Time travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) is a popular technique that allows players to manipulate the game’s clock, jumping forward or backward in time. This guide explores how to time travel in ACNH, its effects, and answers common questions, so you can decide if it’s right for your gameplay.
What is Time Travel in ACNH?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons operates on a real-time system. When the game says an action will take a day, it means a real-life 24-hour period. Time traveling involves manually altering the Nintendo Switch’s internal clock to advance or rewind the date within the game.
Nintendo Switch Date and Time Settings
Time travel is not considered a form of hacking or cheating. More importantly, time travel doesn’t erase progress. Everything you’ve earned or completed remains, even if you travel back in time. You keep your items, villagers, and island developments.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Time Travel in ACNH
Follow these steps to safely time travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons:
- Save and Exit: Close your game completely or go to the ‘Save Complete’ screen by selecting ‘Save and End’ within the game.
- Access System Settings: From the Nintendo Switch home screen, go to
System Settings>System>Date and Time. - Disable Internet Synchronization: If
Synchronize Clock via internetis turned ON, disable it. This prevents the Switch from automatically correcting the time. - Adjust Date and Time: Select
Date and Timeand manually set the desired date and time. - Return to the Game: Launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game will now reflect the new date and time you’ve set.
General Effects of Time Traveling in ACNH
Whether you travel forward or backward in time, there are general consequences to consider:
| Negative Effects | Positive Effects |
|---|---|
| Open plots may fill with random villagers. | All store stock (Able Sisters, Nook’s Cranny, Nook Shopping) will refresh. |
| Campers may leave your campsite. | Redd’s art will be delivered if you purchased one. |
| Fossils will respawn on your island. | |
| NPC visitor shops and quests will refresh. | |
| The daily message bottle will respawn on the beach. |
Nintendo Switch Date and Time Settings
Important Notes:
- The Able Sisters’ mannequin inventory updates only if you travel to a date outside the current week.
- Some items from Nook’s Cranny can only be purchased once per week.
- Saharah’s inventory only changes when you enter a new week.
Specific Effects of Time Traveling Forward in ACNH
Time traveling forward simulates playing the game as usual but with a manually advanced clock.
| Negative Effects | Positive Effects |
|---|---|
| Weeds and flowers will grow and spread across your island. | Building construction, upgrades, and villager move-ins will be completed instantly. |
| Cockroaches may appear in your house (after time traveling one month or more). | Weeds and flowers will grow and spread. |
| You may get the bedhead hairstyle (after time traveling one month or more). | Rocks and trees will refresh, providing new resources. |
| Villagers may comment on your absence. | Mail is delivered. |
| Turnips will spoil if you time travel past 5 AM on the following Sunday. | Turnip price trends remain unaffected, as they are determined on Sunday mornings. |
Specific Effects of Time Traveling Backward in ACNH
Traveling backward more than a day essentially resets your game to a previous state.
| Negative Effects | Neutral Effects |
|---|---|
| Turnips will spoil immediately. | It will not count as a “new day” regarding in-game progression. |
| Turnip prices will change and your trend will reset. | Building construction, upgrades, and move-ins will not be completed. |
| Watered flowers will lose their watered status and will not grow or breed. | Shop stock will remain the same as your initial visit that day unless you move into a new week. |
| The ABD (Automated Bell Dispenser) chain bonus will reset. | Rocks and trees will not refresh. |
| Villagers will advance their move-in/move-out processes. | Mail will not be delivered. |
Time Travel and Other Games
Time traveling in ACNH generally does not affect other games on your Nintendo Switch, unless you launch them while the system time is altered.
Important Questions about Time Travel in ACNH
Q: Do I have to wait to time travel after someone invites my villager to live on their island?
A: No. You can time travel freely after inviting a villager to move in, or after someone invites your villager to their island.
Q: Can I time travel to play events that have passed?
A: Yes. As of the 2.0.0 update, all events are unlocked for all years.
Nintendo Switch Date and Time Settings
Q: I time traveled to the Festive season, but why are none of the cedar trees decorated?
A: Ensure you have time traveled forward into the Festive season, not backward. Also, make sure you have at least one cedar tree on your island.
Q: How do I time travel to farm an NPC visitor?
A: This depends on the day the NPC appears:
- Weekdays (except Monday): Toggle the date between the day the NPC is there and a day they are not.
- Monday: Time travel forward a day to Tuesday, then back to Monday (after 5 AM).
Q: Will my villagers move out if I time travel too much?
A: No. Villagers in New Horizons will not move out unless you give them permission.
Q: Will my villagers dislike me/lose friendship points if I time travel too much?
A: No. Time traveling has no effect on friendship levels.
Q: Do the developers know I time travel? Will they do anything to me about it?
A: The game does track whether you’ve time traveled using a variable called isTimeSly. However, there are no known in-game consequences or punishments.
Q: What are BCAT or NTP unlocks?
A: BCAT and NTP unlocks are flags that get activated when an event or period’s intended real-time release date arrives. There is no way to manually unlock these without hacking.
Conclusion: Should You Time Travel in ACNH?
Time travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a powerful tool that can significantly alter your gameplay experience. It allows you to speed up development, access events at your convenience, and control the flow of your island life. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding if time travel is right for you. Ultimately, the best way to play Animal Crossing is the way that brings you the most enjoyment!
