Picture this: a mysterious doorway appears inside the official Messenger channel of Zenless Zone Zero. It calls itself the House of Answers, and it promises to answer any question a Proxy might have. Back in late October 2024, HoYoverse rolled out this quirky little event for the global community, and even in 2026, players still remember it as one of the most delightfully odd promotions the game has ever run. The premise was simple—think of a question, wait fifteen seconds, and receive an answer. But beneath that simplicity lay a cleverly designed engagement push that rewarded participation with Polychrome, the game’s premium currency.
The event ran from October 28 to November 1, 2024, between 12:00 and 19:00 UTC+8 each day. During that narrow window, players could click through to the official messenger via an event link, then follow three short steps. First, they had to think of a question and hold that thought for fifteen seconds—a surprisingly mindful act in an era of instant gratification. Second, they tapped a “View Answer” button to reveal whatever cryptic or playful response the system generated. Third, they subscribed to the official messenger and filled out a registration questionnaire. That was it. No combat, no grinding, no Hollow exploration required. Just curiosity and a click.
The reward pool sounds modest by today’s standards: 100 lucky winners each received 100 Polychrome. Yet, for a free-to-play gacha game, every bit of currency matters. A single pull costs 160 Polychrome, so 100 wasn’t even enough for one wish—but the real value was the novelty. Participating itself felt like a tiny adventure. The event also cleverly made use of a global prize pool, meaning winners could come from any region, though there was no fixed distribution ratio. Players could trigger the event and participate multiple times, but each account could only take home one reward. This encouraged repeated visits just to see different answers, without risking duplicate payouts.
For newcomers who joined Zenless Zone Zero after 2024, the House of Answers might sound strange. What exactly is a Proxy? In the game’s lore, Proxies are skilled guides who lead clients through the mysterious Hollows—chaotic dimensions filled with Ether corruption, strange creatures, and valuable resources. The player character operates under the alias “Proxy, Type II” alongside their AI companion, Fairy. The concept of a house that answers any question fits perfectly with this worldbuilding, because a Proxy’s life is all about uncovering secrets, navigating unknowns, and providing solutions. The event essentially turned that fantasy into a real-world interactive experience outside the game itself.
Any Proxy who took part remembers the anticipation. Fifteen seconds can feel surprisingly long when you’re trying to craft the perfect question. Some players asked serious questions about builds and team compositions. Others asked silly things like “Do Bangboo dream of electric Sheep?” or “Why is Nicole always broke?” The beauty was that the system didn’t need to provide genuinely useful answers—it just needed to say something cryptic, funny, or inspiring. And that was more than enough to spark conversations across social media. Forums filled with screenshots of the bizarre replies, and content creators turned their sessions into reaction videos. In that sense, the event achieved what many gamified marketing campaigns fail to do: it created a shared moment of joy, unpredictability, and community bonding.
Of course, there were rules to keep things fair. Players needed to remain subscribed to the official messenger until the event ended; otherwise, they’d lose eligibility for the prize draw. Since the event spanned multiple regions with a global prize pool, nobody could claim unfair regional favors. Winners were selected at random from successful participants, and rewards were sent via in-game mail within sixty days after the winners list was announced. If anyone had doubts or encountered issues, they could reach official customer service by email. These terms were clearly laid out, making the whole process transparent and low-risk. Still, some players joked that the hardest question wasn’t for the house—it was figuring out whether their subscription had remained active the entire time.
Looking back from 2026, what makes this event worth remembering? For one, it demonstrates HoYoverse’s willingness to experiment beyond traditional in-game missions. The House of Answers wasn’t a grindfest or a battle pass. It was a lightweight, whimsical interaction that let players engage with the brand on a human level. In a landscape where live-service games constantly demand time and attention, this tiny event was refreshingly low-pressure. There were no leaderboards, no time-intensive tasks, and no fear of missing out on powerful exclusive items. The only thing at stake was a small pile of Polychrome and a moment of amusement.
Another reason the House of Answers resonates is that it invites self-reflection. Players had to decide what they wanted to know most—then confront the fact that no website, oracle, or AI could truly tell them the future of their favorite game. In a way, the fifteen-second waiting period was a quiet pause. It forced participants to ask, “What do I actually want to know?” Then the answer arrived, often absurdly vague, and the real response was laughter or a shrug. That kind of playfulness aligns perfectly with Zenless Zone Zero’s punk-meets-streetwear aesthetic and its love of fourth-wall-breaking humor.
If another House of Answers event returns in 2026 or beyond, veterans will likely line up the moment it opens. Newer players, too, should jump at the chance when it reappears. All it takes is a few minutes and a burning question. There’s also something poetic about an event where the prize is both literal and symbolic: one hundred Polychrome for one hundred curious minds. Perhaps the true reward was never the currency, but the reminder that in a world full of tough choices, sometimes simply asking is enough. So, if you were standing before the House of Answers today, what question would you pose? Take fifteen seconds. Press the button. See what comes back—because in the Hollows, just like in this event, the first step is always curiosity.