When Version 3.1 of Genshin Impact released, players were introduced to the Hypostyle Desert and the many ancient secrets it held. This ginormous space of sandstorms and enemies is filled with the ancient tales of lost kings, failed trials, and locked treasures. And in front of every treasure is a lengthy puzzle for the travelers of Genshin Impact to solve. After unlocking the desert area, players exploring may happen upon two Dunes south of the Mausoleum of King Deshret: The Dune of Magma and The Dune of Elusion.
Successfully solving either of the puzzles in the Dunes and exiting the ruins will award players with not only a lump sum of Primogems but the hidden How Do You Write The Excavation Report? achievement as well. The objective of this achievement is for players to be able to explore the ruins beneath the desert for the first time and unlock the door at the end of it. This guide provides the solution for both puzzles, but players are free to solve whichever one they wish to unlock the Dune and gain its rewards.
Dune of Magma: Puzzle Guide
To reach the location depicted in the image above, travelers can teleport to the waypoint next to the Dune of Magma and head west, as the entrance to the ruins is south of the map. Once there, players will find a few puzzles that will need solving in order for the locked doors to be opened. Towards the right of the ruins, there is a Primal Beam that will need to be rotated and linked up with its corresponding cell to open the door. Once that door is open, players instead need to take a left and go down the stairs toward the blue Energy Cube. Once the Energy Cube is released, it will lead players to a lower level where its respective Energy Monument is located, after which players will need to head back upstairs again towards the door they previously unlocked and use the lift.
The lift will take them further beneath the ruins and into a room where another Energy Cube is locked. Players can break the pot and rotate the device once to hit the link in front of the Energy Cube. Once unlocked, the Energy Cube will stop beneath a fan, which will need to be switched off using the links that were used previously. Players can head back into the room behind them and rotate the cell so that it connects with the link on the far right. (This is the Link that was obstructed by the pot that travelers broke.)
Upon reaching the Energy Monument, players will be granted a Common Chest reward along with a Prima Light that will need to be picked up and placed on the Replicator Keystone platform. Once the cell pops up, rotate the Primal Beam adjacent to it and open the door in front. As the elevator in the room is still locked, players will have to go through the recently opened door and rotate the Primal Beam that links with the cell in that room.
This is the room where players follow the first Energy Cube to its respective Energy Monument.
The lift will then take players to an above platform with another closed door (the key to opening it is on the wall beside the door), and the Primal Light will once again have to be used on the Replicator Keystone to reveal an Energy Cube. Players will now be back in the same room they first started in when they entered the ruins.
Once the Energy Cube reaches its destination below, players will be awarded an Exquisite Chest, and the door in front of them will be unlocked. Inside there will be a group of Eremites that players will have to defeat, as behind them lies a tiny hole that travelers will have to drop into.
This lowest and final level of the ruins will have players defeat all the incoming enemies to gain the Precious Chest. Once completed the door behind the chest will open to reveal another elevator. Use this lift to reach the upper platform where there will also be a Dendroculus waiting. Opening the door at the end of the corridor will award players with the How Do You Write The Excavation Report? achievement. This concludes the exploration and unlocking of the Dune of Magma Ruins.
Dune of Elusion: Puzzle Guide
Players can reach the ruins depicted in the image above by teleporting to the waypoint at the Dune of Elusion and heading southwest to the entrance. At the base of the stairs, on the left, players will spot a Primal Beam that will need to be rotated to link with the cell opposite it and open the door in front of them. The lift will then take travelers to a lower level where an Energy Cube will need to be released.
The puzzle gets a little tricky for players from here on due to the large fans that can interrupt the journey of the Energy Cube. However, before releasing the cube players will need to activate the lift and jump off it before it moves. This is because players will need to use the lift platform below the original one to reach the below level at a later time. Once this is done, players will need to carefully time the sequence of the fans and successfully make sure the Energy Cube crosses to the other side without disappearing.
Once that is done, players will have to use the lift behind them, which will take them to a lower level where a group of Eremites will be guarding a Common Chest. After defeating all the enemies, players can open the door on the left using the mechanism placed on the right side of the wall. The staircase will lead up to another Energy Cube that will have to be released. Before releasing the cube, players have to remember to switch off the fan using the book beside it. After the Energy Cube has reached the Monument, the fan can be once again switched on to reach the above platform and solve the next puzzle.
In this puzzle, the Electro Totems have to be lit up according to the number of Primal Constructs behind them. The below image highlights the order in which this must be done to complete the puzzle and receive the Exquisite Chest.
The final door will open to reveal a group of enemies in front of a locked Precious Chest. Once all enemies have been defeated, players can claim the rewards of the Precious Chest and take the elevator up to the exit. Travelers will find a Dendroculus waiting in the corridor and once the door to the end of the ruins opens, the How Do You Write The Excavation Report? achievement will be awarded to the player, signaling the end of the ruin exploration.
Genshin Impact is now available on iOS, Android, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is currently in development.
