Genshin Impact: a first evening in Mondstadt

Two hours on foot in the first region, with the shop never opened. By the end you will have a party of four and an idea of how big the world is.

Pick the platform you will actually use
Progress is shared, so choose the device with the most comfortable controls. A phone is fine for a first look; a PC or console is better for the long haul.
Follow the main quest until Mondstadt's city
About an hour. It teaches climbing, gliding and elemental reactions without ever saying so.
Do not open the Wish screen
The game will hand you free draws. Use them when it tells you to and then close the screen. Read the toll section before spending anything.
Climb something tall
Find a statue or a tower and go up. Glide off it. That is the game.
Open every chest you see, ignore every daily
Chests give Primogems and the joy of finding them. Daily commissions can wait until you care.
Set purchase controls if a child is playing
On a phone, Ask to Buy or Family Link; on console, the family spending limit. See the spending limits page.

Before you go

The free characters you receive early are enough for the whole story.
Turn off shop notifications in the settings menu.
Elemental reactions matter more than levels: wet then shock, or wet then freeze.
A monthly pass is the only purchase we would defend, and only if you already love the game.

Read the full Genshin Impact chart entry for the bearings, the toll and who it suits.