mid-late cleanup and progression	Hornet 2, Colosseum, Pale Ore
Queen’s Gardens	After stronger movement and combat comfort	Traitor Lord, Mask Shard, return route
Howling Cliffs	Cleanup and extra-content setup	Charms, Stag route, hidden entrances
The Hive	Late collectible area	Hiveblood, fragments, enemy routes
The Abyss	True-ending preparation	Void route, ability requirements, ending flags
White Palace	True-ending platforming gate	Charm loadout, patience, route memory
Godhome	Late challenge hub	Boss unlocks, charm builds, practice order

What each region page needs

Field	Purpose
Map / Cornifer	Answers the most common “where is the map” search
Bench	Reduces death-run frustration
Stag / Tram	Builds cross-region navigation
Key ability	Tells players whether they should continue now
Later ability gates	Marks rooms to revisit
Must-grab items	Mask Shards, Vessel Fragments, Grubs, Charms, Pale Ore

Live focus guides

Guide	Problem solved
Early and midgame map route	Where to go first, how to reach Mantis Claw and City of Tears
Region cleanup checklist	How to check maps, benches, Stag Stations, gates, and return items
Boss order recommendations	Which route bosses to fight now and which to delay
Collectible priority	Which collectible goals matter during route cleanup

Writing rule

The current section covers route overview and cleanup. Future single-region pages should spend less space on lore and more space on decisions: what to do first, where the safe bench is, what ability blocks progress, which item matters now, and how to leave.