The Cogwork Core in Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of Pharloom’s most intricate mechanical zones, located deep beneath the Citadel. It’s a maze of rotating gears, swinging saws, and precise platforming challenges that push your mastery of Hornet’s movement tools to the limit. This walkthrough will take you step-by-step through the entire area — from collecting the Cogwork Core Map to completing the Architect’s Melody, one of the three pieces of the Threefold Melody needed for Act 2’s finale.
Before You Begin
You’ll need a few upgrades before tackling the Cogwork Core efficiently:
- Clawline – obtained in The Underworks; essential for swinging across gear-powered gaps.
- Faydown Cloak – found in Mount Fay; helps with long aerial sections.
- Needolin – required to play melodies once unlocked.
Having these tools makes the Core’s platforming and boss-like gauntlets much smoother.
Entering the Cogwork Core
Start from the Choral Chambers’ Ventrica Station (First Shrine). After defeating the Cogwork Dancers, drop through the opened trapdoors beneath their arena. You’ll officially enter the Cogwork Core as the metallic music shifts tone and the humming of gears fills the air.
Step 1: Collect the Cogwork Core Map
Move left from the entry point and step into the glowing building ahead. Strike the hanging gear several times until a Bench rises from the floor — this will serve as your main checkpoint for the area.
Above the bench, stand on a small podium and press the pressure plate to claim the Cogwork Core Map.
This map will reveal the main vertical shaft at the heart of the Core — your guide for everything that follows.
Step 2: Complete the Western Gauntlet for a Mask Shard
Exit the map room and carefully descend the shaft, where nearly every surface bristles with sawblades. Use the Drifter’s Cloak or careful Clawline timing to hover between hazards.
Drop left into a smaller chamber patrolled by Cogwork Choirbugs and Spines. After clearing them out, you’ll trigger a multi-wave enemy gauntlet.
Each wave rearranges the floor plates, forcing quick dashes and pogo strikes to stay above the deadly gears. Once victorious, follow the left exit to discover a Mask Shard on an upper ledge. Grab it, then press the lever beside it to open a shortcut back to the Choral Chambers.
Step 3: Find the Spool Fragment (Southeast)
Return to the central shaft and continue descending. Hug the left wall, then float down between the moving saws until you spot an opening in the lower-right corner.
Inside, climb upward and spin the gear-lever in the top-right. Doing so opens a nearby gate but also releases a miniboss — the Cogwork Clapper.
Mini-Boss: Cogwork Clapper
This enemy ricochets around the room while launching small explosive bells. Use the vertical corridor as partial cover, weaving in between its jumps. Dash in for hits when it pauses between bounces.
Once the Clapper is down, pass through the gate, drop through the hole, and navigate past steam vents and Drapemites to reach a side room containing a Spool Fragment. Pull the lever on the left to unlock a quick exit back toward the main shaft.
Step 4: Unlock the Central Gate
From the lower shaft, climb the right-hand side. You’ll need to pogo off spinning saws to gain height and reach upper walls. At the top of this sequence, strike another ceiling-mounted gear repeatedly — this opens the central gate, linking both sides of the Core for easier traversal.
Step 5: Ascend to the Upper Cogwork Core
Keep climbing past the opened gate, ignoring the right-side doorway for now. Higher up, you’ll find another gate lever that connects back to the initial Bench room. Rest if needed, then proceed through the newly opened white-lit doorway to enter the upper half of the Cogwork Core.
In this section, you’ll discover a large Clawline platforming puzzle. Hooks slide along tracks, requiring you to jump off mid-movement to avoid saws and then re-attach in mid-air. It’s a rhythm-based challenge — time your swings patiently rather than rushing.
Halfway through, defeat a Cogwork Cleanser and Cogwork Defender, then hit the lever above them to open the next gate upward. Continue climbing until you exit through the top-left hole, marking your arrival at the Core’s peak.
Step 6: Solve the Architect’s Melody Puzzle
At the summit lies a grand chamber with four tall music pillars, each divided into four rotating sections. The goal is to align all musical notations on each pillar so the pattern flows seamlessly top-to-bottom.
How to Solve It
Strike the levers beside each pillar to rotate its sections. You’ll know one is correct when it sinks into the floor. Align all four pillars this way.
Tip: Adjust the spotlight below if the notes are hard to see — hitting it moves the light for a clearer view.
When all pillars descend, a circular platform emerges. Step onto it and use your Needolin to perform the Architect’s Melody — one of the three Threefold Melodies needed to unlock the path to The Cradle later in the game.
Step 7: Exit Toward the Whispering Vaults
With the melody complete, descend back toward the Bench. On the right-hand side of the main shaft is a ledge you likely passed earlier — this now leads directly into a new arena challenge.
Defeat the wave of mechanical foes, including the agile Vaultkeeper, and you’ll break through into a new region: the Whispering Vaults.
Silksong Cogwork Core Rewards
| Objective | Reward |
|---|---|
| Western Gauntlet | Mask Shard |
| Southeastern Room | Spool Fragment |
| Top of the Core | Architect’s Melody |
| Final Gauntlet | Access to Whispering Vaults |
Completing the Cogwork Core not only advances the main quest but also grants powerful upgrades and shortcuts connecting multiple Citadel regions.
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Quick Tips for Silksong Cogwork Core
- Use Pogo Strikes Freely: Most gears can be pogoed to maintain aerial control and avoid hazards.
- Heal During Pauses: Rooms often have calm spots between moving traps — plan Silk heals there.
- Leverage Thread Storm: Against crowded Cogwork waves, Thread Storm can clear multiple flying enemies.
- Practice Clawline Timing: The upper platforming section is built around precise detach-reattach swings — patience pays off.
The Cogwork Core is a showcase of Silksong’s mechanical artistry — part puzzle, part endurance test. Master its shifting machinery, and you’ll earn the Architect’s Melody, unlocking the next phase of Hornet’s journey through Pharloom’s steel-bound heart. Next stop: the Whispering Vaults and its haunting secrets. Play Now!
