Genshin Impact Beginner's Guide

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world action RPG developed by HoYoverse. Set in the fantasy world of Teyvat, you play as the Traveler, exploring seven nations, each governed by a different elemental god. The game is available on PC, PlayStation, iOS, and Android with full cross-save and cross-play support. Whether you are drawn to the open-world exploration, the story, or the strategic combat system, this guide covers the essentials to help you make the most of your first hours in the game.

Adventure Rank: Your Progression System

Adventure Rank (AR) is the main progression metric in Genshin Impact. Almost everything you do earns Adventure EXP: completing quests, opening chests, discovering waypoints, finishing domains, and clearing daily commissions. As your AR increases, new features, regions, and systems unlock.

At AR 10, you unlock daily commissions, which are four short tasks that reset every day and provide consistent Adventure EXP plus Primogems. This is also when you can start redeeming reward codes for free Primogems, Mora, and other materials. At AR 16, you unlock co-op mode, letting you team up with friends. AR 20 unlocks the Spiral Abyss, the game's main endgame challenge. By AR 25 to 30, most of the game's core systems are available.

At certain AR thresholds (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50), you will encounter an Ascension Quest. These quests must be completed to continue leveling your World Level, which scales enemy difficulty and loot quality. Do not avoid these quests, as higher World Levels mean better rewards from bosses, domains, and exploration.

Understanding the Element System

Combat in Genshin Impact revolves around seven elements: Pyro (fire), Hydro (water), Electro (lightning), Cryo (ice), Anemo (wind), Geo (earth), and Dendro (nature). Every playable character is aligned with one element, and enemies can have elemental shields or resistances that require specific element matchups to break.

The real depth of combat comes from elemental reactions. When you apply two different elements to a target, a reaction triggers. Vaporize (Pyro + Hydro) and Melt (Pyro + Cryo) are amplifying reactions that multiply your damage. Superconduct (Cryo + Electro) reduces physical resistance, making it ideal for physical damage dealers. Swirl (Anemo + any element) spreads elemental effects to nearby enemies. Bloom (Dendro + Hydro) creates Dendro Cores that explode for area damage, and further reactions like Hyperbloom and Burgeon chain off of it.

As a beginner, focus on building teams with complementary elements. A team of four characters usually includes a main damage dealer (DPS), a sub-DPS who deals damage off-field, a support who provides elemental reactions or buffs, and a healer or shielder for survivability. You do not need top-tier characters to clear content. Understanding how reactions work is more important than having the strongest units.

How Wishes (Gacha) Work

Wishes are the gacha system in Genshin Impact, used to obtain new characters and weapons. You spend Primogems (the premium currency) to acquire Intertwined Fate or Acquaint Fate, which are the items actually used to make Wishes. One Wish costs 160 Primogems.

There are multiple banner types. The Character Event Banner features limited five-star characters who are only available for a few weeks. The Weapon Banner features limited five-star weapons. The Standard Banner (Wanderlust Invocation) has a permanent pool of characters and weapons. The Beginner Banner (Novice Wishes) offers a discounted set of 20 Wishes guaranteed to include the four-star character Noelle.

Genshin Impact's pity system guarantees a five-star item within a set number of pulls. On the Character Event Banner, you are guaranteed a five-star character within 90 Wishes. In practice, most players hit the "soft pity" window around 74 to 76 Wishes, where the drop rate increases sharply. If the five-star you get is not the featured character, you have a 50/50 chance. If you lose this coin flip, the next five-star is guaranteed to be the featured character. Pity carries across banners of the same type.

For new players, prioritize the Character Event Banner over the Weapon Banner. Characters add more flexibility to your roster than weapons. Free Primogems from redeem codes, daily commissions, exploration, and events all add up over time. Check our Rewards Guide for a full breakdown of Primogem sources.

Resin and Your Daily Routine

Original Resin is Genshin Impact's stamina system. You have a maximum of 200 Resin, and it regenerates at a rate of one point every eight minutes, fully refilling in about 26 hours and 40 minutes. Resin is required to claim rewards from bosses, domains (talent books, artifacts, weapon materials), and Ley Line Blossoms (Mora and character EXP).

Since Resin is a limited resource, spending it efficiently matters. Early on, focus on ascending your main DPS character and their weapon. Do not spread your Resin across too many characters at once. Artifact farming becomes relevant around AR 45, when domains start guaranteeing five-star artifact drops. Before that, use whatever decent artifacts you find from exploration and quests.

A typical daily routine for an active player takes 15 to 30 minutes: complete four daily commissions (roughly 60 Primogems plus AR EXP), spend your Resin on domains or bosses, collect expedition rewards, craft Condensed Resin if you want to save runs for later, and check for new redemption codes. Events, story quests, and exploration fill the rest of your playtime.

Essential Tips for Your First Week

The first week sets the foundation for your account. Here are the most important things to keep in mind:

Explore everything. Chests, Teleport Waypoints, Statues of The Seven, and puzzles all give Adventure EXP and Primogems. The open world is the fastest way to level up early on.
Complete the Archon Quests. The main story unlocks new regions, game mechanics, and substantial Primogem rewards. It is the highest-priority content for new players.
Do your daily commissions every day. Once unlocked at AR 10, these are your most reliable source of daily Primogems and Adventure EXP. Missing a day means lost progress you cannot recover.
Redeem every active code. Free Primogems, Mora, and materials add up. Check GenshinCo.de regularly or before you play each session. See our redemption guide for step-by-step instructions.
Do not level every character. Resources are scarce early on. Pick one or two main characters to invest in and keep the rest at lower levels until you have a clearer picture of what you need.
Save your Fragile Resin. You will accumulate Fragile Resin from AR rewards. Save it for AR 45 when artifact domains guarantee five-star drops, giving you the most value per Resin spent.
Participate in limited-time events. Events are the largest source of free Primogems and materials outside of exploration. They are time-limited, so prioritize them when they are active.
Cook and craft regularly. Food items heal your characters and provide buffs. Crafting materials at the alchemy bench saves Resin and resources later.

Genshin Impact rewards patience. There is no rush to reach endgame. Take your time exploring, enjoy the story, and build your roster gradually. The game is designed for long-term play, and the most valuable resource is consistent daily progress over weeks and months.