In 2026, Hollow Knight Silksong remains a maze of secrets, and the Balm for the Wounded quest is one of its most easily missed errands. This Act 2 side quest sends Hornet into Whiteward to find Sherma, a resident who has vanished from Songclave. For completionists chasing 100%, it is not optional. For everyone else, the rewards make it more than worth the detour. The quest also opens the door to another missing-person hunt, so players who skip it may find their Wish Board looking a little emptier than it should.



How to Start the Balm for the Wounded Quest

The quest does not simply appear. Players must first discover Songclave in the north-eastern part of Choral Chambers in the Citadel. After activating the First Shrine bench in Songclave, they need to leave and then return. That small act of backtracking convinces the settlement to build a Wish Board. Songclave, in other words, waits for travelers to prove they are coming back.

Even then, the Wish Board will not offer Balm for the Wounded right away. It only appears after players complete the Building Up Songclave side quest. That task asks for a donation of 300 Rosaries to the Wish Board. It also requires visiting Whiteward one time. The entrance to Whiteward needs a key, but the key is easy to find to the right of the First Shrine bench in Songclave. Players should grab it before leaving. Blink and it is gone, and then they will be making a second trip.

Once Building Up Songclave is complete and Whiteward has been visited at least once by unlocking its door, players should return to Songclave. The Balm for the Wounded quest will be waiting at the Wish Board. Accept it, and the search for Sherma officially begins.



How to Find Sherma in Whiteward

Sherma can be found on the eastern side of Whiteward, northwest of the path that leads to the Underworks. A specific door leads directly to her location, but reaching it is the tricky part. Whiteward is a place that hoards its secrets like a miser, and the correct route is not always obvious.

Fortunately, the game offers a trail. While exploring Whiteward in search of Sherma, players will encounter an item of hers that can be interacted with. Doing so tracks her scent. This creates a visible path to her location, making the hunt much less of a headache. The scent trail practically takes players by the hand and leads them to the door mentioned earlier.





After entering the door, players arrive in a tiny subsection of Whiteward. From there, they should proceed all the way to the right. Sherma is at the end. Once she is found, speak to her and exhaust her dialogue. This triggers a battle against a wave of enemies. There are five enemies in total, and they must all be defeated. After the fight, speak to Sherma again. Finishing that conversation concludes the Balm for the Wounded quest.





Balm for the Wounded Quest Rewards

The first reward arrives immediately. Sherma hands over a Spool Fragment after being saved from Whiteward. A Spool Fragment is one of two parts that increase Hornet's Silk Meter. For combat-focused players, that upgrade is not just a nice extra. It is a direct boost to Hornet's toolkit, and it can make later fights feel noticeably smoother.

The second reward is a new quest at the Wish Board in Songclave. Completing Balm for the Wounded unlocks the Lost Merchant quest, which involves finding another missing character on the large map of Silksong. In other words, one rescue leads to another mystery. Players who enjoy the interconnected side stories of Silksong should pay attention, because this chain is easy to lose track of in a year crowded with new releases.

Reward
Details

? Spool Fragment
Handed over by Sherma immediately after the rescue. One of two parts that increase Hornet's Silk Meter.

? Lost Merchant quest
Unlocked at the Wish Board in Songclave. Sends players after another missing character.

✅ Completion progress
Required for a 100% completion run in Hollow Knight Silksong.



Why the Quest Still Matters in 2026

By 2026, Hollow Knight Silksong has been picked apart by guide writers, speedrunners, and lore hunters. Yet Balm for the Wounded remains a common blind spot. The quest hides behind a donation, a key, a first visit to Whiteward, and a scent trail that only appears if players inspect the right object. That is a lot of invisible checkboxes. No shame in missing one.

For anyone returning to an old save or starting a fresh completion run, the order is simple. Build up Songclave. Visit Whiteward. Accept the Wish. Track Sherma. Clear the enemy wave. Claim the Spool Fragment. Then check the Wish Board again for the Lost Merchant. It is a short chain, but it reaches into multiple systems and rewards patient exploration.

In a game built on hidden paths and quiet tragedies, Balm for the Wounded fits right in. It asks players to slow down, follow a scent, and bring someone home. The Spool Fragment is the practical prize. The new quest is the hook. The real reward, as cheesy as it sounds, is one less empty chair in Songclave.

Anyone planning to keep grinding through Silksong's side content in 2026 is probably eyeing a few other Metroidvania releases to fill the gaps between patches and expansions. Tracking down genuinely good prices across storefronts can be its own kind of quest, which is where a deal aggregator earns its keep. Sites like DealNest game deals round up current discounts and price drops in one place, so you spend less time refreshing store pages and more time actually playing.

It's a small convenience, but a useful one for completionists who like to stack a backlog before diving into the next long rescue mission. Worth a look if your wishlist is longer than your wallet.

The Nintendo Direct was once a stage for a very specific kind of heartbreak. For seven years, Hollow Knight fans tuned in with the same desperate hope: maybe this time, Silksong. Maybe this time, Hornet would appear. Maybe this time, Team Cherry would end the silence. In 2025, that hope was finally answered. Hollow Knight: Silksong arrived, real and playable, and the long wait collapsed into a strange new problem. When Nintendo announced another Direct for 2026, the Hollow Knight community discovered they had nothing left to beg for.



Instead of relief, there was an odd emptiness. The Direct had been their annual ritual of disappointment, and now the ritual was broken. For years, the phrase 'Silksong at the Direct' had been a meme, a prayer, and a punchline all at once. Now it was just a memory. The fans had become so accustomed to hoping that they started hunting for a new impossible dream before the old one had even cooled.

The Hopium Machine Needs New Fuel

The search did not take long. Hollow Knight fans, like many Nintendo fans, have a mental list of announcements that feel permanently just out of reach. A new Kid Icarus. A new F-Zero. Nintendo acknowledging that Star Fox still exists. These are not realistic expectations so much as emotional insurance. They are the games that let fans feel the sweet ache of wanting something that will probably never come.

Mother 3 finally getting a release outside Japan is the big one. It was the original hopium game before Hollow Knight even existed. Japanese Nintendo fans have been able to play Mother 3 for almost twenty years, yet despite Earthbound's popularity elsewhere, it has never been localized and made available in other regions. For many, that absence is a wound that never healed. Every Direct is a chance for Nintendo to finally do the right thing, and every Direct without Mother 3 is another small betrayal.

Then there is Metroid Prime 4. The real hopium game heading into the latest Direct is Metroid Prime 4, and even though yet another rating makes it seem very likely that the game will finally get a release date, Metroid fans are starting to get nervous again. It has been nearly a decade since Nintendo revealed it was working on Metroid Prime 4. People have played it. The finish line has seemed visible for months. But if it does not get a release date soon, worry will spread like a virus. Metroid fans have been burned before, and they know that a rating is not a release date.



A Wider Web of Worry

The Hollow Knight community is not alone in this cycle. Across the industry, fans build shrines to games that have been teased, rumored, or simply imagined. Hopes are high for a Wolverine re-reveal at a State of Play that has not even been announced yet. Those waiting for news about Kingdom Hearts 4 are really starting to worry. At least they have something to worry about, unlike Final Fantasy 9 fans, who have been left in a quiet purgatory of remaster rumors and anniversary whispers.

It is a strange ecosystem. A Nintendo Direct no longer needs to include Silksong, because Silksong is here. But the Direct still needs to include something. The fans still need a reason to gather, to speculate, to argue, to create elaborate charts, and to feel that familiar sting when the credits roll and their most wanted game is nowhere to be seen.

The New Hopium Leaderboard

Game
Why Fans Still Hope
Realistic Chance

Mother 3
The legendary untranslated sequel
Low, but never zero

Metroid Prime 4
Rated, played, and still dateless
High, if Nintendo is ready

New Kid Icarus
Nostalgia and Sakurai dreams
Very low

New F-Zero
Captain Falcon deserves better
Low

Star Fox
Nintendo remembering the franchise
Medium-low

Wolverine
A re-reveal at an unannounced State of Play
Medium

Kingdom Hearts 4
Square Enix silence is getting loud
Medium

Final Fantasy 9
Remake rumors and anniversary energy
Unknown

The table is only half a joke. For many fans, the hope itself is the entertainment. The Direct is not just a marketing event. It is a shared story, a season finale, and a group therapy session. When one dream is fulfilled, another must take its place. That is how fandom survives.

By 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong is no longer a rumor. It is a game people have played, criticized, loved, and maybe even finished. Hornet has taken her place in the pantheon. But the Hollow Knight fandom has not learned how to be satisfied. It has only learned how to transfer its longing. The next Direct will arrive, and the fans will watch. They will hope for Mother 3. They will hope for Metroid Prime 4. They will hope for something impossible. And when the presentation ends, they will do what they have always done: pick a new dream, and wait for the next chance to be disappointed.

While the waiting continues, the practical side of being a fan does not pause. Backlogs grow, wishlists stretch on for pages, and the games already released quietly compete for attention with the ones still years away. That is where a tool like game price tracker from DealNest earns its place, letting players watch for drops on the titles they actually intend to play instead of paying full price out of impatience.

It is a small shift in mindset, but a useful one. Instead of pouring all that energy into a Direct that may or may not deliver, fans can spend a little of it on the games sitting unplayed on their shelves, waiting for the right moment and the right price.

I still remember my first trip to Pandora. The guns, the jokes, the endless loot. Now it's 2026, and Borderlands 4 has been out for a while. When the reviews first dropped in September 2025, they were overwhelmingly positive. Metacritic: 84. Open Critic: 87. That's a clear step up from Borderlands 3, which sat at 81 and split the fanbase. It's not quite enough to dethrone Borderlands 2 at 89, but it's close. And after putting in dozens of hours myself, I think the real story is more interesting than a number.



The Scores Don't Tell the Whole Story

Let's get the numbers out of the way. Here's how the mainline games stack up on Metacritic:

Game
Metacritic Score

Borderlands 2
89

Borderlands 4
84

Borderlands 3
81

On Open Critic, Borderlands 4 sits at 87. That's a strong debut. It means Gearbox didn't just avoid another Borderlands 3 situation—it actually won back a lot of trust. But scores are snapshots. The real question in 2026 is whether the game still feels great after the honeymoon phase. For me, it does. Mostly.

What Reviewers Loved

When the embargo lifted, some outlets went wild. XboxEra gave Borderlands 4 a perfect score. Reviewer Jesse Norris called it the best looter shooter he's ever played. He said he had no major faults, only a few minor gripes—like how long bodies take to disappear when you want to grab the loot underneath them. Outside of that, he called it a masterpiece and said he could easily see himself putting in another thousand hours over the years.

Screen Rant's Brandon Key gave it a 9/10. He wrote that it was the most fun he's ever had with the series. Charming writing, great characters, smooth gameplay, and a consistent loot rush pushed him to do 'just one more' mission into the wee hours of the morning over and over. That's the Borderlands promise, right? One more mission. One more legendary. One more level.

VGC's Jordan Middle gave it a 4/5. He called it a great RPG shooter with rewarding, engrossing gameplay. He did have some criticisms: bland new characters and a pointless grappling hook took some shine off. But he also said the sheer amount of fun couldn't be overlooked. For him, Borderlands 4 reminded him why he was such a big fan of the original two games, and it learned from the mistakes of 3.



Randy Pitchford Called It

Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford was never shy about his confidence. At Gamescom 2025, he said, 'I'm not just confident, but absolutely convinced that Borderlands 4 is the best Borderlands game we've ever made.' He talked about how past games pushed boundaries too far in one direction or another, and how Borderlands 4, knowing those boundaries, could commit to 'this perfect centre space.'

In 2026, that quote looks less like hype and more like a mission statement. The game didn't just review well—it seems to have brought back the magic that made the first two games so beloved. It's not a flawless victory, but it's a meaningful one.

Launch Details and Platform Notes

Borderlands 4 launched on PC on September 11, 2025. It came to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 12. The Nintendo Switch 2 version arrived on October 3. Now that we're in 2026, every one of those versions is out in the wild. If you were waiting for the Switch 2 release, you've had plenty of time to dive in. The staggered launch meant PC players got a tiny head start, but the wait wasn't brutal.

My Personal Take as a Longtime Vault Hunter

I've been playing Borderlands since the original. I loved Borderlands 2. I liked Borderlands 3, but I understood why it divided people. The writing was hit-or-miss. The villains didn't land. The endgame felt off. Borderlands 4 feels like a course correction. The gunplay is smooth. The loot loop is addictive. The world is packed with things to shoot, loot, and build around. I've had multiple nights where I told myself I'd stop after one more mission—and then the sun came up.

Do I agree with every review? No. The new characters aren't all winners. The grappling hook isn't essential. But those are small dents in a very sturdy vault door. The core loop is the best it's been in years. If you bounced off Borderlands 3, I think this is the one that brings you back.

Pros
Cons

Rewarding, engrossing gameplay
Some bland new characters

Charming writing and great characters
Pointless grappling hook, according to some

Smooth gunplay and a consistent loot rush
Minor loot-grab annoyances

Best fun in the series for many reviewers
Doesn't quite beat Borderlands 2's 89

The Verdict in 2026

So where does Borderlands 4 land? It's not the highest-scoring game in the series. Borderlands 2 still wears that crown with an 89. But Borderlands 4 is a huge step up from 3, and it's one of the most fun looter shooters you can play right now. The reviews were strong. The word of mouth has been strong. And with all platforms available in 2026, there's no reason to wait.

If you're a solo Vault Hunter, you'll find a satisfying campaign and a loot treadmill that respects your time. If you're a co-op fiend, you'll find chaos, explosions, and that classic 'just one more' energy. For me, Borderlands 4 is a reminder of why I fell in love with this series. And that's worth more than a few Metacritic points. ???

There's one more practical angle worth mentioning, though. Looter shooters are long-haul commitments, and between the base game, the expansions, and the steady drip of cosmetic packs, staying current gets expensive fast — especially if you're buying in on more than one platform. If you'd rather let a deal come to you than spend your evenings refreshing store pages, DealNest is worth a bookmark.

It's a small thing, but it changes how a purchase feels. Paying less up front leaves room for a second copy for a co-op partner, or for whatever looter shooter lands next on your wishlist. A good deal doesn't make a great game better — it just makes saying yes a lot easier.

Hey, fellow Hallownest wanderer! ? It's 2026, and I'm still hopelessly addicted to Hollow Knight: Silksong. If you're stuck in Sinner's Road, you've probably met Crull and Benjin, the two quirky bugs who want you to hunt down 10 Muckroaches. I remember my first run—I died more times to those roaches than I'd like to admit. But trust me, the reward is a game-changer. So grab your needle, and let's dive into the Roach Guts quest.



Where to Find Crull and Benjin

First things first: you need to reach their hut. It's in the top right corner of the room, east of the broken Sinner's Road bench. To get there, you'll need Cling Grip (Wall Jump) on the left side of the room, then pogo off the floating spikes, and finally use Drifter's Cloak (Float) to glide into their little abode. It's like threading a needle while riding a unicycle—tricky but doable. Once inside, talk to the two bugs, and they'll ask you to slay 10 Muckroaches and collect their guts. Sounds gross, right? But the payoff is sweet.

The Best Muckroach Farming Spot

Muckroaches are scattered all over Sinner's Road, but the most efficient farming location is in the long tunnel directly underneath the bench, to the left of the locked Green Prince. Here's my routine:

Rest at the Sinner's Road bench to set your respawn point.

Exit through the right exit.

Drop down to the bottom, then turn left.

You'll see three Muckroaches: two on the ground and one on top of a cage.



Kill them, and collect the Roach Guts that drop from their carcasses. Rinse and repeat until you have 10. It's a bit like collecting eggs from a very angry chicken coop—you have to be fast, or you'll get pecked. Each run takes about a minute, so you'll have your 10 guts in no time.



The Reward: Tacks Tool

Once you've got 10 Roach Guts, return to Crull and Benjin. They'll reward you with the Tacks tool—a Red Tool that functions like caltrops. Hornet can throw them on the ground, and enemies who step on them take damage. You get 6 charges, and each charge costs 8 Shell Shards to restore at a bench.



Every time you use Tacks, Hornet throws out 4-5 caltrops, each dealing roughly half a Needle hit's worth of damage. It's like scattering a handful of tiny, explosive jacks on the floor—enemies step on them and immediately regret their existence. I've used Tacks to turn entire arenas into a hazard zone, especially against slow, grounded bosses. It's not just a tool; it's a tactical nuke in your pocket.



Tips and Tricks

Farm efficiently: The tunnel under the bench is the best spot. Just keep resting and re-entering.

Watch your step: Muckroaches can be surprisingly aggressive. Use your needle's range to your advantage.

Save Shell Shards: Restoring Tacks charges can get expensive, so use them wisely.

Boss fights: Tacks shine against bosses like the grounded ones in Sinner's Road. Lure them onto the caltrops and watch their health melt.

Combine with other tools: Tacks work great with area-denial tools or long-range attacks.

Final Thoughts

The Roach Guts quest is one of the most rewarding side quests in early Silksong. It's a bit grindy, but the Tacks tool is absolutely worth it. In 2026, with all the patches and updates, this quest remains a must-do for any serious player. So go out there, hunt some roaches, and turn the battlefield into a pincushion. Happy hunting! ?

If you're planning to pick up a copy of Silksong, its soundtrack, or another title to play between boss attempts, prices can vary a lot between storefronts. DealNest keeps track of current offers and discounts, so it's easy to compare before you buy. You can head over to DealNest to find the best deal and keep more of your budget for the games you actually want to play.

I've been a Borderlands fan since the original, and like many of you, I was left feeling a bit... underwhelmed by Borderlands 3. The humor felt forced, the villains were annoying, and the story just didn't land. So when Borderlands 4 was announced, I was cautiously optimistic. Now that we're in 2026 and the dust has settled, the reviews are in, and it looks like Gearbox might have actually pulled it off. But is it the massive improvement everyone hoped for, or did they play it too safe? Let's dive in.



The Consensus: A Big Step Up from Borderlands 3

If you've been living under a rock, here's the scoop: Borderlands 4 is being praised as a course correction for the series. Our own review at Screen Rant boldly called it "the best game in the series so far." IGN said it's "the massive kick in the pants [the series] needed" after "fizzling somewhat with Borderlands 3." That's high praise, right? Even other outlets agree it's a step in the right direction, even if it's not perfect.

But here's where it gets interesting. GameSpot noted that Borderlands 4 fixing its predecessor's issues also works "to its detriment." They said, "Borderlands 4 is cranked so far in the other direction that the resulting game feels like a strange imitation of the series." Ouch. So, is it possible to overcorrect? Maybe. But from what I've seen, the core looter-shooter gameplay is still intact and satisfying, so I'm willing to forgive a little identity crisis.

The Villain Problem: Timekeeper vs. Handsome Jack

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the antagonist. Borderlands 3 gave us the Twins, who were widely considered annoying and cringey. Borderlands 4 introduces The Timekeeper. According to GamesRadar, "The Timekeeper is a very safe antagonist – which is an improvement upon Borderlands 3's actively abrasive Twins, but still rather dull." So, not a home run, but at least he's not actively hated.



GameSpot added that "Borderlands 4 seems to do everything in its power to make sure that its characters cannot be hated." Is that a good thing? Well, after the Twins, maybe a safe, inoffensive villain is exactly what the series needed. It's like they said, "Let's not make everyone mad this time." And honestly, I'll take dull over grating any day.

Open World and Gameplay: The Real Star

The big advancement here is the open-world design. Reviews are celebrating it as a high point. I've always loved the semi-open areas of previous games, but a full open world? That sounds like a dream. The gameplay is making significant strides, and many reviewers note that the series' typically irreverent humor comes out in the side content, while the main story is a bit more dramatic. That balance might be the key to pleasing both old-school fans and newcomers.



Is It the Best in the Series?

Screen Rant's assertion that it's the best game in the series is particularly interesting, since Borderlands 2 has reigned supreme since 2012. Handsome Jack is a tough act to follow. The Timekeeper doesn't appear to be Handsome Jack-level compelling, but the gameplay iteration seems to have picked up the slack. So, can a game with a "safe" story and a "dull" villain still be the best? If the gameplay is that good, absolutely.

Let's break down the pros and cons as I see them based on the reviews:

Pros ✅
Cons ❌

Open-world design is a delight
Story is safe and unremarkable

Gameplay improvements are significant
Villain is dull compared to Handsome Jack

Humor is back in side content
Main story takes itself more seriously (could be good or bad)

Fixes many of Borderlands 3's issues
Overcorrection makes it feel like an imitation at times

My Take: Cautiously Optimistic

As a longtime fan, I'm excited. It sounds like Borderlands 4 is a hit, taking significant strides and making a concerted effort to fix its predecessor's issues. Will it dethrone Borderlands 2 in my heart? Only time will tell. But for now, I'm just happy that Gearbox seems to be listening to the fans. What do you think? Are you ready to dive back into Pandora (or wherever this one takes place)? Let me know in the comments!

? So there you have it. Borderlands 4 might not be perfect, but it's a massive step in the right direction. And after the misstep of Borderlands 3, that's exactly what the series needed. Whether you're a veteran Vault Hunter or a newcomer, it sounds like there's plenty to love here. I know I'll be jumping back in.

Of course, all this excitement comes with the usual question: when and where to actually pick it up. With multiple editions, pre-order bonuses, and platform-specific offers flying around, prices can vary a lot between storefronts, and the difference is often more than a few bucks. If you'd rather not overpay out of sheer hype, it's worth taking five minutes to compare prices here before committing to a copy.

DealNest gathers listings in one place so you can see how the Standard, Deluxe, and Vault Hunter editions stack up across retailers without opening a dozen tabs. Whether you're grabbing it on day one or waiting for that first inevitable discount, a quick look beforehand means more leftover cash for the Season Pass — and honestly, that's a deal any Vault Hunter can get behind.

I've been grinding through Pharloom since Hollow Knight: Silksong launched, and I still see folks in chat asking the same question: is the Multibinder worth 880 Rosaries? After testing it in multiple boss fights and defensive builds, I can say it's not a no-brainer. It's a blue Tool sold by the vendor in Bellhart, and its description is vague enough to make you scratch your head. So let me break down exactly what it does, when it shines, and whether you should bite the bullet in 2026.



What the Multibinder Actually Does ⚔️

When equipped, Multibinder replaces Hornet's default 3-mask heal with a 4-mask heal for the same amount of Silk. That sounds like a straight upgrade, right? Not so fast. It nearly doubles the time it takes for the healing animation to finish. Worse, it locks Hornet in place for the entire duration, and you cannot cancel the animation midway. If you're used to quick panic heals, this thing will feel like trying to park a bus in a tight alley.

The heal isn't delivered all at once. Multibinder heals 2 masks twice in quick succession, one after the other. So you get a first chunk, then a second chunk. That two-part structure is the key to understanding its value.

Feature
Default Bind
Multibinder

Masks healed
3
4

Silk cost
Same
Same

Animation length
Baseline
Nearly double

Can cancel?
No
No

Heal split
Single 3-mask heal
Two 2-mask heals

Interruption result
0 or 3 masks
0, 2, or 4 masks



The Hidden Advantage: 0, 2, or 4 ?

Here's where Multibinder earns its keep. Because the heals are separated into two parts, if you get interrupted during the second 2-mask heal, the first 2-mask heal still counts. That means you end up with either 0 heals, 2 heals, or 4 heals. Compare that to Hornet's default healing: if you're interrupted during the Bind animation, the whole thing is nullified. You get either 0 or 3 heals. No in-between.

In a tough boss fight, that in-between can be the difference between life and death. I've had moments against aggressive bosses where I knew I couldn't finish a full default heal, but Multibinder's first 2-mask chunk landed before a hit connected. It's not pretty, but it's a safety net. For defensive players, this is the whole ballgame. I also noticed that the first 2-mask heal comes out faster than the default 3-mask heal, which means you can sometimes sneak in a partial heal when the boss gives you just a sliver of breathing room. Your mileage may vary, but that alone has saved my bacon more than once.

Best Pairing: Warding Bell ?️

Multibinder is situational, and it shows its value best when you pair it with the right Tools. The Warding Bell is an early-game Tool that is very easy to get, and it pairs extremely well with Multibinder.

Warding Bell protects Hornet from taking damage while healing, but it does not stop the healing from being interrupted. That sounds like a mismatch, but it's actually a match made in heaven. As mentioned, Multibinder heals in two parts. If you're interrupted during the second part, Warding Bell protects you from damage while still letting the first 2-mask heal register. And because Multibinder's initial 2-mask heal is faster than the default 3-mask heal, you get a real chance to restore health in situations where you otherwise would've been interrupted.

In plain English: Warding Bell buys you the time to get the first chunk, and Multibinder makes that first chunk count. It's a solid one-two punch for players who like to play defensively. If you're the kind of player who blocks first and asks questions later, this combo is right up your alley.

The 880-Rosary Question ?

Now for the elephant in the room: the price. Multibinder costs 880 Rosaries from the Bellhart vendor.

Farming 800+ Rosaries in the early game is possible, but it requires a significant time investment. If you're not immediately planning to use Multibinder in your build, it's hard to justify spending that much. I've seen players blow their entire savings on it and then realize they prefer a more aggressive playstyle. That's a kick in the teeth. You don't want to drop nearly a thousand Rosaries on a Tool that sits in your inventory collecting dust.

Since better farming locations open up as you progress through Silksong, it makes sense to wait until at least Act 2 to purchase the Multibinder. The Bellhart vendor will keep all of their stock up for sale throughout a playthrough, so there's no rush. You won't miss out by waiting. In 2026, with more guides and community testing available, the consensus is still that this is a situational pickup, not a must-buy. Take that with a grain of salt if you're a diehard defensive player, but for most folks, patience pays off.

Should You Buy the Multibinder? ?

If you're a defensive player who loves outlasting bosses and you already have Warding Bell, then yes, Multibinder can be worth the 880 Rosaries. It gives you a 4-mask heal, a safer interruption outcome, and a strong synergy with Warding Bell. For certain boss encounters, that extra cushion is no joke. It can turn a chaotic fight into a war of attrition that you actually win.

But if you're a rushdown player who rarely blocks and prefers dodging to healing, skip it. The longer animation will get you killed more often than it saves you. And if you're early in the game and strapped for Rosaries, wait until Act 2. There's no shame in putting it on the back burner.

Final verdict: Multibinder is a niche Tool with a high price tag. It's not a trap, but it's not a golden ticket either. For the right build, it's a lifesaver. For everyone else, it's a shiny blue Tool that can sit in the vendor's inventory until you're ready. And in Silksong, being patient is often the best upgrade of all.

The same patience that pays off when saving Rosaries for Multibinder applies to real-world gaming purchases, too. Whether you're waiting for a sale on Silksong itself or hunting for a deal on a new controller, timing is everything.

That's where this price tracking tool comes in. DealNest monitors prices across popular retailers so you can see when that game or accessory you've been eyeing finally drops to a price you're happy with. No more guessing whether a discount is worth it—just set your target and let it do the watching.

The video game industry has spent decades chasing photorealism, but indie developers keep casually proving that a hand-drawn line can be more expressive than a million polygons. In 2026, the conversation is still dominated by Hollow Knight: Silksong, which arrived after years of Team Cherry cooking and immediately became one of 2025's best-reviewed games. Cuphead, meanwhile, remains the gold standard for cartoon chaos. These titles are not alone. A whole gallery of hand-drawn 2D games exists for players who want animation that moves like art and art that moves like animation.

The 2D Renaissance Is Not a Nostalgia Trip

There was a time when 2D animation was treated like a phase that gaming had to grow out of, like a child finally putting away crayons. Then indie studios started showing up with crayons and drawing circles around big-budget developers. Hollow Knight: Silksong and Cuphead are the loudest success stories, but they are not the only ones. The best hand-drawn 2D games combine old-school animation techniques with modern design, creating worlds that feel alive in a way that 3D sometimes cannot match.

Game
Style
Why It Belongs in the Gallery

Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hand-drawn Metroidvania
Colors pop, outlines leap from backgrounds

Cuphead
1930s cartoon run-and-gun
Boss-focused brutality with silky animation

Ori and the Blind Forest
Emotional Metroidvania
Gorgeous, haunting, tears optional but likely

Indivisible
Metroidvania + turn-based RPG
Combos, allies, face-button fighting

Disney Illusion Island
Co-op Metroidvania
Friendly platforming with Disney pals

Sundered
Roguevania
Fluid ink-like combat and exploration

Greak: Memories of Azur
Sibling puzzle adventure
Three heroes, one satisfying journey

The Cruel King and the Great Hero
Crayon-style RPG
Rough, polished, and delightfully odd

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Team Cherry took its sweet time, and fans were treated to perfection in terms of graphical quality and gameplay. The animation was great in the first game, but the sequel's colors really pop. Character outlines jump out of the environments like they exist on old-school artist animation cels. Hollow Knight: Silksong is a challenging Metroidvania experience that is as fun to play as it is to stop and look at. In 2026, it remains a benchmark for what a small team can achieve when it refuses to rush.

Cuphead

When Cuphead was unveiled in 2013 with a teaser trailer, it did not look real. The more Studio MDHR showed, the more unreal it got. How could that be a video game? After years of waiting, fans finally got their answer. It played like a dream, or more like a nightmare, because this boss-focused game was brutal. The animations were as smooth as possible, which was essential because the game demanded precise timing or else players were dead. There is still nothing quite like Cuphead out there, although many upcoming challengers want the throne.

Ori and the Blind Forest

Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the saddest and most haunting games players can embark on alone. That said, it is also beautiful emotionally and aesthetically, thanks to the art, which looks great in motion. While things start in a dark and dreary setting, eventually the little creature, Ori, explores miraculous locations like ponds so clean that players want to drink from them. It is another challenging Metroidvania, so players must stay vigilant to avoid hazards and enemies.

Indivisible

Indivisible is a wild combination of Metroidvania-style exploration and turn-based RPGs. As the protagonist, Ajna, players explore lush 2D environments and gain allies through mind manipulation. In battle, Ajna can summon ethereal heroes to fight alongside her, and each character corresponds to a face button. Players can create combos akin to a fighting game, which makes sense given that the developer, Lab Zero Games, also made a hand-drawn fighting game called Skullgirls, which is worth a look too.

Disney Illusion Island

Disney Illusion Island is a great Metroidvania to start with for anyone not accustomed to the genre, plus it has co-op. While there are enemies, players cannot engage them and instead have to focus on platforming around, except for boss fights. Even though there are hazards, it is still not that tough of an adventure, which makes sense since it is a Disney game. Mickey, Donald, Minnie, and Goofy all play the same, but they get different-looking abilities. For example, Mickey's wall-climbing ability is a pencil, while Donald gets a plunger.

Sundered

Sundered's animations are some of the most fluid of the games on this list, between combat and exploring. It is almost like the heroine, Eshe, and her enemies are evolving ink-based entities that change with the player's input. It is considered a Roguevania, a style of game that combines elements of roguelikes, as the world changes between runs, and Metroidvanias, as there is a giant interconnected world to explore. Play it alone or with friends to see how jaw-dropping this game is in action.

Greak: Memories of Azur

Greak: Memories of Azur may not be a game many are familiar with, but hopefully that changes soon. This wonderfully rendered world stars three siblings who each have their own unique powers and abilities. After a short opening wherein all three have to be unlocked, players can then freely switch between them to fight enemies or solve puzzles. Players will cut skeletons with swords, swing on ropes to jump across gaps, turn wheels to open doors for their fellow siblings, and more in this short but satisfying adventure.

The Cruel King and the Great Hero

The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a bit of an underrated gem from NIS, a studio that most gamers probably know from the Disgaea series. This little RPG stars a young girl, Yuu, who goes on an adventure to help her dragon friend. It is a turn-based RPG wherein Yuu will fight monsters and gain allies to aid her in battle. The art aesthetic has a rough crayon-like design to it, which makes it look unfinished in the most polished way possible. It is hard to explain until players pick it up and start playing for themselves. It is not quite as quirky as EarthBound, but it is around that same oddball style of RPG.

Why It Still Matters in 2026

In 2026, 3D games still hog the spotlight, but hand-drawn 2D games keep stealing the show. They are not just pretty. They are precise, expressive, and often brutally difficult. For fans of animation who want to feast their eyes on something extraordinary, these games harken back to the good old days of 2D animation while pushing the craft forward. The only downside? Once someone sees Silksong's colors or Cuphead's rubbery bosses, ordinary polygons may start looking like they need a nap. ?

If reading about these hand-drawn adventures has you ready to add a few to your library, the tricky part is often timing the purchase. Between limited-run physical editions, indie bundles, and sales that vanish as quickly as a well-timed dash, keeping tabs on every price drop can feel like its own side quest. That’s where DealNest can help, making it easier to spot worthwhile offers without scrolling through endless store pages.

Whether you’re chasing a specific Metroidvania or simply want to explore more beautifully animated games without overspending, a little deal-hunting can stretch your gaming budget further. It’s a practical companion for anyone who loves this corner of the medium and wants to spend less time refreshing storefronts and more time playing.

I still remember the first time I saw a Simple Lock in Hollow Knight: Silksong. It was a smug little door in the Deep Docks, and I had no key. I had Rosaries, a needle, and a bad attitude, but none of that mattered. What good is a key if you forget where the lock is? And what good is a lock if you never find the key? As of 2026, Pharloom has not gotten any kinder, so I am writing down every Simple Key location and every Simple Lock use I have found, so you do not have to backtrack through a thousand crawling tunnels like I did.

Simple Keys are single-use, which is why I treat each one like a precious secret. There are only four in the game, and each one opens a specific door. If you waste one, you will feel it. So let us walk through the keys first, then the locks.

The Four Simple Keys of Pharloom

Key #
Location
Cost or Requirement
What to Remember

1
Bone Bottom
500 Rosaries
Buy from Pebb the merchant

2
Sinner's Road
Double jump or clawline
Top northeastern corner, survive the ambush

3
Sands of Karak
Quick traversal before the path vanishes
Far east bench, body of a dead bug

4
The Wandering Merchant quest
650 Rosaries
Find Jubilana, then unlock her at First Shrine

1. Bone Bottom: Pebb's Price

The first key is the easiest to understand and the hardest to afford early on. I walked up to Pebb the merchant in Bone Bottom, and he wanted 500 Rosaries. That felt like a fortune when I was still learning how to survive. I farmed, completed wishes, and scraped together the cost. If you are short, do not rush into every locked door you see. Trust me, the key is not going anywhere.

2. Sinner's Road: The Top-Floor Ambush

Sinner's Road taught me that vertical exploration is its own kind of horror. The second Simple Key sits in the top northeastern corner. You need the double jump or the clawline to cling to walls and climb to the top. Hit the lever to access the top floor, and then get ready. Hornet is ambushed by a big enemy. I died twice before I learned its rhythm, but defeating it rewards the key. Who would have thought a simple climb could turn into a boss fight?

3. Sands of Karak: A Dead Bug's Gift

The third key is a test of speed and nerve. In the Sands of Karak, I had to hit a branch and move quickly before the path disappeared. Once I was far east, I kept going in the same direction until I reached a bench with a body on it. I grabbed the Simple Key from the dead bug. It is grim, but in Pharloom, grim is just another word for Tuesday.

4. The Wandering Merchant: Jubilana's Final Key

The last key comes from The Wandering Merchant quest. I found Jubilana, then returned to the First Shrine to unlock her as a merchant. After collecting 650 Rosaries, I bought the Simple Key. It is expensive, but by this point you should have a decent Rosary route. If you do not, hunt down wishes and sell what you can spare.

Where to Use Every Simple Lock

Now for the part that actually matters. A key without a lock is just a shiny regret. Here is where I used each one.

Deep Docks: The Bellway Door

From the Deep Docks Bellway, head right to the lower door. Attack the lever to go down deeper and enter the path below the Forge Daughter. At the end, there is a locked door that reveals a huge part of the Deep Docks. You can access this area later from Far Fields after acquiring certain abilities, but using the Simple Key here gives you a head start with exploration. I chose the early route, and it paid off.

Sinner's Road: The Green Prince's Cage

In the vertical room right next to the bench where Shakra is singing in Sinner's Road, I found the Green Prince imprisoned in a cage. Climb a few cages, then glide down the left to access the Simple Lock. The NPC asks Hornet not to free him, but you have to do it to trigger his quest. Sometimes being a hero means ignoring good advice.

Wormways: The Alchemist's Assistant and Sharpdart

Upon accessing Wormways, keep going left while avoiding the falling worms until a door eventually appears. This opens more parts of the area, lets you complete the Alchemist’s Assistant quest, and unlocks the Sharpdart skill. That skill is hidden behind a Needolin door that can only be reached by using the clawline and double jump abilities.



Sharpdart is worth the trouble. It changes how you move and fight, and it makes some later platforming sections far less cruel.

High Halls: Rosary Cannon and Pale Rosary Necklace

The door in High Halls is easily accessed from the station location. Unlock the door and head inside to find an obstacle blocking the path leading up. Destroy and navigate the tunnels while avoiding the deadly wheels until you reach the end. There are two paths available. Head down first to get the Rosary Cannon, then go up to collect a lot of Rosaries and open a chest containing the Pale Rosary Necklace. I went up first once, and I regretted it. Learn from my mistake.

Final Thoughts

Simple Keys are not just items. They are choices. Each one forces you to decide which part of Pharloom you want to open early, and which part can wait. In 2026, with more players than ever crawling through Silksong, I still see the same question: where do I use this key? My answer is simple. Use it where it hurts least to wait, and where it helps most to explore now. For me, that meant Deep Docks first, then the Green Prince, then Wormways, and finally High Halls. Your path may differ, but at least now you know where every key hides. Good luck out there, and do not waste your Rosaries on regret.

If hunting down four Simple Keys taught you anything, it's that patience and a bit of planning stretch your resources further than impulse ever will. The same logic applies to building your library. Most of us have a wishlist full of games we'd happily play right now but not at full price, and waiting for the right moment to buy is its own kind of sequence break — you skip the sting and still get where you wanted to go. That's exactly the problem cheapest steam keys was built to solve, gathering discounted keys from reputable sellers into one place so you're not tab-hopping between storefronts comparing numbers.

DealNest keeps that comparison quick: browse current listings, check the price against what you'd pay on Steam directly, and buy only when the discount actually justifies it. It won't tell you which metroidvania to play next, but it can make the backlog cheaper to build while you wait for the next patch, DLC, or sale. Think of it as one more lock worth opening early — the only difference is that this one saves you money instead of Rosaries.

It is 2026, and I have a confession: I am not a speedrunner. I am a normal player. I put my trousers on one leg at a time, I panic when a boss does a new move, and I have spent more time in Hollow Knight: Silksong's Greymoor than I care to admit. While I was busy being bullied by wave after wave of annoying birds, other people were beating the entire game in less time than it takes me to make a cup of tea and forget where I put it. What is wrong with me? Apparently, nothing. The consensus is that Silksong is pretty darn good. The only hang-up is that it is a little difficult. A little. Sure. And the sun is a little warm.

Back in September 2025, one week after its internet-breaking release, the speedrunning scene had already gone feral. The first person to post a sub-two-hour run was Onaku, with a time of 1:46. Then, hours later, they improved it to 1:19. Rival speedrunner BlueSR showed up and beat that with a 1:26, then kept plugging away until they shaved more minutes off and finished Silksong in 1:17. A new world record. And then? That record reportedly lasted just 11 minutes. Eleven minutes! I cannot even decide which bench to sit on in eleven minutes. By the time I typed this sentence, someone had probably already beaten the game while blindfolded, using a dance mat, and holding a conversation about gardening.

Let me put the early chaos into a table, because tables make my inadequacy feel organized.

Runner
Time
What I was doing

Onaku
1:46
Dying to birds

Onaku
1:19
Dying to different birds

BlueSR
1:26
Staring at a map

BlueSR
1:17
Still dying to birds



Speedruns are only going to get faster, too. Team Cherry confirmed that Silksong's first big update would make early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter easier to beat. Just imagine how quickly people will finish the game once those changes are applied. Actually, do not imagine it. I am already intimidated enough. If Moorwing becomes less of a wall, the wall becomes a door, and speedrunners are going to kick that door down and sprint through Pharloom like they forgot to turn off the oven.

It is possible people have beaten Silksong even faster, and we will not know for sure just how quickly people are racing through Pharloom for another few weeks. The speedrun leaderboards for the Hollow Knight sequel opened on September 30, 2025. At that point, players could submit their runs and see how they stack up against some of Silksong's other speedrunners. Now that we are in 2026, those leaderboards are probably a graveyard of my self-esteem. The records from that first week are cute little history exhibits. The current times? I do not want to know. But I also absolutely want to know.

How do we gauge how far people can go? Look at the original Hollow Knight. Its record runs are almost down to just 30 minutes. According to HowLongToBeat, the first game takes, on average, five hours longer to finish than Silksong. Five hours! That is a whole workday of bug-related suffering. Maybe, by the time people are done, we could see players speeding through the sequel in less than half an hour. Maybe someone will beat it during a lunch break. Maybe someone already has. Maybe the true final boss is the leaderboard itself.

I am no speedrunner. If you are firmly in the camp of people who are enjoying Silksong but struggling with its difficulty, I am right there with you. I mentioned in the headline that Onaku beat the game in less time than it takes me to beat some of its boss fights, and that is kind of true. I am currently stuck on the bit in Greymoor where you have to beat wave after wave of annoying birds before you can progress. I am fairly certain I have been stuck there for at least two hours. Two hours. That is longer than some people needed to finish the entire game. I have not finished one screen. I have not even finished one bird. The birds are winning. The birds have always been winning.

So what is taking me so long? I would like to blame the game. I would like to blame the birds. I would like to blame the fact that I keep pressing the wrong button because I am too busy admiring the art. But the truth is simpler: speedrunners are built different. They see a boss and think, ah, a minor inconvenience. I see a boss and think, ah, a new reason to lie down. They memorize frames. I memorize the sound of my own defeat. They optimize routes. I optimize excuses.

Still, there is hope. Silksong is a great game, even when it is kicking my teeth in. The difficulty is part of the charm, or at least that is what I tell myself while a bird the size of a small horse dive-bombs me for the fourteenth time. If you need me, I will be in Greymoor, practicing the ancient art of not learning from my mistakes. The speedrunners can have their 1:17. I will have my two-hour bird marathon. We are both beating the game, just at very different definitions of beating.

And hey, maybe one day I will submit my run to the leaderboard. I will call it the comedy category. The judges will laugh. The birds will laugh. I will cry. It will be beautiful. ??

There is one small barrier between watching a 1:17 run and attempting your own: you actually have to own the game. If the birds of Greymoor have convinced you to take a breather and finally work through the rest of your backlog, or if you are eyeing a second copy for a friend who keeps insisting they could do better, it helps to know where the prices are lowest. DealNest is the kind of place worth bookmarking for that — it tracks down cheapest steam keys across a huge range of titles, so the money you save can go toward the emotional support snacks you will need for Pharloom.

Speedrunning is expensive in a different way: it costs time, sleep, and possibly a little sanity. Nobody is asking you to route-optimize your afternoon, but there is no reason to overpay for the privilege of getting dive-bombed by a horse-sized bird. Grab the game at a price that hurts less than the boss fights, settle in, and let the leaderboard stay a hypothetical for now.

Ever shown up to a party only to realize you're wearing the same outfit as the host, but the host is a literal rockstar and everyone is screaming their name? That's basically Hell is Us in 2025. I played it, I loved it, and then I watched Hollow Knight: Silksong drop on the exact same day and absolutely obliterate the internet. Now it's 2026, and I'm still here, nursing a grudge and a save file. ?

Hell is Us is Rogue Factor's greatest creative leap so far. It's a grimdark, semi-open-world action game that refuses to hold your hand. No map markers? Check. No quest arrows? Check. Just you, a weird drone, and a world that wants you dead. It's the kind of game that makes you feel smart when you figure something out, and then immediately stupid when you walk into an ambush. But that's the charm. It rejects traditional open-world design with passion and panache, as the reference article says. And I agree. It's respectable and fascinating.

But here's the thing: 2025 was an absurdly packed year. Every month felt like a new blockbuster. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2? Great, but forgotten. Death Stranding 2? Wild. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? A masterpiece. And then there's Hell is Us, a brand-new IP with no established fanbase, launching into a hurricane. I'm not saying it's a tragedy, but it's definitely a 'what if' scenario.



Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room: Horizon. Remember Horizon Zero Dawn? Gorgeous game, new IP, launched five days before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Five days! And then Horizon Forbidden West launched a week before Elden Ring. A week! Talk about bad timing. Here's a handy table:

Game
Release Date
Competitor
Competitor's Release Date

Horizon Zero Dawn
Feb 28, 2017
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Mar 3, 2017

Horizon Forbidden West
Feb 18, 2022
Elden Ring
Feb 25, 2022

Hell is Us
Sep 4, 2025
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Sep 4, 2025

Notice a pattern? Hell is Us didn't just compete with Silksong; it shared the same birthday. And Silksong wasn't just popular—it literally broke Steam. I tried to buy it on launch day and got stuck in a queue longer than my morning commute. Meanwhile, Hell is Us was sitting there, looking cool, but nobody had time.



The real kicker? Hell is Us and Silksong appeal to the same demographic. We're talking grimdark, semi-open-world, no hand-holding, 'figure it out yourself' energy. If you love Silksong's obtuse Metroidvania structure and labyrinthine world design, you're probably the target audience for Hell is Us. But if you bounce off Silksong, you're not going to suddenly love Hell is Us. So there's no 'well, I'll just play the other one' escape hatch. It's a direct collision.



So where does that leave us in 2026? Hell is Us is a good game. Not a masterpiece, but an 8/10 that tries something different. It's not perfect—I could complain about the combat for hours—but it's memorable. And the Horizon games eventually found a strong foothold despite their stiff competition. Maybe Hell is Us can do the same. Maybe in a year or two, people will discover it on sale, or through word of mouth, and realize they missed out.

Or maybe it'll just be that game that got crushed by Silksong. Either way, I'm glad I played it. And hey, if you're one of the few who skipped Silksong (are you okay?), give Hell is Us a shot. It's weird, it's frustrating, and it's got a drone that beeps at you. What more do you want? ?

If you're planning to circle back to a game like this months later, timing the purchase can be almost as tricky as the game itself. Prices bounce between storefronts, regional discounts pop up without warning, and a good sale can disappear in a day.

That's the gap DealNest fills. Rather than manually checking every launcher and key seller, you can use this price tracking tool to monitor price history, set alerts, and grab a deal when it finally lines up with your backlog. It won't make the release calendar any less crowded, but it can make catching up a lot cheaper.