Where Winds Meet drops you into a breathtaking Wuxia world filled with martial arts mastery, ancient secrets, and stunning landscapes to explore. For newcomers to this type of action RPG—especially those unfamiliar with Wuxia culture and mechanics—the game can feel overwhelming at first.
The world is enormous, the movement system has layers of complexity, and the game doesn’t always explain its unspoken rules clearly. But once you understand the core systems, everything clicks into place, and you’ll be soaring through the air like a proper martial arts master.
Let me walk you through the essential beginner tips that will set you up for success in your journey through Qinghe.
Understanding Traversal and Movement Systems
Movement in Where Winds Meet is one of the first things that confuses new players—and for good reason. The game offers numerous flashy mobility options that can be activated from the ground or mid-air, each serving different purposes beyond just getting from point A to point B.
Core Movement Mechanics
Ground-level movement:
- Standard running and sprinting
- Dash abilities for quick repositioning
- Wall-running and climbing on specific surfaces
Aerial movement:
- Mid-air dashes for extended distance
- Sword-riding for sustained flight
- Directional air controls for precise landing
Combat-integrated movement:
- Repositioning abilities during fights
- Evasive maneuvers that double as mobility tools
- Gap-closers that function as exploration tools
The key insight here is that your movement abilities aren’t just for combat—they’re essential exploration tools. That fancy aerial dash? It helps you reach distant platforms. That sword-riding technique? It lets you cross gaps that seem impossible at first glance.
Power Slam: Your Multi-Purpose Tool
One particularly useful move deserves special mention: Power Slam (press Q while mid-air).
What it does:
- Deals damage to enemies when you land
- Breaks dungeon entrances with cracked floors
- Creates a satisfying impact effect
Why this matters for exploration: You’ll encounter numerous locations with cracked floor sections throughout your journey. These aren’t just visual details—they’re entrances to hidden dungeons and crypts. Once you learn to recognize these cracks (usually circular patterns with visible damage), you’ll start finding secrets everywhere.
Pro tip: If you see a suspicious floor pattern while exploring, try Power Slamming it. Many hidden areas are revealed this way, and the game doesn’t always make it obvious that a crack is breakable.
Quick Time Events (QTEs) Are Everywhere
Where Winds Meet makes heavy use of Quick Time Events throughout the experience—not just in story sequences, but during exploration as well.
Where you’ll encounter QTEs:
- Main story cinematics and dramatic moments
- Dungeon puzzles and environmental interactions
- Combat finishers and special sequences
- Random exploration discoveries
Key buttons to watch for:
- Q – Often used for action prompts
- Spacebar – Jump and dodge prompts
- E – Interaction and context-sensitive actions
Keep your reflexes ready when exploring dungeons or engaging in story content. Missing a QTE doesn’t usually break progression, but nailing them consistently makes the experience flow much more smoothly.
Mystic Arts: Inside and Outside Combat
Certain abilities in Where Winds Meet serve dual purposes, functioning differently depending on whether you’re in combat or exploring peacefully.
Example: Tai Chi (learned early by observing the Bear)
Combat uses:
- Grab and throw enemies
- Blast through rock walls by throwing objects
- Defensive positioning
Exploration uses:
- Meditation at special locations
- Fishing mechanics
- Interacting with cultivation spots
This dual-purpose design means you should experiment with your abilities outside combat. What works as an attack might also unlock environmental secrets or enable new interactions with the world.
Don’t Be Afraid to Adjust Difficulty
Here’s something many players don’t realize: Where Winds Meet doesn’t reward higher difficulty with better loot or exclusive content.
The difficulty setting purely affects combat challenge—nothing else. There’s no achievement for playing on hard mode, no special gear locked behind difficulty tiers, and no judgment from the game for lowering the challenge level.
Why This Design Matters
Where Winds Meet positions itself as an immersive Wuxia exploration experience rather than a hardcore combat challenge. The developers want you to engage with the world, story, and martial arts culture without artificial barriers.
Benefits of playing on higher difficulty:
- More fluid, engaging combat flow
- Forces you to learn parry, dodge, and counter mechanics
- Develops reflexes and timing skills
- Makes combat encounters feel more dynamic
Reasons you might lower difficulty:
- Combat becomes repetitive on long play sessions
- You’re more interested in exploration than fighting
- Frequent challenger encounters slow down progression
- You want to focus on story and world-building
How to Adjust Difficulty
You can change difficulty at any time without leaving your current session:
- Open the Journey Menu (main menu)
- Navigate to difficulty settings
- Adjust up or down as needed
- Resume playing immediately
My take: Start at normal difficulty and adjust based on what you’re enjoying. If combat feels tedious, lower it and focus on exploration. If fights feel too easy and boring, bump it up for more engaging encounters. The game gives you this flexibility for a reason—use it.
Since you’ll face many challengers throughout your journey (it’s a martial arts game, after all), having this control prevents combat fatigue from ruining your experience.
Exploration Is Your Path to Power
If there’s one tip that matters more than any other, it’s this: Explore everything. Unlike games where the main story path provides optimal gear and abilities, Where Winds Meet hides its best content off the beaten path.
Secret Martial Techniques
Many powerful martial arts techniques are “secret” in the truest sense—they’re hidden throughout the world, waiting for dedicated explorers to discover them.
Where to find secret techniques:
- Hidden crypts and caves
- Remote mountain peaks
- Concealed dungeons beneath cracked floors (remember that Power Slam!)
- Isolated temples and shrines
Important timing note: You can learn many martial arts techniques before joining one of the Eight Great Sects of Qinghe. This early exploration gives you a significant advantage when you do join a sect, as you’ll already have a diverse martial arts foundation.
The game rewards curiosity. That suspicious-looking cave entrance? Worth checking. That mountain peak that seems unreachable? There’s probably a way up, and something valuable at the top.
Environmental Learning Opportunities
Not all techniques come from finding ancient tomes—many are learned through environmental interaction.
Interaction points for learning:
- Iron Bells – Ring them to unlock knowledge
- Sanctuaries – Sacred spaces with hidden teachings
- Meditation Places – Cultivation and technique discovery
- Cultivation Spots – Power enhancement locations
These interactive elements blend naturally into the environment, so keeping your eyes open while exploring pays literal dividends in character power.
Material Rewards from Exploration
Beyond martial techniques, exploration yields tangible rewards that improve your character:
What you’ll find while exploring:
- Weapons and equipment – Often better than story rewards
- Rare crafting materials – For upgrading and customization
- Jade Coins – Primary currency for purchases
- Other currencies – Various resources for different systems
- Consumables – Buffs, healing items, and temporary enhancements
Treasure locations:
- Dense forests with hidden pathways
- Mountain peaks and cliff faces
- Temple rooftops and hidden chambers
- Underwater locations and cave systems
The exploration philosophy: Never say no to getting lost. That detour through the woods might lead to a legendary weapon. That exhausting climb to a temple peak could reward you with a game-changing martial art. The concept of “Fateful Encounters” in Wuxia culture applies here—sometimes destiny finds you when you wander off the path.
Read Messages from Other Players
Where Winds Meet isn’t an MMORPG, but it includes social features that significantly enhance your experience—most notably, player messages left throughout the world.
If you’ve played games like Elden Ring or Dark Souls, you’ll recognize this system immediately. Players can leave messages on the ground for others to read, creating a shared knowledge base that helps everyone.
Why Player Messages Matter
Useful information you’ll find:
- Hidden treasure locations
- Puzzle solutions for complex dungeons
- Warning about difficult enemies ahead
- Tips for environmental interactions like bowing
- Shortcuts and optimal paths
The reality check: Yes, some messages are jokes or completely useless. But most of the time, you’ll thank the players who explored ahead of you and left helpful breadcrumbs.
Dungeon Puzzles and Community Help
Certain dungeons in Where Winds Meet feature particularly annoying mechanics—especially those involving elemental arrows and hidden mechanisms. Player messages often mark these hidden targets, saving you significant frustration.
Other puzzle types where messages help:
- Dungeons requiring bows to ancestor statues
- Environmental puzzles needing specific item interactions
- Hidden pathways with obscure entry methods
- Sequence-based challenges
Puzzle-solving in Where Winds Meet is described as “a weird mixture of intuition and information gathering.” Player messages provide that crucial information component, complementing your intuition to solve challenges efficiently.
Online Mode Benefits
Having Online Mode activated provides advantages without the drawbacks of traditional multiplayer:
What you get:
- Player messages and hints
- Ability to participate in cooperative activities
- Access to Boss Battles with other players
- High-difficulty mission cooperation
What you DON’T get:
- Crowded areas filled with players
- PvP interference
- Required grouping for progression
- Social obligations
The game strikes a balance—you get the benefits of shared knowledge and optional cooperation without the chaos of a full MMO experience.
Additional Tips for Success
Manage Your Starting Weapons Wisely
Early in your journey, you’ll choose one starting weapon from four options. This choice impacts your early-game experience significantly, so take time to understand what each weapon offers before committing.
Customize Your Appearance Freely
Where Winds Meet features extensive appearance customization options that you can change throughout your journey. Since the gacha system is purely cosmetic, you’re never locked out of gameplay content regardless of how you look.
Learn the Lore
Pay attention to the story and environmental lore. Many puzzles require understanding context—not just mechanical execution. Reading those ancient tomes and scrolls isn’t just flavor text; they often contain actual puzzle solutions.
Join a Guild
Guild participation provides regular rewards and access to group content. Even if you prefer solo play, the passive benefits of guild membership are worth the minimal commitment.
Experiment with Ability Combinations
Your martial arts techniques can combo in surprising ways. Try different ability sequences to discover powerful combinations the game doesn’t explicitly teach you.
External Resources
For more information about Where Winds Meet:
- Official website: Where Winds Meet Game
- Steam page: Where Winds Meet on Steam
- PlayStation: Where Winds Meet on PS Store
- Game information: Where Winds Meet – Wikipedia
Final Thoughts
Where Winds Meet rewards the curious explorer more than the efficient min-maxer. The game’s greatest secrets hide in places you have no mechanical reason to visit—except for the intrinsic satisfaction of seeing what’s over that next ridge or behind that waterfall.
Don’t stress about optimal builds or perfect character progression in your first hours. Instead, wander off the main path, experiment with your abilities, read those player messages, and adjust the difficulty when combat stops being fun. The game is designed to accommodate various playstyles, and its lack of difficulty-based rewards means you’re free to experience it however you prefer.
Most importantly, embrace the Wuxia genre’s emphasis on discovery and personal cultivation. Your character grows strongest not by grinding the same enemies repeatedly, but by exploring the world, finding hidden techniques, and learning from the environment itself.
The martial arts journey is as much about the wandering as the destination—and Where Winds Meet understands that perfectly.
