Hand-Painted Metroidvania

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Wiki

Ori and the owl Ku perched on a branch before a giant luminous owl in the official key art of Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Explore Niwen, unlock movement abilities, and face towering enemies in a hand-painted Metroidvania adventure. Find your next route, build around Spirit Shards, and uncover the secrets you missed.

  • Released Mar 11, 2020
  • PC Patch 3.1: Nov 19, 2020
  • 96% Positive Steam English Reviews
  • 37 Steam Achievements
  • 3 Difficulty Modes
Start Beginner GuideFind Ability UnlocksExplore Boss Guides

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Wiki Hub

Eight in-depth guides that walk you through Niwen — the full walkthrough, ability unlocks, collectible maps, boss fights, Spirit Shard builds, trials, and achievements.

Latest Updates

  • Mastering Ori and the Will of the Wisps Abilities: A Pro Guide

    Discover the best Ori and the Will of the Wisps abilities to dominate the game. Learn how to unlock, upgrade, and optimize your combat and movement skills.

    AbilitiesRead more →
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps Burrow Ability Location Guide

    Learn the exact Ori and the Will of the Wisps burrow ability location and how to master sand movement to unlock hidden treasures in the Windswept Wastes.

    AbilitiesRead more →
  • How to Get Ori and the Will of the Wisps Flash Ability

    Discover how to unlock the Ori and the Will of the Wisps Flash ability. Learn to survive the Mouldwood Depths, defeat Mora, and illuminate the dark.

    AbilitiesRead more →
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps Hammer Location: How to Get Spirit Smash

    Struggling to find the Ori and the Will of the Wisps hammer location? Learn exactly how to obtain the Spirit Smash ability to crush obstacles and dominate foes.

    AbilitiesRead more →

Start Here

  1. Beginner Guide

    Choose your difficulty, learn movement and combat basics, and follow a clear starting route through Niwen.

    Read more →
  2. First Abilities & Upgrades

    Find early movement abilities and learn which upgrades to prioritize before spending your Spirit Light.

    Read more →
  3. Spirit Shard Builds

    Learn how to equip and upgrade Spirit Shards, then choose combinations for exploration, survival, and combat.

    Read more →
  4. Maps & Collectibles

    Find Lupo's maps, track Life and Energy upgrades, and plan return visits as new abilities open previously blocked paths.

    Read more →
Browse guides →

Popular Pages

Boss GuidesInteractive MapSystem RequirementsEnding Explained

What is Ori and the Will of the Wisps?

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a single-player Metroidvania action-platformer developed by Moon Studios. Guide Ori through Niwen, overcome environmental puzzles, and unlock abilities that open new paths across its interconnected world.

Customize combat and exploration with spirit weapons and equippable Spirit Shards while tackling bosses, escape sequences, and optional quests. Spirit Trials add timed races with online leaderboards, while Spirit Shrines challenge you with waves of enemies.

Browse guides
Ori standing beside a Moki character on a mossy branch in the hand-painted forests of Niwen
  • Developer
    Moon Studios GmbH
  • PC & Xbox Publisher
    Xbox Game Studios
  • Switch Publisher
    iam8bit
  • Platform
    Windows PC / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / Nintendo Switch
  • Genre
    Metroidvania / Action Platformer
  • Steam Achievements
    37
  • Difficulty Modes
    3
  • Steam English Reviews
    96% Positive
  • Platforms
    Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
  • Genres
    Metroidvania, Action Platformer
  • Players
    Max. 1
  • Modes
    Single player
  • Release date
    2020-03-11
  • Developer
    Moon Studios GmbH

Explore the wiki

Guides

Complete Ori and the Will of the Wisps guides: walkthrough, beginner tips, difficulty, playtime, achievements, speedrun routes, and Spirit Trial strategies.

Exploration

Region guides, side quests, puzzles, and collectible maps for Ori and the Will of the Wisps — from Inkwater Marsh keystones to the Wellspring and beyond.

Bosses

Phase-by-phase strategies for every boss and escape sequence in Ori and the Will of the Wisps, from Howl's chase to the final Shriek fight.

Abilities

Every movement and combat unlock in Ori and the Will of the Wisps: where each ability is found, what it opens, and which Spirit Shard builds use it best.

Platforms

Where to buy and play Ori and the Will of the Wisps: price and discount tracking, PC/Xbox/Switch/PS5 questions, Steam Deck performance, and edition comparisons.

Support

Fixes and setup help for Ori and the Will of the Wisps: system requirements, crash troubleshooting, controller support, ultrawide fixes, and mods.

Reviews

Is Ori and the Will of the Wisps worth it? Review roundup, Metacritic context, comparisons with Hollow Knight and Blind Forest, sales numbers, and similar games.

Media

The music, art, and story of Ori and the Will of the Wisps: OST and main theme guides, the art book, cutscenes, the ending explained, wallpapers, and more.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Walkthrough

Find your next objective with a region-by-region walkthrough of Niwen. Follow the opening route, check ability requirements, and return to blocked passages with the right movement tools.

  1. Open in Inkwater Marsh

    Start in Inkwater Marsh, where Spirit Edge, Double Jump, Regenerate, and Spirit Arc establish your early toolkit.

  2. Cross Kwolok's Hollow

    Continue through Kwolok's Hollow to acquire Dash and Bash for longer crossings and projectile-assisted movement.

  3. Descend into The Wellspring

    Explore The Wellspring and unlock Grapple to pull Ori toward grapple points and blue moss.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Beginner Guide

Learn the essentials before spending your first Spirit Light. Understand difficulty choices, saving, early purchases, and the upgrades that make exploration more forgiving.

  1. Choose your difficulty

    Choose between Easy, Normal, and Hard when starting your adventure.

  2. Learn the autosave system

    Learn the autosave system: Will of the Wisps does not use the manually placed Soul Links from Blind Forest.

  3. Consider an early Spirit Smash

    Consider buying Spirit Smash early; its heavy attack breaks enemy defenses and some breakable walls.

  4. Bank Life and Energy first

    Collect Life and Energy upgrades before repeatedly attempting a difficult encounter.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Abilities and Upgrades

Find movement unlocks and understand what each ability actually does. Separate traversal abilities from optional purchases so you can identify the tool a blocked route requires.

  • Swim Dash

    Found in Luma Pools; dash underwater and launch out of the water.

  • Burrow

    Found in Windswept Wastes; move through sand and dash out of sandy surfaces.

  • Light Burst

    Found in Baur's Reach; throw a light sphere that also provides a target for Bash.

  • Flash

    Found in Mouldwood Depths; create an illuminating, damaging aura that continuously consumes Energy.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Maps and Collectibles

Track missing upgrades and plan your collectible cleanup. Use Lupo's maps to locate overlooked items and check portal connections when a route becomes confusing.

  • Life Cells

    Lupo sells a special map revealing remaining Life Cell pickups.

  • Energy Cells

    A separate Lupo map reveals remaining Energy Cell pickups.

  • Spirit Shards

    Lupo's shard-reveal map helps locate uncollected Spirit Shards.

  • Portal Routes

    The map shows connections between the light tunnels used in later areas.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Boss Guides

Prepare for demanding encounters with boss-specific movement and survival advice. Check the mechanics behind difficult phases rather than relying on damage upgrades alone.

  • Howl

    The first boss in Inkwater Marsh opens as a scripted chase, then becomes a restricted fight built around torch mechanics.

  • Kwolok

    During the flooded phase, Swim Dash against his suction and use Bash to redirect eligible projectiles.

  • Mora

    Mora is the spider encountered in Mouldwood Depths, where prolonged darkness is lethal; learn the area's light-source mechanics before the encounter.

  • Shriek

    The giant owl hunts you through the finale in three phases: dodge ground slams and projectiles, then strike her head when she lands.

  • Boss Preparation

    Life and Energy pickups improve your reserves, while purchased upgrades can strengthen offense and defense before another attempt.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Spirit Shard Builds

Compare Spirit Shards for exploration, platforming, and combat. Build around their actual effects, then swap your loadout to suit the next challenge.

  • Triple Jump

    Adds another jump for extra height and more forgiving platforming.

  • Sticky

    Lets Ori cling to walls instead of sliding down them.

  • Magnet

    Pulls nearby Life, Energy, and Spirit Light pickups toward Ori.

  • Ultra Grapple and Ultra Bash

    Ultra Grapple enables grappling enemies; Ultra Bash adds damage when bashing enemies.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Spirit Trials and Combat Shrines

Take on optional racing and combat challenges between story objectives. Learn the difference between Spirit Trials and Spirit Shrines, then work toward their completion achievements.

  • Spirit Trials

    Timed traversal challenges let you compete for positions on online leaderboards.

  • Trial Replays

    Select a leaderboard entry to watch another player's route and learn faster movement.

  • Spirit Shrines

    Combat arenas pit Ori against increasingly challenging waves of enemies.

  • Completion Goals

    Completing all Spirit Trials earns Speed Demon; completing all Spirit Shrines earns Shrine Bright.

Read more

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Achievements Guide

Plan your route through the game's 37 achievements. Check challenge-run restrictions before spending currency or equipping shards so you do not invalidate your chosen goal.

  • Look at the Time

    Complete the game in under 4 hours.

  • Immortal

    Complete the game without dying.

  • Shardless

    Complete the game without equipping a Spirit Shard.

  • Lightless

    Complete the game without spending any Spirit Light.

Read more

Quick Answers

Ori and the Will of the Wisps FAQ

Can you change difficulty in Ori and the Will of the Wisps?

No. You choose Easy, Normal, or Hard when starting a save, and the game has no in-menu way to switch difficulty mid-game. Only third-party save-editing tools can alter it, and starting a fresh save is the safer route.

Does Ori and the Will of the Wisps have multiplayer or co-op?

No. Moon Studios designed the campaign as a strictly single-player experience. The online element is limited to the Spirit Trials leaderboards, where you race recorded times rather than play alongside friends.

How long does it take to beat Ori and the Will of the Wisps?

A main-story run takes about 12 hours. Adding side quests brings it to roughly 15.5 hours, and a 100% completion run lands near 18.5 hours.

Do you need to play Ori and the Blind Forest first?

No. Will of the Wisps tells a story that stands on its own. Playing Blind Forest first adds context for returning characters, but the new adventure is built to be accessible to newcomers.

Ready to Master Ori and the Will of the Wisps?

From your first steps in Niwen to tough bosses and completion challenges, find the routes, upgrades, and strategies for your next goal.

Read the Beginner GuidePlay on Steam