Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world action RPG from HoYoverse set in Teyvat. You explore a large world, fight monsters with elemental powers and build a party of characters. This guide describes what the gameplay looks like as you actually play: exploring on foot, fighting with a team that you swap in real time, using elements to solve puzzles, and following the daily rhythm of Resin and commissions.
Exploration
Genshin is an open-world game, and exploring is a large part of the experience. You can climb nearly any surface, glide, swim and run, and each action uses stamina. The map is dotted with chests, puzzles, Statues of the Seven that restore stamina and unlock fast travel, and quests. Mondstadt is the first region, and others unlock as your Adventure Rank rises. Many puzzles respond to specific elements, so a party with a variety of elements opens more of the world. For example, Pyro can burn obstacles, Electro can power mechanisms, and Hydro and Cryo can interact with water.
Combat: a party of four
You control one character at a time from a party of four, and you can switch at any moment. Each character has a normal attack, an Elemental Skill and an Elemental Burst. The skill is a short-cooldown ability that applies the character element, and the burst is a stronger ability that needs energy, which you collect by landing hits and picking up energy particles. Because switching is instant, good play comes from alternating characters: apply an element with one, then trigger a reaction with the next. Dodging and timing matter, and button mashing only gets you so far.
The seven elements and reactions
Genshin has seven elements: Anemo (wind), Geo (earth), Electro (electric), Dendro (nature), Hydro (water), Pyro (fire) and Cryo (ice). When two elements meet on an enemy, they trigger a reaction. Key reactions include Burning, Quicken, Bloom, Electro-Charged, Superconduct, Overload, Freeze, Shatter, Swirl and Crystallize, plus Melt and Vaporize. The order matters for Melt and Vaporize: apply Cryo before Pyro for Melt and Pyro before Hydro for Vaporize to get the stronger version. Knowing how to combine elements is more important than having five-star characters.
Characters, weapons and Artifacts
Characters are defined by their element, weapon type, rarity from one to five stars and skills. They level up with experience and ascension materials, and equip a weapon and a set of Artifacts that add stats. You gain materials by spending Resin on domains and bosses. Free characters such as the Traveler, Amber, Kaeya, Lisa, Barbara, Noelle, Xiangling, Collei and Lynette let you try different elements before spending anything.
Domains, bosses and Resin
Original Resin works like energy: you spend it to claim rewards from domains and bosses. It refills over time and caps at 160. You can convert it to Condensed Resin using Crystal Cores from butterflies, and unused Resin does not save automatically, so spend it each day. Domains are instanced challenges where you fight enemies to earn Artifacts, weapon materials or character materials. Bosses are tougher open-world fights that drop materials.
Daily rhythm
Daily Commissions take under 20 minutes, give more Adventure Rank experience than regular side quests and award Primogems. Combined with spending Resin and collecting resources while you explore, they form a light daily routine. Limited-time events, such as the anniversary and Lantern Rite events, add extra rewards.
Story and quests
The main story is the best way to raise Adventure Rank early, since story quests give large amounts of experience. Archon quests and character stories deepen the world, and side quests reward you with materials and Primogems. Epic Games guide gives the simplest advice for beginners: focus on the story first.
Co-op
Co-op unlocks at Adventure Rank 16. Higher-level friends can invite you into their world to help with bosses and domains, and you can bring your own characters. It is the easiest way to clear content that feels too hard solo.
Wishes and the gacha system
New characters and weapons come through Wishes, a gacha system paid for with Primogems. Free-to-play players can earn Primogems from quests, exploration, commissions and events. Do not spend your Primogems on the first banner you see. Decide who you want and plan ahead.
Stamina, gliding and moving through Teyvat
Stamina is a core part of exploration. Climbing and sprinting drain it, and gliding lets you cross gaps and cover long distances. Planning a route that uses glides and Statues of the Seven makes travel smoother. Waypoints let you fast travel once unlocked, so you rarely need to retrace your steps. You also meet wildlife, bosses and treasure guardians in the open world, and each gives a different reward.
Puzzles and challenges
The world is filled with puzzles, such as lighting torches with Pyro, powering mechanisms with Electro or freezing water with Cryo. Others involve timed challenges, floating rings and hidden objects. Solving them usually rewards chests or materials. If you are stuck, switching characters to try another element is often the answer.
Enemies and bosses
Enemies range from simple monsters to elite foes with shields tied to elements. A shield of one element is easier to break with the opposing element, which makes party variety useful. Bosses test your timing and your use of elemental reactions, and they drop upgrade materials for characters and weapons. Domains are instanced challenges that also require a smart team.
The Adventurer Handbook
The Adventurer Handbook is a menu that tracks your tasks, offers rewards for leveling characters and weapons and gives a guide to your next steps. Following it is a good way to gain Adventure Rank experience without feeling lost. It supports the early advice to progress through the story and complete the handbook tasks that reward you for leveling.
What a typical session looks like
You log in, do your Daily Commissions in the hub, spend Resin on a domain, then explore a new area, open chests and solve a puzzle. You might switch to a different character to use their element on a puzzle. Then you finish a story quest and call it a night. Because the game is open ended, you can play for twenty minutes or four hours.
Why the game rewards patience
Genshin is designed to be played at a relaxed pace. Resin limits how many rewards you can claim each day, so there is no benefit to grinding for hours. Instead, the best use of long sessions is to explore, finish quests and enjoy the story, then return the next day to spend Resin and do commissions. Players who treat it as a daily hobby, not a race, tend to enjoy it more.
Building a team you enjoy
A typical team has a main damage dealer, a second damage dealer who applies a complementary element, a healer or shielder and a flexible slot. Teams with matching elements gain bonuses, and teams with four different elements gain a resistance bonus. Do not level every character: pick a small group and invest in them, because resources are limited.
Frequently asked questions
Is Genshin Impact free?
Yes. Optional purchases cover wishes and cosmetics.
How many characters are in my party?
Four, and you control one at a time.
How many elements are there?
Seven.
What is Resin?
The energy used for domains and bosses, capped at 160.
When does co-op unlock?
At Adventure Rank 16.