← All game guides
✧

Video Games

How to play Genshin Impact

Explore Teyvat, follow quests and switch characters to combine elemental abilities. Story and exploration progress replace a single universal winning score.

1; up to 4 in supported co-op playersOpen-endedAge 13+ (US Teen)

By K.R. · Sources and editorial process

Game-night tools

What you need

Installed game, required online connection and supported input controls

Set up the game

  1. Follow the opening tutorial and learn attack, dodge, skill, burst and switching inputs.
  2. As characters unlock, form a small party with complementary elements and abilities.

If you play on PC for long stretches, a comfortable mouse or headset makes a real difference. Razer's accessory range is one place to compare options; check platform compatibility first. (Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How links work.)

Playing Genshin Impact

  1. Track a quest and complete its conversations, interactions or encounters. Exploration also reveals puzzles and materials.
  2. Fight in real time with normal attacks, elemental skills and bursts. Switch the active character for another toolkit.
  3. Combine elements deliberately: Hydro followed by Cryo can freeze susceptible enemies; shields and enemy properties affect results.
  4. Read talent costs and cooldowns. Upgrade relevant characters and equipment with their requested materials.
  5. Finish the particular quest or challenge objective. The ongoing world has no universal elimination bracket or final score.

Make the switch purposeful

Apply Hydro to a susceptible ordinary enemy, switch to Cryo and apply Cryo to freeze it. Use the control window to reposition or attack. A boss may not freeze: susceptibility matters. Check the enemy and skill descriptions rather than assuming the switch failed or trying to force the same control effect.

Prepare for a problem

Before exploration, consider how the party reaches targets, handles elemental obstacles and recovers from damage. Before a difficult fight, read resistances and what your skills actually apply. A newly obtained character may add a useful interaction without replacing the character you enjoy controlling. Try a simple sequence on an ordinary enemy before investing more upgrade materials. Read displayed Wish rules before considering any optional purchase; this guide does not depend on buying a particular character.

Beginner decisions

  • Develop a dependable damage dealer with useful supporting options before spreading materials across every character.
  • If attacks feel ineffective, inspect elements and equipment before repeating the same input faster.

Common rule mix-ups

  • Confusing account Adventure Rank with a character’s level.
  • Treating premium Wishes as a mandatory step in ordinary questing.

Questions about this game

Do four characters fight simultaneously?

Ordinary solo play controls one active party member at a time; some abilities persist after switching.

Does this cover the card game?

No. Genius Invokation TCG is a separate turn-based ruleset.

Sources and edition notes

Core solo open-world RPG, standard four-character party. Events, endgame challenges and Genius Invokation TCG use separate objectives; not a current-patch ranking.

Sources and stated format checked October 14, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.

Report a rule or edition correction →

Try another game