Video Games
How to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Explore Hyrule and its sky and depths, solve shrines, make devices, and pursue the main story at your own pace.
What you need
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo Switch
Set up the game
- Complete the Great Sky Island opening and learn the starting abilities before entering the wider Hyrule map.
- This covers the Switch title, not Breath of the Wild; the games share a world but have different abilities and puzzles.
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Playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Explore surface, sky and depths for shrines, resources and main quests. Talk to characters and inspect the quest log when a story route is unclear.
- Use Ultrahand to attach objects into workable devices, Fuse to combine weapons or shields with materials, Ascend where a ceiling permits, and Recall to reverse an object’s movement.
- Cook suitable ingredients, collect armor and manage equipment before dangerous encounters. Weapons wear out and fused combinations change their use.
- Complete main-quest objectives and confront the final threat when prepared. Shrines and exploration help, but every optional collection task is not a prerequisite to finishing the story.
Crossing a gap
You find loose planks and a fan near a gap. Attach the planks into a stable surface and orient the fan to push it in the intended direction. Test the assembly before stepping on it; if a simpler Ascend route is available, use that instead.
A building solution needs a purpose
Ultrahand lets Link assemble objects, but a platform that merely looks like a vehicle may not move. Ask what it needs to do—float, rise or travel forward—then choose parts that actually provide that behavior. Recall and Ascend often solve a problem without a large build.
Beginner decisions
- Try the abilities on a simple object before building an elaborate vehicle.
- Keep food and a practical fused weapon ready before entering a new hostile area.
Common rule mix-ups
- Using a Breath of the Wild ability description for a Tears of the Kingdom puzzle.
- Assuming a device will steer or sustain power without checking its actual components.
Questions about this game
Must I finish every shrine?
No; shrines offer upgrades and puzzles, but the story can be completed without clearing every optional shrine.
Is there a point score?
No universal score defines the adventure.
Sources and edition notes
Nintendo Switch Tears of the Kingdom, distinct from Breath of the Wild and later hardware editions.
Sources and stated format checked October 13, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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