After several months in Genshin Impact, I finally understand how the whole long-term play concept gradually reveals itself. Initially, the game is like a very fast and exciting ride; new characters, weapons, and quests all over the place. However, after that first burst of energy, the speed changes. It gets slower. You get into a certain pattern of daily missions, weekly quests, exploration, and small upgrades.
The change is not "broken". Actually, it might be deliberate. The developer HoYoverse has obviously created Genshin in a way that it should be played slowly over many months rather than a quick binge session. And if you adjust your mindset to that, you will find long-term play still enjoyable and profitable.
How you handle your spending and free-to-play (F2P) resources is one of the major factors that can determine if you will be able to play the game for a long time. Genshin is a game with gacha mechanics. You will see a lot of currencies: Primogems, Mora, Crystal, etc. In the beginning, you can do mostly free stuff. But by mid-game, you will be torn between investing your time or money.
As for my experience: I didn’t throw money at the game, but I know players who did. The difference between a casual player and a big spender gets more and more obvious as you go further. If you make a plateau early and still want powerful characters, you will either have to grind more or pay. However, paying does not guarantee you success right away; it only complements a smart play style.
Therefore, for long-term playing, try to keep it balanced. Explore the world, claim free rewards, and build your team. If you decide to spend, make sure it is to add the fun and not because you feel pressured.
When team building becomes part of the long game in sports, it is even more essential that you figure out ways beyond just unlocking characters to do team building. You have to develop them, equip them, find synergies, and even plan for future content.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
When you build thinking "months from now" instead of "next week" helps you reduce the frustration and have gradual victories.
Over time, the real bottlenecks after a long time aren’t experience points or Mara, but are artifacts, ascension materials and talent upgrades. Basically, a huge number of players may have characters with decent levels but very weak artifacts and unsupported talents, and then stop progressing further.
Main tips:
Once you see this setup, you will not experience being stuck. You will still see progress even though it is slow, and it is still enjoyable.
It can often happen that somebody’s “long-haul” phase looks like it goes very slowly, but that is actually not a bad thing since this is the point where depth appears. Instead of just going through the content, you start to make, optimize, explore secret systems, and construct rich teams. Things like:
It becomes more relaxing, more strategic, and more rewarding when you accept that success is not about unlocking everything quickly but growing over time. The sprint ends; the marathon starts.
Long-term play with Genshin Impact should be all about these things: slowing down your pace, focusing your work, and building a team that you like to use. The game is made not only for 10-20 hours but also for 200+. It is not that you grind endlessly, but you evolve.
Don’t be afraid of the plateau. It can be a moment to sharpen your strategies. Instead of speeding, take time to build characters, complete the events, and gradually strengthen your team.
In the end, the greatest fun that Genshin can offer is not rushing to the top but rather the journey, the team you create, and the slow climb upwards. If you consider it as a long game, you will discover lots of months of fun ahead.
It is all about focusing on slow and steady progress through team building, exploring, and wise resource management instead of getting early rewards by rushing.
Playing at your own pace is the key; besides that, you can keep on discovering new areas, level up characters, and balance free-to-play with some spending for a gradual growth that will last.
Yes! When you keep unlocking new regions, events, and characters, long-term play becomes more strategic and rewarding over time.
You should focus first on your main team, concentrate on artifact farming, and be resourceful with your materials if you want to continue getting better without exhaustion.
