Down In The Dumps quest guide in Genshin Impact covers one of the trickiest subquests in the entire 7.0 update. You fall into a flooded sewer with no way out until you solve a three-keycard puzzle. The whole thing happens inside the Shadow Realm, which means your usual abilities are gone. This guide walks you through every step so you don’t get stuck.
This is the third subquest in the In the Dwelling of Life world quest chain. It starts right after you finish Transplanted From Yesterday to Tomorrow. If you are also working on other Snezhnaya quests, our Hesperides of Love and Hate quest guide and the Stellar Glimmer reaction guide are worth checking out too.
TL;DR — Down In The Dumps Quick Summary
- Part of the In the Dwelling of Life quest chain in Genshin Impact 7.0
- Takes place entirely in the Shadow Realm — no Elemental Skills or character swaps
- You need to collect three keycards: Blue, White, and Red
- Use the Blue Key to drain water and open doors step by step
- Defeat the Leshy to get the Red Key
- Beat Klenova the Ascended to get the Sewer Lift Control Wheel
- Ride the lift back to the surface to complete the quest
- Rewards: 50 Primogems, 5 Hero’s Wit, 4 Mystic Enhancement Ore, 34,000 Mora
What Is Down In The Dumps In Genshin Impact?
Down In The Dumps is the third part of the In the Dwelling of Life world quest chain introduced in Genshin Impact 7.0. The quest drops you into a flooded underground sewer in Flamefeather Valley, and you have to find your way back to the surface.
The whole area is locked inside the Shadow Realm. That means you cannot use Elemental Skills, Elemental Bursts, or even swap between characters. Your only tools are the Traveler’s TPS-mode gun and the Eye of Graeae mechanics — the Grappling Gun and Prime Ice Constructs.
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How To Unlock Down In The Dumps
This quest unlocks automatically as soon as you complete Transplanted From Yesterday to Tomorrow, the second subquest in the chain. There is no separate trigger. The moment the ground collapses and you fall into the sewer, Down In The Dumps begins.
To even reach this point, you need to have progressed through the Chapter 7 Act 1 Archon Quest and activated the Statue of the Seven in Snezhnograd. That opens up Flamefeather Valley where the full quest chain begins.
Shadow Realm Rules — What You Can And Cannot Do
Before diving into the steps, it helps to know the rules of the Shadow Realm inside the sewer.
- You cannot use Elemental Skills or Elemental Bursts
- You cannot swap characters
- Normal climb and sprint mechanics still work
- You fight using the TPS-mode gun from the Eye of Graeae
- You can build Prime Ice Constructs — use Cubes, Grappling Guns, and Floating Platforms
- The Grappling Gun is your main movement tool for crossing gaps and breaking objects
Most puzzles and obstacles rely on these mechanics. If you are unfamiliar with Prime Ice Constructs, check our guide on how to manage Prime Ice Constructs in Genshin Impact.
Down In The Dumps Walkthrough — Step By Step
Step 1: Navigate The Sewer And Reach The Control Room
When you first fall into the sewer, head deeper inside and unlock the Teleport Waypoint as soon as you see it. You will want it for later.
When you hit the first stuck gate, double-tap the sprint button to slide underneath. Then aim your weapon at the sparkling Freeze Mark sigil to pull yourself upward. Grab the Exquisite Chest along the route.
In the next section, find the Metal Control Wheel sitting on some boxes nearby. Pick it up and place it on the Rotary Mechanism to open the gate. The gate will only rise partway, so slide underneath it again to continue.
In the water-filled room, step onto the wooden plank that Paimon points out. Build a Grappling Gun in the middle of the water so it drags the plank toward the far side. Shoot any wooden boxes blocking your path. Remove and rebuild the Grappling Gun as needed. If a jump falls short on the far side, build a Cube or a Floating Platform to gain extra height.
Once you reach the control room, read the Sewer Entrance/Exit Guide left by Doctor Moreau on the corner table. This note shows you where all three keycards are located.
Step 2: Understanding The Three Keycard Puzzle
The whole sewer puzzle runs on one core rule: taking a key that drained water causes the water to rise again, and a gate held open by a key will close the moment you remove it.
The way around this is to jam gates open with a Prime Ice Cube before removing the key, or to slide through quickly as a gate starts to close. Move fast whenever water is draining.
Here is where each key is located:
- Blue Key — On the console in the control room, right next to the door you entered from
- White Key — Behind a door the Blue Key drains water to reach; grab it from the console inside
- Red Key — On a raised platform past a slide-under gate, guarded by a Leshy, once the water is fully drained
Step 3: Get The Blue Key
Interact with the Control Console beside the entry door to take the Blue Key Card. Removing it closes that gate behind you.
Insert the Blue Key into the console to the northwest to open the next gate. Before you pass through, build a Cube beneath that gate. Now take the Blue Key back — the gate gets stuck on the Cube instead of closing fully, so you can slide through while keeping the key.
On the other side, insert the Blue Key into the console on the right to drain half the water. The Eye of Graeae will now mark the White Key on your screen.
Remove the Blue Key, drop down to the console below, and insert it there before the water rises again. This opens the door to the White Key. If you cannot reach the ledge after the door opens, wait for the water to rise slightly and float up to it.
Step 4: Get The White Key
Take the White Key from the console inside the room. Grab the Exquisite Chest while you are in there.
Build a Grappling Gun at the grapple point to break open a route out. You will come out near the starting area, so follow the path back and use the ledges on the right to reach the console by the water.
Insert the White Key into the left console. Then let Paimon retrieve the Blue Key from the lower device and reinsert it into the right console. With both keys in place, the water drains completely.
Step 5: Get The Red Key And Defeat The Leshy
Head down and follow the drained path until you reach a gate you can slide under. The Red Key sits on a platform above, marked by the Eye of Graeae. Aim at the blue sigil to pull yourself up to it.
Taking the Red Key triggers a fight with a Leshy. Use your TPS-mode gun to defeat it. Once the Leshy is down, grab the Precious Chest nearby. Then use the Rotary Mechanism to open the gate and climb back up.
Return to the main control console and pick up the White Key and Blue Key again so you have all three keycards together.
For more on dealing with tough enemies and challenges in Snezhnaya, take a look at our guides on Furiosa local legend and the full Snezhnaya local legends list.
How To Open The Control Room Door And Reach The Elevator
Insert All Three Keycards
Take all three keycards — Blue, White, and Red — and slot them into the control board next to the main gate. This opens the control room door.
Defeat Klenova The Ascended
Inside the control room, you will find the Rotary Mechanism is missing its wheel. The Sewer Lift Control Wheel is stuck on top of a Leshy inside a sealed glass capsule, and you cannot climb up to it directly.
Shoot the glass container to free the creature inside. This wakes up Klenova the Ascended, which is much more aggressive than the Leshy you fought earlier. Use your gun and stay mobile. Defeating Klenova causes the Sewer Lift Control Wheel to drop to the ground.
Tip: If you defeat Klenova but the wheel does not appear, check the ground where Klenova fell, not the capsule. The wheel drops with the body.
Ride The Elevator To The Surface
Pick up the Sewer Lift Control Wheel from the ground. Fit it onto the Rotary Mechanism and turn it to open the gate to the lift. Grab the Luxurious Chest nearby before you leave.
Ride the elevator to the top and follow the stairs ahead to return to the surface. When you climb out and your objective updates, the quest is complete.
Down In The Dumps Rewards
Here is everything you earn for completing Down In The Dumps in Genshin Impact:
- Primogems: 50
- Hero’s Wit: 5
- Mystic Enhancement Ore: 4
- Mora: 34,000
What Happens After Down In The Dumps?
Completing Down In The Dumps immediately starts the next subquest — Back on One’s Feet. This takes you to Ove’s house and leads to a fight with Furiosa, one of the local legends in Snezhnaya. Our Furiosa local legend guide will help you prepare.
The full In the Dwelling of Life quest chain continues from here and eventually restores one of the Eye of Graeae fragments. Finishing the chain also opens the road to the White Birch Snowgrave region in northern Snezhnaya.
If you are exploring Snezhnaya and looking for things to do nearby, check out our Snezhnaya Shrine of Depths locations guide and the Frostfairy Flower locations guide for resource farming. You can also see our House of Hesperides challenges guide if you have not cleared that area yet.
Tips For Down In The Dumps
- Always unlock the Teleport Waypoint at the start — it saves you if you need to restart
- Build a Cube under a gate before removing a key — this stops the gate from fully closing
- Move fast when water is draining — the water rises quickly once you remove a key
- Shoot wooden boxes with the Pyro grenade launcher setting to clear paths
- If a jump falls short, build a Floating Platform or Cube to gain extra height
- Grab both Exquisite Chests during the keycard section — one in the control room area and one in the White Key room
- Do not forget the Luxurious Chest near the elevator before riding up
- If the Sewer Lift Control Wheel does not appear after defeating Klenova, look on the floor where the boss fell
Related Genshin Impact Guides
Down In The Dumps is just one part of the large Snezhnaya content in Genshin Impact 7.0. Here are some other guides that tie into the same quest chain and region:
