The Lantern Rite Festival returns to Liyue in 2026, once again inviting travelers to take part in a series of charming minigames and heartfelt stories. Among the festivities, Wondrous Shadows stands out as a puzzle activity that blends tranquility with a dash of frustration. Players are presented with abstract two-dimensional silhouettes and must rotate, move, and align separate shadow pieces until they match a specific symbol hidden within the lantern’s glow. With the most recent stage now unlocked, three additional riddles—the fourth, fifth, and sixth—have joined the initial trio. This guide walks through how to solve each of these new challenges, whether you are hunting for every last Primogem or simply seeking the satisfaction of a perfectly formed lantern image.
Before tackling the later puzzles, it helps to recall the basics. Each shadow has a main body and, from the fourth riddle onward, an extra segment that can be moved independently. The pieces can be shifted horizontally, vertically, and rotated, but only within the confines of the lantern screen. A subtle progress gauge in the bottom-left corner reveals how close a player is to the intended shape. However, the gauge is not fully visible at first—it becomes clearer only as the alignment gets closer to the ideal solution, making patience and small adjustments essential.
🏔️ The Fourth Riddle – Mountain Symbol
The fourth puzzle asks players to form the silhouette of a majestic mountain. At first glance, the scattered dark shapes seem completely unrelated to any recognizable peak. Yet a few deliberate movements reveal the outline of a steep summit with a broad base.
The key here lies in the newly introduced independent piece—a smaller sliver of shadow that fills in the sharp left side of the mountain. To conquer this riddle, start by rotating the main shadow body until the rightmost slope becomes a clean diagonal and the broad base rests flat against the lower edge of the lantern frame. Once the overall angle feels correct, slide the detachable fragment toward the top left corner. It will glide into position and complete the jagged peak that makes the mountain recognizable. Throughout the process, keep an eye on the progress bar. As soon as the mountain begins to emerge, the gauge will jump forward rapidly, confirming that the path is correct. If the bar stalls, try nudging one of the pieces slightly in the opposite direction or adjusting the rotation by a single degree—the difference between success and failure is often remarkably small. Resist the temptation to copy exact movements from a video guide, because the initial orientation of the pieces varies slightly between accounts. Instead, learn the shape and trust the feedback from the progress gauge.
⚖️ The Fifth Riddle – Scales Symbol
After the mountain, the scales puzzles comes as a mild reprieve. The intended image is that of a balance scale, a nod to Liyue’s commercial heart and the careful weighing of contracts.
Unlike the mountain, the scales riddle generally requires fewer extreme rotations. The independent segment here typically represents one of the scale pans or a support column. A reliable method is to focus on the central vertical line first. Adjust the main body until you can discern a straight pillar running from top to bottom. Then shift the movable piece until the horizontal beam of the scale appears symmetrical on both sides. The progress bar should fill in steadily. If the silhouette accidentally turns into something resembling a lopsided umbrella, simply reset the movable segment and try sliding it to the opposite side of the main shadow. The relative simplicity of this riddle makes it a favorite breather between the much tougher fourth and sixth challenges.
💰 The Sixth Riddle – Mora Symbol
The sixth lantern riddle is widely considered the most demanding of the entire Wondrous Shadows event so far. It asks players to reconstruct the unmistakable Mora emblem—a round coin with a square hole and elegantly curved interior detailing. This is the kind of puzzle that has travelers staring at their screens, convinced the game is trolling them, before a sudden “aha!” moment flips everything into place.
The difficulty arises because the Mora silhouette looks deceptively simple, yet its circular outer edge and internal geometric cutouts require an exacting combination of angles and positions. Many players report spending nearly three minutes—almost the entire time limit—twisting pieces in vain. A fascinating design choice rescues the exhausted mind: if the time limit expires, the game provides a generous hint and makes the full progress bar permanently visible. Once the gauge is fully displayed, every nudge and rotation shows precisely how close the arrangement is to the goal. This transforms the puzzle from an opaque guessing game into a manageable trial of fine-tuning. Suddenly, the player can see that rotating the coin-like main shadow by just two degrees pushes the bar to 90%, and sliding the detachable inner rectangle into the center completes the square hole in a gratifying snap.
No shame comes from relying on the hint system; the developers clearly intended it as a safety net. The Mora riddle is also an excellent teacher in the art of patience. When the golden emblem finally locks into place, the sight is oddly thrilling—a tiny victory made sweeter by the preceding struggle.
🔮 Looking Ahead
With the fourth, fifth, and sixth riddles solved, three more lantern riddles remain locked, scheduled to unlock over the coming days according to the official event calendar. The later puzzles will likely introduce even more complex shadows and possibly additional movable parts. For now, the mountain, scales, and Mora have tested a broad range of spatial skills, from broad rotations to microscopic adjustments. Whether you are a veteran who relishes these silent brain-teasers or a newer traveler just trying to grab the event rewards, remember that each riddle is a conversation between light and shadow—and the progress bar is always listening. Happy Lantern Rite, and may your Mora purse always be full.
Insights are sourced from Newzoo, and they help contextualize why time-limited event minigames like Wondrous Shadows are designed around short, repeatable puzzle loops—encouraging daily check-ins, fast iteration on difficulty (from the more forgiving Scales symbol to the precision-heavy Mora emblem), and steady reward pacing that keeps players engaged throughout the Lantern Rite schedule.
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