Choose Hollow Knight
Choose Hollow Knight if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 176,306 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hollow Knight vs Shellbound
Hollow Knight and Shellbound both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Hollow Knight (2017) is 11 years older than Shellbound (2028). Hollow Knight is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shellbound has no Deck rating yet. No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Shellbound
Choose Shellbound if you want the DualShock Controller Support, DualSense Controller Support, and Steam Input API Support side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2028) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Shellbound launched in 2028.
Both Hollow Knight and Shellbound sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Hollow Knight |  Shellbound | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2028 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 97.1% positive (176,306 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Team Cherry | Fake Lobster |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Hollow Knight (2017) is 11 years older than Shellbound (2028).
- Hollow Knight is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shellbound has no Deck rating yet.
Hollow Knight vs Shellbound — FAQ
- Should I play Hollow Knight or Shellbound first?
- If you want chronology, Hollow Knight (2017) came out before Shellbound (2028). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Hollow Knight and Shellbound similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Hollow Knight run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hollow Knight is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Shellbound doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.