Genshin Impact Beginner Guide: Your First Steps in Teyvat

Welcome to Teyvat, a vast world filled with elemental magic, mysterious creatures, and hidden treasures. Genshin Impact is a deep and rewarding open-world RPG, but its many systems—Elements, Gacha, Artifacts, and Adventure Ranks—can be a bit much for a new player to digest all at once.

In this guide, we will break down the core mechanics of the game and provide you with a roadmap to help you progress efficiently without feeling overwhelmed.

How Do I Start in Genshin Impact? (The Short Answer)

The most important thing to do as a beginner is to follow the Archon Quests (Main Story). These quests will unlock new regions, introduce you to the core mechanics, and provide you with essential free characters like Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa. Don't worry about "perfect" builds early on; focus on exploring and raising your Adventure Rank (AR).

Core Mechanics Explained

1. The Elemental System

Everything in Genshin Impact revolves around the seven elements: Anemo (Wind), Geo (Earth), Electro (Lightning), Dendro (Nature), Hydro (Water), Pyro (Fire), and Cryo (Ice).

• Elemental Reactions: When two different elements meet, they trigger a reaction. For example, Pyro + Hydro = Vaporize (deals extra damage). Learning these reactions is the key to winning tough battles.

2. Adventure Rank (AR) and World Level

Your AR is your overall account level. As it increases, your World Level will also rise, making enemies tougher but also significantly improving the rewards you get from bosses and chests.

3. The Gacha System (Wishes)

This is how you get new characters and weapons. You use "Primogems" to buy "Intertwined Fate" or "Acquaint Fate."

• Pity System: The game guarantees a 5-star character/weapon after a certain number of pulls (usually 90). Always save your Primogems for characters you truly want.

4. Resin Management

Resin is your "stamina" for collecting rewards from bosses and domains. It refills over time. Never let your Resin stay at its maximum (160/160); always spend it on something to keep your progress moving.

Step-by-Step Guide for Your First 10 Hours

Step 1: Follow Paimon

Follow the initial tutorial quests. Paimon will lead you to the city of Mondstadt. Along the way, pick up everything you see—flowers, mushrooms, and ores. You'll need them later!

Step 2: Unlock Waypoints and Statues of the Seven

As you explore, always interact with Teleport Waypoints and Statues of the Seven. These act as fast-travel points and clear the "fog of war" from your map.

Step 3: Complete Daily Commissions

Once you reach AR 12, you'll unlock Daily Commissions. These are four short tasks that provide a steady stream of Primogems and Adventure EXP. Make these your top priority every day.

Step 4: Level Up Your Characters and Weapons

Don't spread your resources too thin. Pick 2-4 characters you enjoy and focus on keeping their levels as high as your current AR allows. Don't forget to level up their weapons as well!

Step 5: Explore and Solve Puzzles

Teyvat is full of chests hidden behind puzzles or guarded by monsters. Opening chests is one of the best ways to gain Adventure EXP and find basic gear.

Pro Tips for New Travelers

• Don't Spend "Fragile Resin" Early: Save your Fragile Resin (which restores 60 Original Resin) until you reach AR 45. This is when you can guarantee 5-star Artifacts from domains.
• Focus on One Main DPS: In the early game, you only need one strong damage dealer. The other three characters should be there to provide healing or trigger elemental reactions.
• Use the Map Pins: You can place pins on your map. Use them to mark the locations of rare ores or puzzles you couldn't solve yet.
• Collect Anemoculus and Geoculus: These floating orbs can be offered to Statues of the Seven to increase your maximum Stamina, allowing you to run, swim, and climb longer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Genshin Impact "Pay to Win"?

No. You can complete all the story content and even the hardest endgame challenges using only the free characters provided by the game. Paying only speeds up the process of getting specific 5-star characters.

Which banner should I pull on?

As a beginner, avoid the "Weapon Banner." Spend your Primogems on the "Limited Character Banner" (the one with the featured 5-star character) using Intertwined Fates.

What is the best element?

There is no single "best" element, but Hydro and Dendro are currently considered extremely powerful due to the "Bloom" and "Hyperbloom" reactions.

Disclaimer

This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by any game publisher. Genshin Impact is a trademark of HoYoverse.

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Last updated: May 2024 by the PlayGames Hub Team.