Silksong area order
Pharloom is open enough to get lost in. This is the route that keeps you moving: the required areas in order for each act, what you need from each one, and the detours worth taking when you are ready.
Act 1: Outer Pharloom
Act 1 is about ringing five Bellshrines to open the Grand Gate. Movement upgrades gate the order: Silkspear, Swift Step, Drifter's Cloak, Needolin, then Cling Grip.
- 1 Moss Grotto
Tutorial. Take Silkspear from the Weaver statue and beat Moss Mother in the Ruined Chapel.
- 2 Bone Bottom
First hub. Open the Wishwall, meet Pebb and rest at the bench.
- 3 The Marrow
Find Shakra by following her singing. Buy the Mosslands Map, Marrow Map, Quill and Compass. Subdue the Bell Beast to open the Bellway network. Ring the Bellshrine.
- 4 Deep Docks
Get Swift Step (dash). Fight Lace. Ring the Bellshrine.
- 5 Far Fields
Get the Drifter's Cloak from the Seamstress. Beat Fourth Chorus.
- 6 Greymoor
Beat Moorwing. Ring the Bellshrine. Halfway Home bench.
- 7 Bellhart
Beat Widow to get the Needolin and restore the town. Ring the Bellshrine.
- 8 Shellwood
Get Cling Grip (wall jump). Beat Sister Splinter. Ring the fifth Bellshrine.
- 9 Blasted Steps
Cross to the Grand Gate. With five Bellshrines rung the gate opens. Beat the Last Judge to start Act 2.
Optional in this act
- Hunter's March: Beast Crest and Savage Beastfly.
- Wormways: Sharpdart tool and a shortcut between Bone Bottom and Shellwood.
- Weavenest Atla: Meet Eva, take the Weavelight.
- Sinner's Road: Back-door route to the Citadel through The Mist and Bilewater, skipping the Last Judge.
Act 2: The Citadel
Act 2 takes place inside the Citadel. The goal is the Threefold Melody: three melodies from three wings, unlocked by Clawline and the Faydown Cloak.
- 1 Grand Gate
The lift crashes. Buy the Grand Gate Map at the map machine.
- 2 Underworks
Pick up the free Underworks Map and push up into the Citadel.
- 3 Choral Chambers
Buy the map, find Songclave (the Act 2 hub) and the White Key. Beat the Cogwork Dancers to start the Threefold Melody quest.
- 4 Whiteward
Use the White Key. Silk Heart from The Unravelled. Leads to The Cauldron for Clawline.
- 5 The Slab
Climb through the prison toward Mount Fay. First Sinner is optional.
- 6 Mount Fay
Reach the summit for the Faydown Cloak (double jump). Needed for Memorium and most of the upper map.
- 7 Cogwork Core
Solve the upper puzzles for the Architect's Melody.
- 8 Whispering Vaults
Beat Trobbio, take the Sacred Cylinder and trade it to Cardinius for the Vaultkeeper's Melody. Free Quill on Trobbio's desk.
- 9 High Halls
Survive the ten-wave gauntlet for the Conductor's Melody.
- 10 The Cradle
Play the Threefold Melody at the statues, ride the lift, beat Lace and Grand Mother Silk. Act 2 ends.
Optional in this act
- Memorium: Faydown Cloak required. Map machine and Ventrica.
- Putrified Ducts: Free map, two benches, links Memorium and Bilewater.
- Bilewater: Groal the Great and the Bilewater Bellway.
Act 3: Silk and Soul
Act 3 begins with the Silk and Soul wish. Collect three Old Hearts, receive the Everbloom in Red Memory, and return to The Abyss for the true ending.
- 1 The Marrow
Accept the Silk and Soul wish, then call the Bell Beast at the Grand Bellway. Beat Bell Eater to restore fast travel.
- 2 Deep Docks
Beat Forebrothers Signis and Gron, find the Diving Bell and descend.
- 3 The Abyss
Weavenest Absolom. Get Silk Soar and escape the rising lava.
- 4 Moss Grotto
The Snail Shamans teach the Elegy of the Deep and give the Shaman Crest.
- 5 Sands of Karak
Heart of Might from Crust King Khann in the Coral Tower.
- 6 Far Fields
Heart of the Wild from Skarrsinger Karmelita.
- 7 Grand Gate
Heart of the Woods from Nyleth at the forest shrine reached through the Underworks.
- 8 Red Memory
With three Old Hearts, enter Red Memory from Moss Grotto and receive the Everbloom.
- 9 The Abyss
Return by Diving Bell and beat Lost Lace for the true ending.
Optional in this act
- Verdania: Conjoined Heart from the Clover Dancers via the Green Prince questline.
Ability gates in order
If an area feels impossible, you are probably missing the next ability rather than the right route. Silksong hands them out in this order.
- Silkspear (Moss Grotto): breaks the first barriers and frees the Bell Beast.
- Swift Step (Deep Docks): dash. Needed for most Act 1 gaps.
- Drifter's Cloak (Far Fields): glide across updrafts.
- Needolin (Bellhart): opens Weaver doors and solves The Mist.
- Cling Grip (Shellwood): wall jump. Opens Blasted Steps and the Grand Gate route.
- Clawline (The Cauldron, via Whiteward): grapple. Required in the Citadel.
- Faydown Cloak (Mount Fay): double jump. Required for Memorium and most of the upper map.
- Silk Soar (The Abyss): super jump. Act 3 only.