I have a confession: I am physically incapable of ignoring an optional area in a Metroidvania. If a suspicious passage exists, I will poke it. If a locked door judges me from across the room, I will make it my entire personality until I find the key. So when Hollow Knight: Silksong dangles the Wormways in front of you very early on, my professional gamer brain says, “Why would anyone skip it?” My responsible adult brain says, “Because you have 12 Rosaries and no plan.” Naturally, I listened to the gamer brain. 🎮

Even in 2026, the Wormways remains a wonderfully grubby little early-game detour. It is optional, it is easy to miss, and it is absolutely worth poking around if you enjoy loot, new Tools, resources, and the smug satisfaction of opening a door that other players sprint past. The catch? You need a Simple Key, and the fastest way to get one is to buy it from the vendor in Bone Bottom for 500 Rosaries. Is 500 Rosaries a lot? Early on, yes—it is the kind of price that makes you stare at your inventory and wonder whether the vendor accepts emotional damage as payment. So you farm a little. You bonk some enemies. You pretend it is character-building. Then you buy the key and pick one of two routes.

Route One: The Marrow, Mosshome, and One Poison-Spitting Problem

This is the route I recommend if you want the shortest possible explanation and the longest possible moment of panic. Head to the Bellway Station in The Marrow and go left. Once you interact with the bench in Mosshome, keep heading left until you leave the area and reach the outside. From there, jump

dealnesthq