One of the most distinctive design choices in Ghost of Tsushima is how little the game relies on a traditional cluttered map screen or overlaid HUD markers to guide exploration. Instead, Sucker Punch built the Guiding Wind, a system where the wind itself blows in the direction of your current objective, letting players keep their eyes on the world rather than a minimap. Combined with animal guides like foxes and golden birds, and points of interest such as hot springs, shrines, and bamboo strikes, Tsushima’s open world is designed to be explored organically rather than checked off a list. This guide covers how the wind guidance system works, what the major points of interest offer, and what to expect from the added landmass of Iki Island.
How the Guiding Wind System Works
To use the Guiding Wind, place a waypoint on a point of interest or quest objective on the map, then swipe up on the touchpad, or the equivalent button on other platforms, to activate the guidance. Once activated, the wind visibly flows across the landscape in the direction of your destination, sweeping through grass and trees so you can follow it by sight while riding or on foot. This single mechanic replaces the need for a constant on-screen compass or quest marker, and it is central to why Tsushima’s world feels uncluttered compared to many other open-world games, letting the environment itself carry the navigation load instead of UI elements.
Specialized Winds for Different Points of Interest
Beyond the general Guiding Wind, the game offers specialized versions tied to specific types of locations, unlocked by spending Technique Points in the Exploration branch of the Samurai skill tree. Wind of Health points toward the island’s hot springs, Wind of Resolve points toward bamboo strikes, Wind of Charms points toward Shinto Shrines, and Wind of Inari points toward fox dens that lead to Inari Shrines. Each of these only costs a single Technique Point to unlock, and investing in them early is one of the best ways to make sure you are not missing permanent upgrades hidden across the map as you push through the main story. Because these winds can be toggled individually from the map menu, you can focus a play session entirely on, say, hunting down every hot spring, without other points of interest cluttering the guidance.
Following Foxes to Inari Shrines
Scattered across Tsushima are hidden shrines dedicated to Inari, and rather than being marked automatically, their locations are revealed by foxes that appear and lead Jin toward them if he follows and pets one. Once the Wind of Inari skill is unlocked, undiscovered Inari Shrines can also be tracked directly from the map menu, but many players prefer stumbling across a fox naturally while riding, since following it is one of the more charming small moments the open world offers. Inari Shrines are directly tied to the charm system, since praying at them is one of the main ways to unlock additional charm slots for Jin’s armor, which makes chasing down foxes more than just a cosmetic distraction.
Golden Birds and Other Natural Guides
Beyond the Guiding Wind and foxes, players will occasionally come across large yellow birds that fly down in front of Jin and then take off in a specific direction. Following these birds leads to bamboo strikes, pillars of honor, shrines, hot springs, and many of the other points of interest scattered around the island, functioning as an additional layer of environmental guidance that requires no menu interaction at all. This layered system of wind, foxes, and birds is a big part of why Tsushima’s exploration loop feels distinct from open-world games that rely purely on map icons, and it rewards players who simply ride off the beaten path rather than beelining between quest markers.
Hot Springs, Shrines, and Bamboo Strikes
Each type of point of interest rewards a different kind of permanent progression. Hot springs, found via Wind of Health, increase Jin’s maximum health when visited and meditated at. Bamboo strikes, found via Wind of Resolve, are timed cutting challenges that increase Jin’s maximum Resolve, the resource spent on both offensive techniques and healing. Shinto Shrines, found via Wind of Charms, typically require a climbing or platforming sequence to reach and reward a charm upon completion. Together, these three systems form the core of Tsushima’s non-combat progression, and prioritizing them alongside the main story is one of the most efficient ways to build up Jin’s stats without needing to grind side content later.
Lighthouses, Pillars of Honor, and Other Landmarks
Tsushima’s coastline is dotted with additional landmarks worth seeking out beyond the wind-guided points of interest. Pillars of honor commemorate fallen samurai and, once found, add cosmetic dye options for Jin’s armor. Lighthouses along the coast serve as scenic overlooks and are tied to their own collectible set, while hidden altars and haiku spots reward quiet moments of reflection with small cosmetic or stat bonuses rather than combat rewards. None of these locations are required to finish the main story, but collecting them fills out Jin’s overall progression and gives the open world a reason to be explored well beyond the critical path.
Iki Island: A Self-Contained Expansion
Iki Island was added as part of the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, which launched on PlayStation and later PC, and it functions as an optional narrative interlude that Jin can sail to after reaching a certain point in the main story. On Iki, a shaman known as the Eagle is unleashing a mysterious poison on the local population, and Jin’s investigation forms the backbone of the expansion’s story. In terms of scale, Iki Island is comparable in size to the first major region of the base game, Izuhara, and offers roughly ten to fifteen hours of content depending on how thoroughly it is explored. The expansion also introduces new abilities, including a horse charge move, customizable horse armor, and new enemy types not found on the mainland, giving returning players fresh mechanics to engage with rather than simply more of the same map layout. If you want the full picture of how Iki Island and the rest of the game’s regions fit into Jin’s overall journey, check out our complete Ghost of Tsushima guide for a broader walkthrough of the story and world.
Beginner Tips for Exploring Efficiently
New players should prioritize unlocking the specialized Guiding Wind skills as early as Technique Points allow, since each one effectively adds a permanent tracking system for an entire category of collectible. It is worth resisting the urge to fast travel everywhere; much of Tsushima’s environmental storytelling and its hidden haiku spots, hidden altars, and animal sanctuaries are only found by riding through the open world and reacting to what the wind, foxes, and birds point toward. Finally, treat hot springs, bamboo strikes, and Shinto Shrines as priorities alongside main story missions rather than optional busywork, since their rewards directly strengthen Jin’s health, Resolve, and charm slots in ways that make later story missions, Mongol camps, and the tougher encounters on Iki Island noticeably easier. Even veteran players who have finished the main story more than once tend to find a handful of hot springs, shrines, or lighthouses they missed the first time simply by turning off fast travel for an afternoon and letting the wind, foxes, and birds lead the way.