TL;DR
- Open your in-game phone and tap the Time System (clock icon) to skip time instantly.
- Drag the white circle on the 24-hour dial to any hour and hit Confirm.
- You can skip up to 72 hours in one go by looping the dial multiple times.
- Weather options: Sunny, Rainy, Random are available from the start.
- Snowy weather is locked behind the side quest “A Retrograde Poem for You.”
- The Time System unlocks after completing the “Legendary Driver” tutorial and buying a vehicle.
- Changing weather for the first time earns you the Wind Walker achievement and 10 Annulith.
- Some Anomaly Commissions and races only appear at specific times — use the Time System to trigger them instantly.
What Is the Time System in NTE?
The Time System in Neverness to Everness is a built-in feature that lets you skip the in-game clock forward or backward and swap between weather types at will. You do not have to sit and wait for night to come or hope the rain clears up on its own. The system puts full control in your hands from a simple menu on your in-game phone.
It is more useful than it looks at first. Time of day affects NPC schedules, race windows, Anomaly Commission availability, and the overall atmosphere of Hethereau. Weather affects driving grip, photo opportunities, and world immersion. Knowing how to use the Time System properly saves you a lot of waiting and unlocks content you might otherwise miss entirely.
How to Unlock the Time System in NTE
The Time System is not available from the very first minute of the game. You need to unlock it first. Here is what you need to do:
- Progress through the early tutorial sequence called “Legendary Driver.”
- Complete the tutorial and purchase your first vehicle.
- Once that is done, the Time System becomes permanently accessible from your phone menu at any time during free roam.
Until those two steps are complete, the clock icon on your phone will not respond and the weather stays on the game’s default randomization. Once unlocked, it stays unlocked forever and can be used anytime you are not in combat. If you want to get a car quickly, check out our guide on how to get a car in NTE.
How to Pass Time in NTE – Step by Step
Once the Time System is unlocked, passing time is straightforward. Follow these steps:
- Step 1: Tap the phone icon in the top right corner of your screen to open your in-game phone menu.
- Step 2: Look for the clock icon and tap it. This is the Time System button. You can also access it through the Radial Menu if you have that configured.
- Step 3: You will see a 24-hour clock dial on screen. Grab the white circle on the edge of the dial and drag it to the hour you want.
- Step 4: Moving the circle forward shifts time toward evening and night. Moving it backward returns to earlier hours of the day.
- Step 5: Hit Confirm in the bottom right corner. The time changes instantly. Lighting updates, NPC behavior adjusts, and the environment shifts in real time.
That is all there is to it. There is no cooldown and no resource cost. You can repeat this as many times as you want during free roam.
How to Skip More Than One Day
You are not limited to skipping within a single 24-hour cycle. You can skip up to 72 hours at once by circling the time adjuster around the clock dial multiple times. After you pass the 00:00 mark once, the clock will display “Tomorrow.” Pass it again and it will say “Day after Tomorrow.” There is no hard cap on how far forward you can skip — the system keeps going as long as you keep looping the dial.
Note that the time display uses a 24-hour format. There is currently no option to switch it to 12-hour format.
How to Change Weather in NTE
Weather controls are built into the same Time System menu. You do not need a separate screen or option. Here is how to change it:
- Step 1: Open the Time System from your phone menu (same steps as above).
- Step 2: At the bottom of the screen, you will see weather option buttons: Sunny, Rainy, Snowy, and Random.
- Step 3: Tap the weather type you want.
- Step 4: Hit Confirm. The in-game time will move forward by 30 in-game minutes and the weather will shift to your chosen type.
You can change time and weather at the same time in a single Confirm action. Set the hour and pick a weather type together and both changes apply at once.
All Weather Types in NTE – What They Do
Sunny
Clear skies with bright daytime lighting. Best for racing since tires maintain full grip on dry roads. Also great for photo mode if you want sharp, well-lit shots of Hethereau’s city streets and landmarks. Available from the start of the Time System.
Rainy
Rain falls across the city, NPCs pull out umbrellas, and some pedestrians pick up their pace to get out of the wet. Roads become slippery during rainy weather — car handling takes a noticeable hit, especially when cornering, which matters a lot during races. Available from the start of the Time System.
Snowy
Snow across Hethereau turns the city into something genuinely beautiful, especially around the northern areas. Like rain, snow reduces road grip and makes vehicle handling more demanding. Snowy weather is locked by default and must be unlocked through progression. See the section below for exactly how to unlock it.
Random
Lets the game pick a weather type for you. Good if you want to let the world feel natural without manually managing conditions every session.
How to Unlock Snowy Weather in NTE
Snow does not unlock automatically. You need to complete a specific side quest to access it. Here is what to do:
- Find and start the side quest called “A Retrograde Poem for You.”
- On the Hethereau map, this quest appears marked as “Co…. Collect cold Air?” — look for it just south of the Northridge Town Wertheimer Tower.
- The quest is available without prerequisites, so you can pick it up and begin at any time.
- The quest involves speaking to Felicita, then finding an anomaly — a snowman who has been helping people beat the summer heat and exchanging ice cream for pictures.
- Your objective is to help the snowman take photos at various points of interest around Hethereau.
- Once the quest is completed, Snowy weather unlocks permanently in your Time System.
The quest is on the longer side but it is worth doing. The story itself takes an unexpectedly emotional turn by the end — bring tissues. And obviously, making it snow in the middle of summer in Hethereau is a genuinely impressive visual payoff for the effort.
Why Passing Time and Changing Weather Actually Matters
This is not just a cosmetic feature. Time and weather in NTE directly affect gameplay in several meaningful ways.
Anomaly Commissions – Time-Locked Content
Some Anomaly Commissions only appear at specific times of day. If a commission marker is not showing up where it should on your map, the most likely reason is that the time of day is wrong. For example, certain commissions like the Headless Rider only spawn around midnight. Instead of waiting, just open the Time System and jump to the correct hour. Our Flaming Bike Ride Assault Anomaly Commission guide and Change Your Perspective Anomaly Commission guide are good examples of quests where getting the time right is essential to trigger them.
Racing – Time Windows for Opponents
Each opposing team in the Racing (Challenge) mode is only available during a specific time window. If the opponent you need is not showing up, check what time window they require and use the Time System to jump to it immediately. No waiting for the in-game day to cycle over on its own.
Also important for races: avoid rain and snow weather during competitive races. Wet roads reduce tire grip dramatically and make cornering unreliable. Set the weather to Sunny before a race if you want full control of your vehicle. If you want to get a vehicle first, check our car guide and house guide for early game setup tips.
NPC Behavior – Day vs Night
NPCs in Hethereau actually respond to time and weather changes. At night, foot traffic thins out noticeably. On rainy days you will see NPCs holding umbrellas and walking faster to get out of the rain. These details make the world feel alive and also matter if you are tracking down specific NPCs for quests or interactions at certain times. Related: see our Occult Club Student location guide for an example of an NPC interaction tied to finding the right spot.
Certain Quests Force Time Changes
Some missions in NTE will forcefully adjust the time of day when they are actively tracked in your journal. For example, a quest that requires a photo of the sunset will shift the in-game clock to evening automatically while it is tracked. This is helpful when you just need to get the quest done and do not want to manually set the time yourself.
Photography – Lighting and Atmosphere
If you use photo mode in NTE, the time of day is one of the most important variables for a great shot. Shifting the clock to around 17:00–18:00 gives you a golden hour lighting effect that looks fantastic across Hethereau’s skyline and streets. Snowy weather on top of that creates some genuinely cinematic shots of the city. Check our best PC settings guide to make sure your graphics are maxed out before you shoot.
Pro tip: If your only goal is the perfect screenshot, photo mode has its own separate environment settings where you can adjust time of day and weather directly without going through the Time System confirmation process. It is faster and gives you more fine-tuned control over lighting, contrast, and depth of field at the same time.
Wind Walker Achievement – Free Annulith
The first time you manually change the weather using the Time System, the game awards you the Wind Walker achievement, which comes with 10 Annulith as a reward. There is no extra requirement — just open the Time System, swap the weather to anything, and confirm. If you have been letting the weather randomize and have not done this yet, do it right now and claim the free currency. Check our NTE redeem codes page for more ways to earn free resources.
Tips for Using the Time System Efficiently
- Before any race: Always set weather to Sunny first. Rain and snow make handling unreliable and can cost you a race you would otherwise win.
- Before hunting Anomaly Commissions: Check what time the commission needs before heading to the marker. Use the Time System to jump there. Do not walk to the location first and then realize it is the wrong time.
- For exploration and quests: Morning and daytime hours are generally better for finding NPCs at their regular spots. Some characters and interactions only appear during the day.
- For night content: Midnight (00:00) is the best target time for night-exclusive Anomaly Commissions. You can jump there in one move from the dial.
- For screenshots: Around 17:00–18:00 in Sunny weather gives the best golden hour lighting. Snow at night in Hethereau looks exceptional for moody shots.
- For quests that are stuck: If a quest objective is not appearing or triggering, the Time System should always be one of your first troubleshooting steps. Time-gating is one of the most common reasons quest progression stalls in NTE.
Can You Change Time During Combat?
No. The Time System cannot be accessed during combat. You need to be in free roam in a safe area to open your phone and use it. Finish or exit the encounter first, then adjust your time and weather as needed.
What Happens If the Time System Is Unresponsive?
If the clock icon is greyed out or the slider is not working, there are a couple of likely reasons. First, check that you have completed the “Legendary Driver” tutorial and purchased a vehicle — these are the unlock requirements and the system will not work until both are done. Second, if you are mid-quest in a mission that forces a specific time of day, the game may be overriding the Time System temporarily. Exit or pause the quest tracking in your journal and try again.
If the issue persists and repeats in a loop, it may be a server-side sync issue. Give the system 10–15 seconds between attempts before clicking again. For persistent bugs, go through the in-game menu to Settings and contact Support directly — attach a screenshot with your task log open and coordinates visible on the minimap to speed up any response.
More NTE Guides to Get the Most Out of Hethereau
The Time System is one of those features that seems minor until you realize how many systems it touches. Mastering it early makes quests smoother, races cleaner, and exploration a lot more enjoyable on your own schedule.
While you are getting settled in Hethereau, here are some other guides worth checking out. You can learn how to escape prison in NTE, find out how to switch your Appraiser, explore the Anomaly Furniture guide, or check out the Hethereau Hobbies guide to spend your City Stamina efficiently. For character progression, our Nanally build guide and full character unlock guide are great starting points.
Download and play Neverness to Everness on Google Play or on PlayStation Store.
