Riddle NPCs in Where Winds Meet turn wordplay into a repeatable way to earn Intelligence, Echo Jade, coins, and exploration progress. Each one throws out a short clue, then waits while you type guesses or questions into a chat-like interface under a strict turn limit.
The riddles themselves are simple once you know the vocabulary they pull from. The hard part is often just understanding what kind of object or creature the game expects. Below is a compact reference to the confirmed answers so far, followed by a breakdown of every riddle master’s location, requirements, and rewards, and then a look at how the minigame behaves.
Riddle clues and confirmed answers
Each of these clues can appear when talking to any of the riddle NPCs. Some refer to common household objects, others to animals or plants, and a few have more than one accepted answer.
| Clue text | Accepted answer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| storage | box | Generic term; the game wants the container, not the place (e.g., not “warehouse”). |
| surface | desk | Refers to a work surface you put things on. |
| four seasons | catharanthus roseus, ivy, chinese rose | Any of these plant names works; they are all evergreen or long-blooming species. |
| neckwear | necklace | Jewelry, not clothing like a scarf. |
| sleep | bed | The object you sleep on, not the act. |
| drive away | shepherd dog | This clue can repeat; answer is the herding dog both times. |
| white bird | egret | Points to the long-legged waterbird, not “swan” or “goose.” |
| flat mouth | platypus | “Duck-billed” animal; spelling must match “platypus.” |
| dyeing nails | impatiens | Flower traditionally used to stain fingernails. |
| waist | belt | Accessory worn around the waist. |
| rubbing | seal | Refers to a stamp or seal used with ink, not the animal. |
| green leaves | spinach | Edible leafy vegetable. |
| melee | dagger | Short-range weapon; other melee weapons are not accepted for this clue. |
| potted plant | coriander | Also known as cilantro; answer must use “coriander.” |
| cover | mask | Face covering specifically, not blanket or lid. |
| illumination | candle | Basic light source; lamps are not accepted here. |
| fruit flower | peach blossom | The blossom of the peach tree, not the fruit itself. |
| seasoning | garlic scape | Edible garlic stalk used for flavoring. |
| big mouth | hippopotamus / hippo | Both the full name and “hippo” are accepted. |
| container | sugar bowl | Small table container; not generic “bottle” or “jar.” |
| umbrella | mushroom | Umbrella-like cap of a mushroom. |
| sweet | sugar bowl | Refers again to the sugar holder, not “candy” or “dessert.” |
| essential oils | lemon | Citrus fruit with highly fragrant oil in the peel. |
| game | football | Ball sport; answer uses “football,” not “soccer.” |
Players also occasionally report other clues, such as “home” and “dark spots,” which map to “dog” and “leopard” respectively, via the in-game community comment threads.
Where to find every Riddle NPC
Riddle NPCs are treated as a Sentient Being type. Each is a named character placed in a specific district around Kaifeng and its surrounding regions. They all follow the same pattern: a one-time Intelligence requirement to participate, a Commerce Coin cost per round, then a payout in Intelligence, Echo Jade, Commerce Coins, Kaifeng Exploration, EXP, and standard Coin.
| Riddle NPC | Area | Intelligence required | Commerce Coin cost | Key rewards (single-player riddle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wang Xiaosan | Fairgrounds | 20 | 20 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×20; Kaifeng Exploration ×8; 1,600 EXP; 1,600 Coin |
| Chan Yi | Kaifeng Prefecture | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×20; Kaifeng Exploration ×8; 1,600 EXP; 1,600 Coin |
| Sha Er | Velvet Shade | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×20; Kaifeng Exploration ×8; 1,600 EXP; 1,600 Coin |
| Qingshan | Prosperity Haven | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×12; Commerce Coin ×60; Kaifeng Exploration ×12; 2,400 EXP; 2,400 Coin |
| Ruan Shuiyan | Prosperity Haven | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×10; Commerce Coin ×40; Kaifeng Exploration ×10; 2,000 EXP; 2,000 Coin |
| Tao Xiaoxiao | Imperial Artisan Court | 20 | 20 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×10; Commerce Coin ×40; Kaifeng Exploration ×10; 2,000 EXP; 2,000 Coin |
| Yoyo | Ghostlight Market | 60 | 60 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×12; Commerce Coin ×60; Kaifeng Exploration ×12; 2,400 EXP; 2,400 Coin |
| Zhang Jiu | Plainfield | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×20; Kaifeng Exploration ×8; 1,600 EXP; 1,600 Coin |
| Kutuluk | Kaifeng Suburbs – South | 20 | 20 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×20; Kaifeng Exploration ×8; 1,600 EXP; 1,600 Coin |
| Zhang Yu | Kaifeng Suburbs – East | 60 | 60 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×10; Commerce Coin ×40; Kaifeng Exploration ×10; 2,000 EXP; 2,000 Coin |
| Shi Lei | Buddha Statue Site | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×20; Kaifeng Exploration ×8; 1,600 EXP; 1,600 Coin |
| Li Rouzhu | Petalfall Crossing | 40 | 40 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×12; Commerce Coin ×60; Kaifeng Exploration ×12; 2,400 EXP; 2,400 Coin |
| Peng Shizhi | South Imperial Garden | 60 | 60 | Intelligence +5; Echo Jade ×10; Commerce Coin ×40; Kaifeng Exploration ×10; 2,000 EXP; 2,000 Coin |
| Liang Rongfu | Jinming Pool | 40 | 40 | Resolve +7; Echo Jade ×8; Commerce Coin ×40; Kaifeng Exploration ×10; 3,000 EXP; 3,000 Coin |
On top of these fixed single-player payouts, each of the Map Genie entries also notes a multiplayer “Collaboration” reward labeled Adventure Slip for many of these NPCs, which you receive through the co-op version of the riddle events.
How the riddle minigame behaves
The riddle interaction is closer to a lightweight chatbot than a traditional multiple-choice puzzle. You walk up to a Riddle NPC, pay the Commerce Coin entry fee, and a chat window opens with a short clue — often a single word (“storage”) or a tight phrase (“dyeing nails”). The rest is on you.
| Mechanic | Behavior | What it means while playing |
|---|---|---|
| Clue delivery | NPC provides a brief hint at the start of the round. | Read it literally; the answer is almost always a single noun tied closely to that hint. |
| Answer format | You type guesses or questions into a text box. | Entering the exact target word solves the riddle immediately; other chat-style messages can prompt extra hints. |
| Turn limit | Each riddle has a fixed number of attempts. | Running out of turns fails the round even if you were circling the right idea. |
| Timer | A countdown bar sits at the top of the riddle UI. | If the timer hits zero before you send a message, you automatically lose that turn. |
| Scaling by Intelligence | Higher Intelligence requirements are paired with different turn counts. | Late-game Riddle NPCs can feel stricter, so coming in with the answers prepared matters more. |
The riddle pool is shared across NPCs, so once you’ve seen “big mouth” or “four seasons” and learned the expected answers, you can cash in on that knowledge with every Riddle master you meet afterwards. Commerce Coins spent to join are mostly refunded through the rewards table once you answer correctly, with extra Intelligence, Echo Jade, and exploration progress stacked on top.
For full map coordinates and a live list of Riddle markers, the in-game interactive map and external map tools track all 13 known Riddle locations across Kaifeng, its suburbs, and nearby points of interest.
Once you’ve unlocked a few of these NPCs, it’s worth making them part of your regular loop through Kaifeng. The Intelligence gains feed directly back into other content that checks that attribute, the Echo Jade and Commerce Coin rewards help with broader progression, and the riddles themselves only take a few seconds apiece when you already know what the game wants you to type.
