Hollow Knight
store.steampowered.com
Hand-drawn Metroidvania about a nameless knight exploring the fallen insect kingdom of Hallownest.
15M+ copies sold
WP
William Pellen
Co-founder of Team Cherry and co-director of Hollow Knight and Silksong
William Pellen at a glance
- Known for
- Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Based in
- Adelaide, Australia
- Indie since
- 2013
- Active products
- Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong
Facts checked 2026-10-22
About William Pellen
William Pellen is an Australian game designer from Adelaide who co-founded Team Cherry with artist Ari Gibson. A former web designer, he co-directed Hollow Knight and its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Pellen and Gibson built a jam game called Hungry Knight at Ludum Dare in 2013, then reworked the idea into Hollow Knight: an underground insect kingdom inspired by Metroid, Zelda II and Mega Man X, with movement tuned so that every hit feels avoidable. A 2014 Kickstarter raised over A$57,000, and the 2017 release became one of the defining indie games of its era, selling more than 15 million copies.
Silksong began as a Kickstarter stretch goal for a playable Hornet and grew into a full sequel. After a long, quiet development by a core team of three, it released on 4 September 2025 and sold more than seven million copies by December 2025.
Products by William Pellen
Hollow Knight: Silksong
store.steampowered.com
Sequel starring Hornet, set in the new kingdom of Pharloom.
7M+ copies sold
Timeline
- 2013 — Made Hungry Knight at the Ludum Dare game jam, the seed of Hollow Knight.
- 2014 — Raised over A$57,000 from 2,158 backers on Kickstarter.
- 2017 — Released Hollow Knight, followed by four free expansions.
- 2019 — Announced Hollow Knight: Silksong as a standalone sequel.
- 2025 — Released Silksong on 4 September; it sold 7M+ copies by December.
How William builds
- Keep the team tiny and take the time the game needs.
- Let players get lost and find their own way.
- Design combat so every hit feels avoidable.
William Pellen FAQ
Who is William Pellen?
William Pellen is an Australian game designer from Adelaide who co-founded Team Cherry with artist Ari Gibson. A former web designer, he co-directed Hollow Knight and its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Who made Hollow Knight: Silksong?
Silksong was made by Team Cherry: co-directors William Pellen and Ari Gibson, plus technical director Jasmine Vine. It released on 4 September 2025.
How many copies has Silksong sold?
Hollow Knight: Silksong sold more than seven million copies by December 2025; the original Hollow Knight has sold over 15 million.
Where is William Pellen from?
William Pellen is Australian and Team Cherry is based in Adelaide, South Australia.
How was Hollow Knight funded?
Through a 2014 Kickstarter that raised over A$57,000 from 2,158 backers against a A$35,000 goal.
What is William Pellen doing now?
As of 2026 he is working on Silksong's free post-launch expansions at Team Cherry.
How long has William Pellen been an indie maker?
William Pellen has been building independently since 2013, about 13 years.
Similar indie makers
Adam Lyttle
@adamlyttleapps Australia59K followers
Australian indie dev running a portfolio of 30+ simple iOS apps
Card Value Scanner for Pokemon, Swipe the cat, PIANORUN +3$70K/mo
Tyler (TVGS)
@Tyler_TVGS Australia119K followers
Australian solo developer who made the 2025 breakout hit Schedule I
Schedule I
AG
Ari Gibson
Australia
Co-founder of Team Cherry and artist/co-director of Hollow Knight and Silksong
Hollow Knight, Hollow Knight: Silksong
Derek Yu
@mossmouth United States59K followers
Indie game designer behind Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50, founder of Mossmouth
Spelunky, Spelunky 2, UFO 50 +3
Jonathan Blow
@Jonathan_Blow United States161K followers
Designer of Braid and The Witness, creator of the Jai language, head of Thekla
Braid, The Witness, Order of the Sinking Star +2
Robert Topala
@RobTopGames Sweden2.5M followers
Swedish solo developer behind Geometry Dash and RobTop Games
Geometry Dash, Geometry Dash Lite, Geometry Dash World +2