Navigating the Mind-Bending Puzzles of Genshin Impact: A Region-by-Region Guide
Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG. It involves combat and collecting characters. Yet there’s more. Teyvat has many puzzles. These range in difficulty. Sometimes, they frustrate players. They can feel like mocking tests. This guide will help. We will look at each region’s challenges.
1. Fontaine Puzzles: Dive into the Hydro Nation’s Brain Teasers
Fontaine is the land of justice and journalism. Also, it has many water-based puzzles. Being the Hydro nation means lots of water. Get ready to explore underwater. We will face these challenges together.
Underwater Puzzles: Submerged Sophistication
Fontaine’s underwater areas are lovely and also challenging. You will face many puzzles here. To solve them, you need to think better. A unique mechanic involves Xenochromatic Fontemer Aberrants. These provide special abilities for solving puzzles.
Xenochromatic Abilities: Your Underwater Toolkit
Xenochromatic creatures help you gain skills. Need to destroy rocks? Find a crab. Want to fight? Look for a ray. Attack these creatures to borrow their power. You’ll absorb their essence, gaining a special skill. It’s a straightforward process.
Breaking Underwater Rocks with Crab Power
Fontaine has special breakable rocks. They glow blue. To break them, use the strength of an Armored Crab. Find one, use its power, and watch the rocks crumble. It feels great to see a crab help destroy rocks.
A wise traveler once stated, “If you see a crab, you can absorb its ability. Then use your E ability to smash boulders.” The humor is perfect, and the utility of the crabs shines through.
Bullet Barnacle Barrage: Crab Counter-Attack
Underwater, you encounter cannons called Bullet Barnacles. They shoot projectiles, acting like ranged enemies. The solution? Use crab power strategically. Time your attacks right to bounce their projectiles back. It’s like volleyball but aquatic.
Water Vent Wonders: Aiming for Activation
See those underwater spheres? They need interaction. And those Water Vents? They create high-pressure currents. Use these currents to push Floating Balls into Ringed devices. It’s about careful positioning and timing.
Diving In: Fontaine’s Aquatic Access Pass
First, you need swimming access. You can’t just dive in without preparation. Interact with a Statue of the Seven in Fontaine. It grants you Fontaine’s Blessing. With this blessing, you can swim freely in underwater zones.
Hunter’s Ray Combat: Zap Those Foes
Underwater combat in Genshin can be intense. Meet the Hunter’s Ray. These rays provide combat boosts. Find one and activate it by attacking gently. Use your Skill to unleash its abilities during battles.
Hydro Totem Puzzles: Box-Counting Bonanza
On dry land, Fontaine presents Hydro Totem Puzzles. These involve activating totems linked to boxes. The order matters for completion.
Box Order Activation: A Numerical Scavenger Hunt
The goal is to activate totems based on box quantity: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Locate each totem by the number of boxes nearby. Activate them in order. Follow a simple guide: “1 box – east… 2 boxes – north…”. Counting is essential. A compass may help as well.
Boiling Water Puzzle: Crystal Clear Solutions
Fontaine challenges you with a Boiling Water Puzzle. You’ll deal with hot lakes and some water volume detection crystals. The task involves cooling down the heat.
Crystal Relocation: Centering for Cooling
You need to find three water volume detection crystals around the boiling lake. Move them to the lake’s center to solve the puzzle. Centering them often reveals a treasure chest.
Crab Combat: Crystal Liberation
Guarding these crystals are pesky crabs. Beat them to unlock the crystal and move it. The process is simple: defeat crabs, move crystals, and then open chests. Just don’t overthink why crabs guard crystals.
Water Volume Detection Crystal Puzzles: Hydro Harmony
Fontaine loves its Water Volume Detection Crystals. They require constant Hydro application for activation.
Hydro Activation: Wet and Wild
To activate these crystals, continuously apply Hydro. Doing so provides puzzle solutions. Activate all at once for maximum results. Find water bodies or use Hydrograna if necessary to hydrate.
Fontaine’s Watery Wordplay: Name Origins
The name Fontaine has meaning; it signifies “fountain” or “spring.” Originally, it referred to people near water sources. This ties closely to the Hydro nation’s theme, making it fitting.
2. Liyue Puzzles: Land of Geo and Ancient Mysteries
Now, we transition from Fontaine’s wet challenges to Liyue’s rich history and geologic wonders.
Puzzles abound here. Expect more fire and climbing. Less swimming with crabs.
Luhua Pool Domain Puzzle: Pyro Pillar Predicament
Luhua Pool has lovely views. However, it also conceals a domain locked by a puzzle. This isn’t a simple “find the key” task. It features fire pillars and a blue barrier.
Pyro Pillar Illumination: Burning Down the Barrier
To reach the domain in Luhua Pool, break that blue barrier. The answer? Use a Pyro character to ignite specific fire pillars. Not any pillars, but the specific ones. This means using a Pyro DPS or support. Characters like Diluc, Amber, Bennett, or Xiangling work well. Light the correct pillars, and the barrier falls. You gain access to the domain and the loot inside. Just avoid setting the pool ablaze, even if it is tempting with Pyro characters.
If you need help, check out Polygon’s guide for the Hidden Palace of Guizang Formula puzzle. It provides detailed walkthroughs for other Liyue domain puzzles.
Statue of the Seven Unlock: Crane Crane Conundrum
Unlocking Statues of the Seven is often easy. However, Liyue complicates even this task. Some Statues are locked and mysterious, like in Minlin. The solution? Rotating Crane Statues.
Crane Rotation Revelation: Unveiling the Statue
Before enjoying the Minlin Statue of the Seven, do some work. The puzzle needs rotating three Crane Statues. Put them in the right positions to unlock the Statue. This reveals part of your map and provides a teleport waypoint. Think of it as a crane-based combination lock. Rotate correctly for geographical enlightenment. If not, you will have a dark map and no fast travel.
3. Inazuma Puzzles: Electro Enigmas and Island Intrigue
Welcome to Inazuma, the Electro nation. Expect electrifying puzzles amidst thunderstorms. Puzzles play with magnetism and illusions, bringing existential dread from the region’s lore.
Seirai Island Ship Puzzle: Wheel-y Good Rotation
Seirai Island always has storms and mysteries. It hides a ship puzzle, not a ghost ship but a puzzle ship requiring you to manipulate wheel-like mechanisms on its deck.
Wheel Rotation Revelation: Rectangular Resolution
The Seirai Island ship puzzle requires you to rotate wheel-like mechanisms on the ship to form a rectangle shape. Each wheel must point inwards, creating a rectangle with their points. Once you achieve wheel harmony, a side entrance opens dramatically. It’s like ship Tetris with wheels. Fail to align them and face explosive consequences. Success leads you inside, likely full of pirate treasure or some decent loot.
Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates Domain: Lens-Based Labyrinth
The Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates Domain in Inazuma focuses less on immediate puzzles and more on prerequisites. Unlocking it needs multiple steps, starting from the Memento Lens.
Memento Lens Mandate: Quest for the Key Item
First, find the Memento Lens. It’s not lying around; you earn it by completing the “Sacrificial Offering” quest. To start “Sacrificial Offering,” finish its prior quest, “A Strange Story in Konda.” It’s a chain of quests locked behind narrative progression. The Memento Lens acts as an Inazuman puzzle master key, requiring hoops to jump through.
Araumi’s Underground Access: Lens to Labyrinth
Once you have the Memento Lens, real unlocking begins. Use it to access Araumi’s underground labyrinth. This place hides secrets, and the Memento Lens unveils them. For the Empty Boat domain, the Lens shows the path to the underground labyrinth, leading to the domain entrance. It’s like using special goggles to reveal hidden doorways. You earn these goggles through quests, not chests. For details, check the Genshin Impact Wiki page on Empty Boat of a Thousand Gates.
4. Sumeru Puzzles: Dendro Delights and Desert Deceptions
Sumeru, the Dendro nation, features puzzles rooted in nature and knowledge. Expect elemental reactions, plant manipulation, and cryptic clues.
“Under the Umbrella’s Shade” Domain: Rock and Pillar Predicament
The Sumeru’s “Under the Umbrella’s Shade” Domain requires environmental manipulation to unlock. It involves breaking rocks and hitting pillars in a specific order.
Rock Removal and Pillar Order: Cracking the Code
To unlock this domain, first, you need to break a rock at the back to open the fifth totem. Why is there a rock blocking this totem? Puzzle logic is strange. After making rubble of the rock, hit the pillars in the correct order indicated by the yellow markers on the floor. These markers guide you toward the right sequence. Break the rock and follow the yellow marker road to unlock the domain. It combines environmental destruction with sequential activation, Sumeru style.
5. General Puzzle Mechanics: Teyvat’s Common Brain Teasers
Apart from region-specific puzzles, Genshin Impact uses several recurring mechanics across Teyvat. These puzzle archetypes appear repeatedly in Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, or Fontaine.
Constellation Puzzles: Starry Solutions
Constellation Puzzles tap into Teyvat’s celestial lore. They often use telescopes and star charts with basic astronomy.
Star Counting Cipher: Deciphering the Locker Code
A common type involves counting stars in constellations to find locker codes. You may find notes with constellation diagrams. Use a telescope (in-game only) to view constellations and count stars. The counts correlate to the locker code numbers. It blends observation, counting, and nerdy astronomy deduction. Great for unlocking chests that likely hold stargazing notes.
Water Puzzles (General): Jug Juggling
Generic Water Puzzles, distinct from Fontaine’s challenges, often manipulate water volumes using jugs or containers. Think classic water jug problems in Genshin.
Jug Transfer Sequences: Pouring to Progress
Solve these puzzles with a sequence of steps transferring water between jugs. You may have three jugs of different sizes needing specific water amounts. It’s a logic puzzle dressed as plumbing. Example sequence: [8,0,0] → [3,5,0] → [3,2,3] → [6,2,0] → [6,0,2] → [1,5,2] → [1,4,3] → [4,4,0]. Each sequence shows water volume in each jug at each step. Solve it to solve the puzzle. Don’t spill any digital water.
Fountain Puzzles (General): Lever-Action Logic
Generic Fountain Puzzles, separate from Fontaine’s theme, often require manipulating levers for structure rotation or water flow changes.
Lever Rotation Revelation: Cryptic Crypt Unveiling
These puzzles need you to manipulate levers for rotation of structures. You might encounter a crypt with rotating mechanisms. Use a lever to turn left and reveal another puzzle or pathway. It involves environmental manipulation using levers to access hidden areas. Sometimes lever-pulling is crucial for everything.
Breaking Rocks: Brute Force Brain Teasers
Sometimes, puzzles boil down to “there’s a rock, break it.” Breaking Rocks is a core mechanic in Genshin, often hiding chests or pathways.
Jump Attacks and Geo Power: Rock-Crushing Combos
You can chip rocks with standard attacks, but faster methods exist. Jump attacks, Geo abilities, or Venti’s Skyward Sonnet combined with jump attacks work best. Geo abilities excel as they have rock-breaking properties. Venti’s Skyward Sonnet aids quick demolition combinations. Finding efficient ways to break rocks matters.
Dendro Seal Removal: Pyro Purification
Dendro Seals, found on Stone Pillars, are Sumeru puzzles needing specific elemental reactions for removal: Pyro.
Burning Reaction Revelation: Pyro Pillar Purge
To destroy the Stone Pillars with Dendro Seals, you must hit the pillar with Pyro. One strike is often enough. Dendro and Pyro create a Burning reaction. This reaction chips away at the pillar’s HP until it shatters. No need to mash buttons; one Pyro application will do. Let the fire work. It’s elemental chemistry mixed with a bit of controlled fire.
Bubble Puzzles: Pushing and Positioning
Bubble Puzzles are fun challenges that involve bubbles. These are not combat bubbles but require careful manipulation.
Bubble Fusion and Pillar Placement: Orb Origami
These puzzles involve pushing bubbles together to create larger bubbles. Once you have a big bubble, you must place it between golden pillars. It’s bubble origami with bubble bowling. Fuse the bubbles, then move the mega-bubble to the target zone. Success often brings a chest, proving bubbles can yield treasure.
Cannon Operation: Aim and Fire Finesse
Cannon Operation puzzles require you to operate a cannon to hit targets. It’s more than point-and-shoot; skill is involved.
Elevation and Orientation: Cannon Calibration
Cannons usually lack modern aiming. You must adjust the elevation and orientation to hit your target. This is artillery aiming from before digital technology. You need to gauge distances, angles, and trajectories to calibrate your shots. It tests your spatial awareness and your inner bombardier. Hit the target to earn cannon-based rewards.
6. Tools and Items for Puzzles: Gadgets and Gizmos Galore
Genshin Impact features tools and items that assist in puzzle-solving. These gadgets can unlock puzzle dimensions and hidden areas.
Memento Lens: Inazuman Insight
The Memento Lens, mentioned in the Inazuma section, is vital for solving puzzles. It applies to multiple domains in Inazuma.
Quest Acquisition and Kitsune Statue Scanning: Lens Lore
Obtain the Memento Lens through the “Sacrificial Offering” quest, after you finish “A Strange Story in Konda.” Once you have it, use it to scan Kitsune Statues for hidden items. These can be puzzle clues or entire hidden areas. Equip the Lens and scan Kitsune Statues throughout Inazuma. It’s like having X-ray vision for Kitsune secrets.
Kusava Gadget: Sumeru’s Special Tool
The Kusava Gadget is a tool specific to Sumeru. You obtain it during the Agnihotra Sutra World Quests Series. Its functions depend on the quest, but it mainly aids in Dendro-related puzzles in Sumeru’s forest and desert.
7. Other Puzzle Related Information: Lore and Trivia Tidbits
There’s interesting lore and trivia around Genshin’s puzzles and regions.
Liyue’s Inspiration: Ancient China Echoes
Liyue is not randomly designed; it is inspired by ancient China. Developers spent a year creating Liyue, drawing from Chinese culture, architecture, and mythology. This inspiration shows in Liyue’s designs and puzzles.
Fontaine’s Inspiration: French Flair
Fontaine, too, draws inspiration from France. The architecture, fashion, and legal system reflect this influence. Fontaine’s puzzles have hydro themes but also exhibit a French design flair.
Electro Sigils: Inazuman Currency of Chests
Electro Sigils, unique to Inazuma, come mainly from opening chests in Inazuma. The chest’s rarity influences the number of Sigils received. These Sigils serve as regional currency for leveling the Sacred Sakura tree and obtaining rewards. Puzzle-solving in Inazuma helps your Electro Sigil collection.
Keys Identification: Code Cracking Clues
A practical tip: while dealing with keys in Genshin, look for a key code stamped on the key. This code often appears on the lock, too. Key codes help identify which key fits which lock. This can save time during key puzzles.
Thus, explore this guide to Genshin Impact’s puzzle landscape. From Fontaine’s waters to Liyue’s peaks and Inazuma’s islands, puzzles await you everywhere. Enjoy solving, and may your chests contain treasures!
