As a seasoned player who has navigated every corner of Teyvat, I can confidently say that the Fontaine region's 'Good Stuff, but Terrible Taste' world quest remains one of the most intricate and rewarding puzzles introduced in recent years. Even in 2026, its blend of environmental storytelling and mechanical challenge stands as a testament to the game's evolving design. This quest, which tasks Travelers with locating six scattered easels and solving unique Hydro and Pneumousia-based puzzles, is a delightful brain-teaser hidden in plain sight across the Court of Fontaine's picturesque landscapes. While not mandatory for the main storyline, it offers a deep dive into Fontaine's artistic and architectural eccentricities, rewarding the curious with precious resources and a profound sense of accomplishment.
The journey begins without any prerequisites, inviting explorers to seek out the six easels. Each easel is like a cryptic artist's signature on the canvas of the world, marking the start of a distinct environmental puzzle. Here is a detailed breakdown of each stage, updated with insights from the current meta:
🎨 Part 1: West Slopes of Mont Automnequi
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Location: Teleport to the waypoint on the West Slopes of Mont Automnequi.
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Puzzle & Solution: This initial challenge is a Hydro Core formation puzzle. You must gather Hydrograna to create a Hydro Core and use it to activate three Water Crystals. The key is to move the final crystal to a subtly marked spot on the ground, a task as precise as tuning the strings of a lyre.
🗿 Part 2: West of Elynas
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Location: Head west from the Statue of The Seven in Elynas.
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Puzzle & Solution: Another Hydro Core puzzle, but this time involving Totems. Activate all Water Crystals by strategically moving two of them with your Hydro Core. Placing one crystal on a specific pressure plate concludes this stage.
⚡ Part 3: Southeast of Elynas
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Location: Navigate to the southeastern shores of Elynas.
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Puzzle & Solution: This introduces the Pneumousia energy system. Your goal is to hit four Pneumousia Relays using nearby Ousia energy blocks. The puzzle's logic unfolds like a complex clockwork mechanism; you must move the nearest relay to a designated spot to align the energy flow perfectly.
💎 Part 4: Central Elynas
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Location: Find the easel in the heart of Elynas's rocky interior.
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Puzzle & Solution: A multi-step Pneumousia Crystal puzzle. Navigate a floating platform, use Hydro particles to summon spectral ramps, and finally, guide a large crystal to its rightful place. It's a test of both platforming and puzzle-solving skills.
🌪️ Part 5: Northwest of Court of Fontaine
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Location: Situated in the windy highlands northwest of the city.
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Puzzle & Solution: The Windmill Challenge. An Anemo character is essential here. Manipulate the pinwheels to gather Hydro particles dispersed by the wind. The final step involves guiding a solitary, movable windmill to a marked location, a task requiring patience akin to herding cats in a breeze.
⛲ Part 6: North of Court of Fontaine
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Location: The final easel lies north of the Court, near water.
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Puzzle & Solution: The climax is a Hydro Monument challenge. Form a Hydro Core, activate a series of Hydro Monuments, and use the core's power to lift a buried monument, finally revealing the quest's conclusion.
Completing this artistic odyssey yields bountiful rewards that are still valuable in today's endgame. The satisfaction of solving these puzzles is matched by the tangible benefits:
| Reward Type | Quantity | Usefulness in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure EXP | Substantial amount | Crucial for ascending AR caps post-60. |
| Primogems | A generous sum (≈ 60-80) | The eternal currency for wishes and new characters. |
| Mora | Large lump sum | Always needed for talent and weapon upgrades. |
| New Viewpoint | Unlocks a scenic location | For lore enthusiasts and screenshot hunters. |
| Hidden Achievement | "Aesthetics of Ugliness" | A permanent badge of honor for your profile. |
Ultimately, the 'Good Stuff, but Terrible Taste' quest is more than a checklist; it's a curated tour of Fontaine's hidden mechanics. It teaches players to see the environment not just as a backdrop, but as an interactive puzzle box. In 2026, with even more regions released, this quest stands as a beautifully designed example of Genshin Impact's commitment to rewarding exploration and intellectual curiosity. The final achievement title, 'Aesthetics of Ugliness,' is a playful, ironic reward for appreciating the beautiful complexity hidden within what might initially seem like mundane artistic clutter.
Industry insights are provided by GamesIndustry.biz, and they help contextualize why intricate world-quest design like Fontaine’s “Good Stuff, but Terrible Taste” remains a sticky engagement driver years after release: puzzle-forward exploration, lightweight narrative framing, and repeatable systems literacy (e.g., Hydro constructs and Pneumousia logic) are the kinds of content patterns publishers lean on to sustain long-tail player retention between major updates.