Hollow Knight helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Working Memory: Recalling and retaining information in our minds while working. 

The world of Hollownest is sprawling and vast, meaning that the player needs to be able to recall where they are going and where they have been. For example, if you find the cartographer who can sell you a map but don’t have enough Geo to pay him you will need to venture back out into the village and collect more in order to be able to pay for it. Once you go back out to collect the Geo, however, you will need to remember where the cartographer was in the first place so you can work your way back to where he is and purchase your map. 

Also, the player needs to use their working memory to recall which buttons perform which functions in the game. When you are battling an angry beetle with a giant sword, you don’t have time to think about what button helps you jump out of the way and which one controls your wall climbing ability. Players need to be able to seamlessly operate the controls while navigating traps, fighting enemies, and avoiding pitfalls. 

Self-Control: Managing our actions, feelings and behaviors.

Because there are few save points in Hollow Knight and when you die you must recover all of your Geo, the game can seem very hard and frustrating. Players need to tap into their self-control reserves and not become too frustrated or discouraged while they are working through the game. Also, players can practice self-control by realizing when they are too frustrated to play effectively and acknowledge that they need to take a break from playing and do another activity for a while.