When I started a fresh run of Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2026, I made a promise to myself: no locked Simple Door would remain closed. Simple Keys are rare items that open Simple Doors, allowing Hornet to access new areas, hidden treasure caches, quest objectives, and shortcuts. In my first playthrough, I underestimated them because the game never flashes a trophy for opening all doors. But after countless long treks back to bosses, I changed my mind.
The main challenge is that Simple Keys are not grouped in one convenient spot. Two are sold by NPC vendors who demand huge Rosary payments, while the other two are objects you pick up somewhere on the map. One of those pickups is tied to a quest, and another only appears after you beat one of Silksong's deadly bosses and unlock a bench. This distribution makes them easy to miss, especially when the map is still mostly unexplored. Why do I call them rare? Because on a blind run, you might complete several hours without ever seeing one.
How I Found the Four Simple Keys
The most important rule I learned is that no Simple Key is tied to a specific Simple Door. Any Key can open any Door, so you don't need to stress about matching them.
Here is how the four Keys are distributed:
| Key Source | Number | My Experience |
|---|---|---|
| NPC vendors | 2 | Both asked for a large number of Rosaries; I had to delay buying one until I'd farmed enough in the mid-game. |
| World pickups | 2 | One was hidden in a route I only found after using Hornet's movement abilities; the other came from a quest chain and a boss bench. |
In practice, the vendor Keys forced me to choose between spending Rosaries on permanent upgrades or opening a shortcut. The scattered Keys were less about money and more about observation. I started marking every suspicious corner on my map, and that habit made backtracking far less painful.
The quest-related Key took the longest. It was not a simple matter of walking to a point on the map. I had to complete a chain of objectives first, which meant more combat, more exploration, and more patience. The boss-related Key felt rewarding immediately because it unlocked next to a bench. After that fight, I could finally rest, recover, and grab the loot in the same moment.
Simple Doors: Where Keys Actually Get Used
Having a pocket full of Simple Keys means nothing if I couldn't remember where the Simple Doors were. There are four disconnected locations across the map, and unless you mark them as soon as you find them, you'll waste time wandering back. I learned that the hard way when I passed an early Door, forgot its exact position, and then had to retrace my steps for nearly twenty minutes.
Not every Door can be reached from the start. Some require special abilities like Hornet's Double Jump or Dash, and until you progress far enough, they remain inaccessible even if you already have a spare Simple Key. This is where the game rewards thorough exploration. I would often spot a Door from a ledge and make a mental note: "Come back once Dash is ready."
The following table summarizes how I handled the Doors:
| Door Challenge | My Approach |
|---|---|
| Door blocked by movement ability | I waited until I had Double Jump or Dash before returning. |
| Door in an obscure corner | I placed a map marker immediately so I didn't lose it. |
| Door near a dangerous route | I opened it only after clearing nearby enemies to avoid repeated deaths. |
Opening these Doors can lead to shortcuts, new areas, or even important quests tied to hidden parts of Silksong's story. Given how brutal some boss run-backs can be, extra paths are incredibly helpful. Instead of repeating a long deadly corridor, I could take a shorter route and arrive with more health and more focus.
Is It Worth Finding Every Key and Door?
Absolutely. There may be no achievements or trophies tied to opening every Simple Door, but the quality-of-life improvement is huge. Once I found every Simple Key and opened the Doors I had marked, navigation became much less stressful. I could focus on other goals instead of dreading every trip across the map.
So, should you chase down all four Simple Keys? If you value shortcuts, hidden treasures, and a less frustrating route through Pharloom, the answer is yes. Just keep your map markers organized, farm Rosaries when you can, and be ready to return to locked Doors once Hornet learns a few essential movement skills.
That same mindset of hunting down every hidden key and maximizing every reward is exactly what I bring to building my game library. If you are the kind of player who enjoys squeezing every bit of value out of an experience, you likely already know that patience pays off both in Pharloom and at the checkout screen. Why pay full price when a little research can unlock savings just like a Simple Key unlocks a shortcut? For those who want to stretch their gaming budget further, it is worth checking out where to buy cheap games before committing to your next purchase.
DealNest rounds up solid deals across platforms, helping you compare prices the same way you might compare routes between two Door locations. A few minutes of browsing can save you enough to fund your next Steam purchase or that indie gem you have been eyeing. After all, the smartest explorers in Hallownest and Pharloom never walk into a shop without knowing exactly what they should be paying.
