Summary
Genshin Impactwas an unexpected success back in 2020, and has since grown significantly, both in terms of in-game content and player count.Genshin Impactis full of amazing storytelling and compelling characters that have become beloved by the fans of the game.Genshin Impactstill has a long way ahead with its content, and it will likely keep players going for a long time, but there is something that developer HoYoverse can explore to generate extra interest in the game: spin-offs.
With how popularGenshin Impactis, and the amount of lore and characters that are in the game, it may be worth it for the developer to consider spin-offs forGenshin Impact. Various spin-off games could turnGenshin Impactinto an even bigger franchise than it already is by introducing new players toGenshin’s world, and there are many ways that spin-offs could work.
Genshin Impact Has Plenty of Material for Potential Spin-Offs
The Archon War Would Make for an Interesting Setting
Genshin Impacthas a lot of lore and history in the world of Teyvat, and one of the most prominent eras in Teyvat is the Archon War.The Archon War happened over 2000 years agoand resulted in the seven Archons that the players know of, such as Venti and Zhongli. The Archon War certainly has lots of material for a potentialGenshin Impactspin-off. It would certainly allow players to learn more about that era, especially since not much is known of that time.
Perhaps players could play as the seven Archons, and the gameplay could take inspiration fromDetroit Become Humanor take afterGenshin Impact’s gameplay. If it went in the direction of the former, then the game could go through chapters where, in each chapter, the player controls one of the seven Archons, with each getting an individual story. If it took afterGenshin Impact, then it could easily be an open world game, but set during the time of the Archon War. Players could take control of a nameless protagonist withinGenshin Impact’s Teyvatthat witnesses the war and helps the seven Archons win it.
Spin-Off Games Could Further Explore Character Backstories
There are hundreds of characters withinGenshin Impact, and many of them have fascinating backstories. However, these backstories are either explained through words or artistic animation. It would be interesting if there was a spin-off game dedicated to fully exploring certain characters' backstories, such asGenshin Impact’s Zhongli, Raiden Shogun, Childe/Tartaglia, as well as many others. A Zhongli and Raiden Shogun game could again tie into the Archon War, or a Childe game could be about his history in Snezhnaya and how he joined the Fatui and became a Harbinger.
A spin-off from the point of view of the other sibling would make for an interesting game. Players know that the other sibling joins up withGenshin Impact’s Abyss Orderand is known as their Prince or Princess, so their story has lots of potential for a spin-off game. It would certainly be fascinating to play from the perspective of the other twin and see the events ofGenshin Impactthrough their eyes.
A Genshin Impact Rhythm Game Could Be an Interesting Concept
Genshin Impactis known for releasing limited timed events, and occasionally it will release a rhythm mini-game. These mini-games are quite fun and prove thatGenshin Impactcould easily contribute to the rhythm game genre. Just like how thePersonagames successfully branched out to rhythm games,Genshin Impactcould easily do that too, especially with some of the characters being musicians themselves, likeGenshin Impact’s Kaedehara Kazuha, Xinyan, and Venti.
AlthoughGenshin Impactalready features a musical element, this musical element has no rhythm game element outside the limited timed musical events. This makes it more of a compelling reason for HoYoverse to develop a rhythm game. The developer has already proved it can create an engaging rhythm mini-game with different rhythm playstyles, so it makes perfect sense for it to go a step further and go all in on a rhythm game. It could even draw in new players toGenshin Impactwho have a fondness forthe rhythm game genre.
A Genshin Impact Farming Simulator Could Draw in a New Crowd
The farming and life simulator genre is a niche yet popular genre, and HoYoverse could easily dip into that genre with aGenshin Impactspin-off, especially with the success of the Serenitea Pot, where players can create their own homes and plant seeds and grow useful plants. With the success ofthe Serenitea Pot, a spin-off that incorporates and builds upon the pre-existing elements could go a long way and could add a new unique farming game to the farming genre. If successful, this type of spin-off may also attract a new crowd toGenshin Impact.
AGenshin Impactfarming simulator could work in several ways, from farming crops and then cooking said crops (which players can already do) to adding a small open world to allow players to gather new resources for their farm. The game could be set in one of the many villages in the world of Teyvat and could even introduce brand-new characters or bring back popular characters from the original game. There have already been some interesting andfascinating farming games, such asStardew ValleyandCoral Island. With new farming games successfully delving into fresh genres like the farming RPGHarvestella, there is a high chance that aGenshin Impactfarming simulator would work well.
Other Potential Genres That a Genshin Impact Spin-Off Could Dip Into
Apart from a rhythm and farming spin-offs, there are plenty of other genres that could explore different gameplay styles and provide more spin-offs forGenshin Impact.
WithGenshin Impactbeing a very popular game that boasts a gigantic fanbase, it seems almost certain that HoYoverse could pull off any sort of spin-off game. Whether the developer will produce spin-off games ofGenshin Impactin the future is uncertain, but it would certainly be a missed opportunity if it didn’t.
