How to Play Honkai: Nexus Anima — Beginner Guide

Game Overview

Honkai: Nexus Anima combines open-world exploration in the Reality Plane with auto-chess Nexus Battle combat and Anima companion collection. Planestriders partner with Animasters Nanafey, Kiana, Maple, and Manybell while capturing and bonding with Anima creatures bearing unique Aspect identities and combat Traits.

The embedded video above walks through core gameplay loops: exploring Iia town, completing story quests, capturing Anima, building formations, and progressing through Nexus Battle stages. This written section expands on video topics with wiki cross-references for deeper study.

Core Gameplay Loops

Three interconnected loops drive progression. Exploration loop: traverse Iia and surrounding regions discovering habitats, minigames, and bonding activities. Collection loop: recruit Anima building roster depth across Aspect identities and Trait roles. Combat loop: deploy formations in Nexus Battles clearing stages for rewards and story unlocks.

Balancing all three loops optimizes Evolution Test hours. Over-focusing combat without exploration misses bonding bonuses and recruitment opportunities. Pure exploration without Nexus Battle progression gates story chapters requiring stage completion.

Key Systems to Learn

Aspect synergies activate team bonuses when three or more Anima share an identity—fundamental to competitive team building explained in Aspects explained. Trait roles determine row placement covered in Traits explained. Animaster passives complement Anima formations detailed in Animaster team compositions.

Auto-chess combat requires pre-battle preparation rather than real-time input. Master formation planning using the team formation planner before tackling difficult stages.

Getting Started in Beta

The Evolution Test opens July 9, 2026 with recruitment closing July 3, 2026. Register with a HoYoverse account following our beta access guide. Five supported languages include English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

First-week priorities appear in the beginner first week guide. Platform-specific controls are documented for PC and mobile players.

Next Steps After This Guide

After watching the overview video, continue with specialized guides based on your interests. Combat players should watch the Nexus Battle auto chess guide. Builders should study deck building and Aspect synergies. Explorers should view exploration and Anima bonding.

Reference the Anima tier list when making recruitment decisions and the all Anima list for complete species data throughout your Evolution Test journey.

Social and Multiplayer Features

Honkai: Nexus Anima includes social features for friend visits, co-op activities, and community events within Iia town during the Evolution Test. These systems complement solo progression without replacing Nexus Battle stage requirements gating main story chapters throughout the Reality Plane starting region.

Progression Pacing Expectations

Expect the first week to balance tutorial completion, initial Anima recruitment, and early Nexus Battle clears before advanced systems like eight-unit Memory thresholds become realistic goals. The video timeline markers indicate natural progression checkpoints aligned with Iia story chapter unlocks.

Players joining mid-recruitment before the July 3, 2026 deadline should still prioritize the same fundamentals regardless of how many days remain before the July 9 server launch, focusing on synergy understanding over collection completion.

Return to this guide after completing the tutorial to reinforce system connections between exploration loops and Nexus Battle rewards that the initial playthrough presents separately.