Genshin Impact: How to Solve Starglow Cavern Puzzle

Completing  starglow cavern puzzle is treacherous due to magical ice, a mechanical boss, and Sheer Cold.

In Genshin Impact, a small puzzle lies atop the Starglow Cavern, due south of Skyfrost Nail and just west of a Dragonspine Stone Tablet location. With the promise of loot at stake, and the threat of a boss fight looming large, some players are curious about how they can go about completing the puzzle.

When players arrive atop Starglow Cavern, they should discover a ring of glowing runes encircling one of the newer enemies in Genshin Impact, the Ruin Grader. Though the mechanical giant will be inactive when discovered, this puzzle involves initiating the Ruin Grader, which will serve as a mini-boss fight for the player.

Much like the solution to the Dragonspine Pressure Plate puzzle, this one may not be very complicated, but it can still be easier to tackle when players who know what to expect. To complete the puzzle, players must start the four stone mechanisms scattered around the area. The first can be found immediately outside the ring of runes, with the second on the opposite side of the ring, at the edge of the cliff. Both of these mechanisms can be started with no prerequisite actions.

Behind the Ruin Grader is a small, rocky ledge jutting out of the mountainside. Players should climb this ledge and look for the next mechanism in the grass. Players will need to use a Pyro attack to thaw the ice encasing the mechanism before it can be started.

After starting the third mechanism, players must make their way to the opposite end of the ledge. There, on the same ground level as the runes and Ruin Grader, and among the rocks that rest near the corner edge of the cliff, sits a small deposit of Scarlet Quartz. Players who have already collected the Crystal Agate in the Cell north of here will know that they must destroy this deposit and collect the quartz so that a red aura envelops their character.

With the red aura active, players will be able to attack and destroy Genshin Impact‘s strange, magical ice along the side of the rocky ledge. There are two mounds of the magical ice, however – one holds the last mechanism, and one contains a loot chest – so players may have to return to the deposit of Scarlet Quartz to regain the red aura. Once the correct mound of magical ice has been destroyed, players can start the last mechanism.

With all four mechanisms started, a Precious Chest will appear beside the Ruin Grader – but it would be dangerous to go AFK at this moment, as the beast will now become active, and hostile. Players need to fight the mini-boss, and once it's destroyed, three more Precious Chests will appear as a reward.

While working on this puzzle, players must not forget to keep an eye on their Sheer Cold meter. To help with the encroaching cold, there are multiple torches spread around the area. Additionally, it may be advisable for players to lower the meter completely before starting the last mechanism and initiating the fight.

Some players have reported a bug in this puzzle that causes the Ruin Grader to be awakened after the third mechanism is started; after the fight is completed, the fourth mechanism becomes inoperable and none of the chests appear. At the time of writing, there appears to be no workaround, and while Version 1.3 Inazuma Weapons have been leaked, there's still no word on which bug fixes may be included the update.

Genshin Impact is available now on Mobile, PC and PS4, and is in development for Nintendo Switch and PS5.