In a world called Teyvat, certain individuals chosen by the gods are given a Vision — magical gemstones that give their bearers the ability to control an element. The player starts out as a Traveler of unknown origin who is searching for a lost sibling. The player can choose between a male or female version of the Traveler. As the adventure progresses, the player controls several other characters met by the Traveler on their journey, each with unique personalities and special abilities, as they undertake quests to understand the truth about the primordial gods of this world.
Switching between characters can be done quickly during combat, allowing the player to use several different combinations of skills and attacks. Characters may have their abilities enhanced in various ways, mainly through directly leveling them up and improving the artifacts and weapons that a character can equip. In addition to exploration, the player can attempt various challenges for rewards. Scattered across Teyvat are bosses and challenges that reward highly valuable resources, but claiming them uses up a currency called Original Resin, which slowly regenerates over time. Completing these challenges grants the player progress towards increasing their Adventure Rank, which in turn unlocks new quests, challenges, and raises the World Level. The World Level is a measure of how strong the enemies within the world are and the rarity of rewards that defeating them gives.